Ticket collection requiring a card (or not)

[TrainTraveler]

I collected a couple of sets of tickets at my local station today (both for trips next week).

The first was booked on LNER's website and required a card to collect it (contactless sufficed and I think it was the card I booked with)

The second was booked using Avanti's website (same card) and was just issued without any card.

Was the Avanti using the previous identification by my card or is there something more subtle going on?

Some sellers require no card, some will take any card in your name and some need the exact card you booked with (I've been stuffed with LNER by this when I had the card reissued between purchase and collection).

Is there a list anywhere of who needs what?

 

[AlterEgo]

LNER don't need the same card to collect tickets. I have collected with a replacement card before.

 

[CyrusWuff]

It's dependent on both the retailer and the TVM.

Worldline (formerly Shere) FAST TVMs (now only found at Southend Airport and London Overground stations) and Cubic Electra (found at some Elizabeth Line, London Overground and Heathrow Airport) still require you to insert a card before entering the collection reference.

All other TVMs should now ask for the reference first and only prompt you to present a card if the retailer has marked the booking as Same Card collection.

 

[greaterangrier]

Recently, when collecting a ticket from an Elizabeth line station, I was very surprised not to be asked for my card when picking up tickets.

 

[TrainTraveler]

That's more than I knew this morning!

Is there a list of retailers that don't require a card to collect tickets (ticket machine permitting)? Avanti seem to be one.

 

[Deerfold]

LNER don't need the same card to collect tickets. I have collected with a replacement card before.

I was unable to collect a ticket with the virtual "card" in my phone when I'd booked with the real version of the same card. Their helpline was unable to change the card I could collect with.

Fortunately I managed to collect it from a real person by proving I was who had booked the ticket. This was in January this year.

 

[Haywain]

LNER don't need the same card to collect tickets. I have collected with a replacement card before.

I'm not sure that's correct.

 

[TrainTraveler]

In my case with the replacement card I was collecting in a station with a staffed ticket office. Tha card was reissued with a different number which might not have helped.

At the ticket office they suggested that I called LNER so I did.

LNER seemed unable to resolve the matter so I passed the phone to the very helpful fellow in the ticket office, and after he conversed with LNER he issued my tickets.

One of many reasons why I supported keeping ticket offices open when there was a consultation on the subject.

 

[rubin]

I think previously you have to use a bank card to collect (but I've used cards not purchasing tickets online which no issues to me at all), recently bank card is not required which is a progress

 

[ricoblade]

I'm not sure that's correct.

Certainly wasn't a few weeks ago when I'd had a replacement credit card, due to fraud, in between booking and collecting. I tried to collect from the LNER TVM at Retford and it gave me a "wrong card" error. Luckily the ticket office was open (closes at 13:00 every day) and able to issue the tickets.

 

[Tram203]

Regarding LNER ticket machines, specifically those at Peterborough, in the last few months I have on several occasions collected tickets on departure from those.

Never has a payment card been requested - simply press "collect tickets", enter the 8 character collection reference, press "submit", press "print tickets" and out they come.

 

[Edvid]

Regarding LNER ticket machines, specifically those at Peterborough, in the last few months I have on several occasions collected tickets on departure from those.

Never has a payment card been requested - simply press "collect tickets", enter the 8 character collection reference, press "submit", press "print tickets" and out they come.

The 'same card' flag is determined by the retailer you bought the tickets from, not by who issued them on the retailer's behalf.

For 'any card' retailers there's no requirement to insert/tap a card at all unless you're collecting tickets at a Worldline FAST or Cubic Electra TVM.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Regarding LNER ticket machines, specifically those at Peterborough, in the last few months I have on several occasions collected tickets on departure from those.

Never has a payment card been requested - simply press "collect tickets", enter the 8 character collection reference, press "submit", press "print tickets" and out they come.

We go by whatever the reailer sets as above

 

[Haywain]

Regarding LNER ticket machines, specifically those at Peterborough, in the last few months I have on several occasions collected tickets on departure from those.

Never has a payment card been requested - simply press "collect tickets", enter the 8 character collection reference, press "submit", press "print tickets" and out they come.

You have, presumably, not ordered these from LNER. Had you done so you would find you have a different experience.

 

[mmh]

The 'same card' flag is determined by the retailer you bought the tickets from, not by who issued them on the retailer's behalf.

For 'any card' retailers there's no requirement to insert/tap a card at all unless you're collecting tickets at a Worldline FAST or Cubic Electra TVM.

Ah, there's nothing like standards.

Why does "the railway" appear to dislike standards so much? This surely something which should be standardised, and it not being is customer unfriendly. What could the reasoning behind this setting being variable be?

 

[Adam Williams]

What could the reasoning behind this setting being variable be?

