Senior railcard-a question.

[londonbridge]

I turn sixty next week. Given that you may buy a senior railcard online from fourteen days before your birthday, I have already purchased one and have downloaded and stored it on my phone. Can I apply it to tickets for travel dates before my birthday, or only afterwards?

For comparison, the terms and conditions for a TFL 60+ Oyster state that you may start using it as soon as you receive it, ie in advance of your birthday if it arrives beforehand, but I can’t find anything similar in the railcard t’s and c’s as to when I can start applying it.

 

[thejuggler]

You can buy a Senior Railcard in advance online, up to 2 weeks before your 60th birthday, but it will only be valid for travel from your birthday onwards.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@thejuggler is quite correct. Can only validly be used, on or after the Senior Railcard holder's 60th birthday. See extract below...

Are you eligible? - Senior Railcard

www.senior-railcard.co.uk

Extract...

Turning 60 soon?
You can buy a Senior Railcard in advance online, up to 2 weeks before your 60th birthday, but it will only be valid for travel from your birthday onwards. You cannot buy in advance of your 60th birthday at a station.

 

[londonbridge]

Doh! As usual I seem to have checked the website and completely overlooked the info I wanted when it was right in front of me….happens to all of us I guess.

Thanks for replies.

 

[talldave]

Doh! As usual I seem to have checked the website and completely overlooked the info I wanted when it was right in front of me….happens to all of us I guess.

Thanks for replies.

Set an alarm for a year's time ro remind you to renew, assuming it was a 1 year Railcard!!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Set an alarm for a year's time ro remind you to renew, assuming it was a 1 year Railcard!!

Good advice. Or in three years' time if a 3 year railcard. Don't rely on receiving an auto-reminder! They don't always seem to be sent.

 

[talldave]

Good advice. Or in three years' time if a 3 year railcard. Don't rely on receiving an auto-reminder! They don't always seem to be sent.

I didn't get anything but perhaps freeloaders paying in Tesco points are in a different league?!

 

[MarlowDonkey]

I didn't get anything but perhaps freeloaders paying in Tesco points are in a different league?!

When you "freeload" with Tesco points, you are buying via https://secure.railcard.co.uk/.

Unlike many railcard retailing sites, they keep a full history of purchases and as far as I recall send reminders when expiry is imminent.

 

[AlterEgo]

There isn't a start date on a Senior Railcard so in practice you can use it as soon as you get it.

 

[Watershed]

In practical terms there is no way that a member of staff checking your Railcard would know whether or not you are 60 yet. Of course whilst I wouldn't want to encourage fare evasion, this is one of those rare cases where it is as good as impossible for it to be detected so it is really a matter for your conscience...

 

[AM9]

In practical terms there is no way that a member of staff checking your Railcard would know whether or not you are 60 yet. Of course whilst I wouldn't want to encourage fare evasion, this is one of those rare cases where it is as good as impossible for it to be detected so it is really a matter for your conscience...

Although, I believe that one character of the ticket number might be rolled with each issue so using it more than one year (or three years) before expiry might arouse suspicion.

 

[HOMELESS]

A tip for re Railcards and mostly at the elderly generation.
If you use NHS hearing aids you can apply for a Disabled Person's Railcard which has no Minimum Fare restriction and a Companion travelling with you gets the discount too.
Can be much better than the Senior Person's Railcard.

 

[DelW]

Last time I renewed mine, I discovered that you can't apply a railcard discount to your Oyster card until its official start date. (Mine was a physical 3 year card which had arrived a few days early).

 

[GRALISTAIR]

I got a 3 year year railcard. Mind you, I am 69 so thought it worth it.

Paid for itself comfortably already.

 

[Adam Williams]

Unlike many railcard retailing sites, they keep a full history of purchases and as far as I recall send reminders when expiry is imminent.

Which retailers do you think don't send reminders?

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Which retailers do you think don't send reminders?

There are numerous threads in "Disputes" where people have been stopped with expired railcards. The name Trainline seems to feature in many of these. Also Trainline don't appear to retain records of historic Railcard purchases.

 

[Watershed]

There are numerous threads in "Disputes" where people have been stopped with expired railcards. The name Trainline seems to feature in many of these. Also Trainline don't appear to retain records of historic Railcard purchases.

Trainline is the most popular third party retailer (and probably retailer overall) by a considerable margin. So regardless of what they do or don't do, you are going to see Trainline cases make up a large proportion of the cases we see, simply by dint of statistics.

 

[OscarH]

There are numerous threads in "Disputes" where people have been stopped with expired railcards. The name Trainline seems to feature in many of these. Also Trainline don't appear to retain records of historic Railcard purchases.

There was quite lengthy discussion on here about missing railcard reminders from the railcards.co.uk site a while back, they're actually one of the ones I'd trust least.

I don't remember Trainline coming up in the same way, though I'm sure it's been suggested in a few disputes threads as you say

 

[Haywain]

Trainline is the most popular third party retailer (and probably retailer overall) by a considerable margin.

I believe they sell something like a third of all rail tickets, and that will be many more than any other single retailer.