The setting used to be a stolen card fraud prevention measure. Given the retailer is on the hook for that, it was (sensibly) left up to the retailer.

With the rise of technologies like 3D Secure, and financial industry regulations (Strong Customer Authentication) this is less and less the merchant's liability (though not always the card issuer's) and so it's mostly a relic of a bygone era at this stage.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Are you confusing standards, risk assesment and consistency ? Each retailer asseses the very real risk of fraud against allowing anyone to collect a ticket if they have the reference.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2026 ==

The setting used to be a stolen card fraud prevention measure. Given the retailer is on the hook for that, it was (sensibly) left up to the retailer.

With the rise of technologies like 3D Secure, and financial industry regulations (Strong Customer Authentication) this is less and less the merchant's liability (though not always the card issuer's) and so it's mostly a relic of a bygone era at this stage.

You'd be suprised

 

[mmh]

I remember many years ago when I first used "ticket on demand" (what a silly choice of term was chosen there!) I'd only used machines which asked for a card then the collection code.

They'd have been South Central or Southeastern machines, then I used a Virgin machine at Euston, which asked for a card and spat the tickets out without the code.

If I remember right, if you had multiple bookings it gave you a list of them, you didn't need to print them all at the same time (or perhaps you needed the code - this was a long time ago!)

Not needing to type a code on a poor quality touch screen at an awkward height was a much better price experience, that disappeared at some point. Of course it did, this is the railway.

 

[Adam Williams]

You'd be suprised

Surprised that LNER haven't kept up with the times, or surprised at the rates at which liability isn't shifted?

Raileasy just flat out won't fulfil your purchase if you haven't been able to pass a 3DS challenge and gain liability shift. That solves it pretty definitively for us such that we're comfortable always doing Any Card Collection.

 

[Haywain]

"ticket on demand" (what a silly choice of term was chosen there!)

It's never been "ticket on demand", it's Ticket on Departure.

 

[mmh]

It's never been "ticket on demand", it's Ticket on Departure.

Thank you, I misremembered. Point stands, it's an awful description.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2026 ==

Are you confusing standards, risk assesment and consistency ? Each retailer asseses the very real risk of fraud against allowing anyone to collect a ticket if they have the reference.

No, I'm not. I believe each retailer should have no place making their own individual risk assessment on this. There should be a standard, mandated by a central body, and therefore consistency.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Surprised that LNER haven't kept up with the times, or surprised at the rates at which liability isn't shifted?

Raileasy just flat out won't fulfil your purchase if you haven't been able to pass a 3DS challenge and gain liability shift. That solves it pretty definitively for us such that we're comfortable always doing Any Card Collection.

We have more Tod channels you you may think. Not all are covered.

 

[Adam Williams]

There should be a standard, mandated by a central body, and therefore consistency.

Fine with that if the central body reimburse for losses when there's fraud.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Apr 2026 ==

We have more Tod channels you you may think. Not all are covered.

People still use telesales?

 

[enginedin]

The 'same card' flag is determined by the retailer you bought the tickets from, not by who issued them on the retailer's behalf.

I'm intrigued (/confused) by the terminology here:

- "the retailer you bought the tickets from": I assume this is e.g. thetrainline, RailForum Tickets, or a ToC website?
- "who issued them on the retailer's behalf" - are ticket issuers the ToC, or is there another intermediary organisation?

 

[Adam Williams]

- "the retailer you bought the tickets from": I assume this is e.g. thetrainline, RailForum Tickets, or a ToC website?

Yes.

- "who issued them on the retailer's behalf" - are ticket issuers the ToC, or is there another intermediary organisation?

Whoever installed the ticket machine - usually a train operator, yes. ToD is deferred fulfilment, so the tickets are issued at the point of using the ticket machine.

 

[Haywain]

Whoever installed the ticket machine - usually a train operator, yes.

To be pedantic, whoever operates the ticket machine.

 

[mmh]

Fine with that if the central body reimburse for losses when there's fraud.

Well, if I've understood right, Raileasy's approach sounds sensible to me. It's purchase time that matters most, that's when the fraud is taking place.

 

[Haywain]

It's purchase time that matters most, that's when the fraud is taking place.

It doesn't stop being fraud when the tickets are collected three weeks later.

 

[mmh]

It doesn't stop being fraud when the tickets are collected three weeks later.

If "the railway" has no method for stopping the use of a collection code after it's found to have been purchased fraudulently... well no, I can't believe that to be the case.

 

[Haywain]

If "the railway" has no method for stopping the use of a collection code after it's found to have been purchased fraudulently... well no, I can't believe that to be the case.

And if it's collected three minutes later? Once a ticket is collected it's too late, that's the point.