Gold Record Card not received (LNER online)

[7db]

I recently bought my Lapworth season ticket online with LNER. About a fortnight ago now. I would have gone to the station but vouchers were expiring and I had to act fast.

They did not send the grc. I wrote and asked for it straight away and after the 10ndays they allow themselves to respond they wrote back and said who are you? Owing to gdpr we can't help you unless you identify yourself. Unreasonable to wait 10 days before asking but I sent my details and still I wait. I had thought this was resolved but clearly I am misinformed.

Can I use the gold card to buy my train ticket tonight even though it is not in my possession?

 

[Hadders]

Can I use the gold card to buy my train ticket tonight even though it is not in my possession?

No you can’t, if you’re using a Gold Card discounted ticket you must have your Gold Card with you when you travel.

Based on what you’ve said it sounds as though your initial chase email had insufficient details for LNER to respond. It might be best to phone them.

 

[7db]

Thank you!

I provided my name address account number transaction number and email, but I suppose possible they couldn't find it. I will call - that's good advice, thanks.

 

[Haywain]

@Wallsendmag One for you?

 

[robbeech]

Whilst unhelpful to the OP I must say I’m surprised this can (if it eventually works) be done here.

I assume this is quite a new thing, I always had to go to a station within the Gold area to get it printed on Gold Card Stock, but alas it is quite a number of years ago since I last had need for it.

 

[Hadders]

Sadly, this isn’t the first time there’s been issues with Gold Record Cards.

Annual Season Ticket (South Eastern region) bought on LNER website - not received Gold Record Card

Hi everyone, I bought an annual season ticket (south east region, the area is covered within the Gold card region) a month back through LNER's online website. Never received any annual Gold Record card. I have raised the complaint, but nothing happens. They just say they will check with the 3rd...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[Adam Williams]

Sadly, this isn’t the first time there’s been issues with Gold Record Cards.

Yeah I really don't understand how so many retailers are screwing this up. Surely it's something you just automate issuance of based on the origin and destination of the chosen season ticket?

 

[Wallsendmag]

Ah yes we had a problem but it should be in the post very soon if it isn't already. If you don't hear anything by the end of the week drop me a message

 

[7db]

I called up today and spoke to just a delightful chap called Ben. He is going to email the retail managers and see if he can get it sorted for me.
Absolutely should have popped into Kings X and done it all in one go (and added to my Oyster same day) - I know that - just wasn't possible on the timescale!

 

[Haywain]

He is going to email the retail managers and see if he can get it sorted for me.

See post #8. The retail managers already know.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I'll check now to see if the backlog has been cleared

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Aug 2026 ==

Have you uploaded the ticket to your Smartcard? This needs to take place to trigger the GoldCard production.

 

[7db]

Thanks for raising that. I hadn't collected it yet. So I drove to my local station today (LNY) which I had nominated for collection and the very helpful man there told me it wasn't possible to collect season tickets there as their machines "don't do that" and the ticket office can only issue paper tickets. He seemed confused that I had bought a season ticket on the Chiltern line on a LNER card for collection from a GWR station...and asked when I was next going to Hatton (errr....). He suggested I tried collecting it from Slough but thought that probably wouldn't work. Or that I simply refunded it and tried again "when I wanted to travel" - which given I used vouchers for the purchase I don't know if it would be possible.

Really wishing I had bought it from KingsX in person now.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 18 Aug 2026 ==

(Good news the National Rail Smartcard App appears to have done this for me without the need to go to the station. Still - it was a fun drive).

 

[maniacmartin]

Do late issued Gold cards have extended validity on the end to account for the time that the OP has missed out on?

 

[Watershed]

Do late issued Gold cards have extended validity on the end to account for the time that the OP has missed out on?

The Gold Card itself would have been issued for the correct (full) duration but is not what the OP is really after. The Gold Record Card is not extended in my experience and some retailers (e.g. Trainline) don't readily pay up for losses caused by this.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The Gold Card itself would have been issued for the correct (full) duration but is not what the OP is really after. The Gold Record Card is not extended in my experience and some retailers (e.g. Trainline) don't readily pay up for losses caused by this.

The GRC can't be extended, given it has to match the expiry date of the Season Ticket it accompanies.

 

[superkopite]

Have you uploaded the ticket to your Smartcard? This needs to take place to trigger the GoldCard production.

Any idea why that is the trigger rather than the actual purchase?

 

[Haywain]

Any idea why that is the trigger rather than the actual purchase?

My guess is that the ticket has to be issued before the GRC can be issued, and the season isn't deemed issued until it's on the smart card.

 

[johncrossley]

Gold Record Cards shouldn't be needed any more given that the season ticket is on a smartcard anyway. Anyone that wants to check the ticket can scan it.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Any idea why that is the trigger rather than the actual purchase?

To confirm that the transaction is complete , the Smartcard issuing process is somewhat more complex than CCST

 

[Gareth1990]

To confirm that the transaction is complete , the Smartcard issuing process is somewhat more complex than CCST

It’s not very good is it? Why is LNER even issuing tickets to smartcard if this is a problem?

 

[tutacre]

It’s not very good is it? Why is LNER even issuing tickets to smartcard if this is a problem?

Presumably because a Gold Card is not valid without a valid matching season ticket. Therefore there is a risk that customers will not collect their season ticket, but get the Gold Card. No doubt some fraud related issues too.

 

[Wallsendmag]

It’s not very good is it? Why is LNER even issuing tickets to smartcard if this is a problem?

Not if you decide not to collect your ticket no although the same would happen with ToD if you don't collect your ticket you wouldn't get your Gold Card. Smartcards are much better than CCST for everyday use though

 

[CyrusWuff]

Gold Record Cards shouldn't be needed any more given that the season ticket is on a smartcard anyway. Anyone that wants to check the ticket can scan it.

The primary purpose of a Gold Record Card is to prove your entitlement to a Gold Card discount when buying a ticket for a journey not covered by your Season Ticket.

Also not everyone has the ability to validate a Smartcard when checking/selling tickets. Arguably that's an issue for their employer though.

 

[johncrossley]

Also not everyone has the ability to validate a Smartcard when checking/selling tickets. Arguably that's an issue for their employer though.

ITSO is a valid ticket format nationwide. If the conductor can't check it then he has to take the passenger's word that a Gold Card is held and so the passenger is entitled to discounted tickets.

Obviously Railcard discounted tickets can be bought online or at a machine without presenting the card to anybody.

 

[Haywain]

ITSO is a valid ticket format nationwide. If the conductor can't check it then he has to take the passenger's word that a Gold Card is held and so the passenger is entitled to discounted tickets.

Obviously Railcard discounted tickets can be bought online or at a machine without presenting the card to anybody.

A season ticket for travel between, say, Hatton and Lapworth only qualifies for a Gold Card if it is purchased in the Gold Card area, so the mere fact of having such a season ticket on a smartcard or any other medium does not automatically mean a Gold Card is also held.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Obviously Railcard discounted tickets can be bought online or at a machine without presenting the card to anybody.

Currently but not for much longer.

 

[johncrossley]

A season ticket for travel between, say, Hatton and Lapworth only qualifies for a Gold Card if it is purchased in the Gold Card area, so the mere fact of having such a season ticket on a smartcard or any other medium does not automatically mean a Gold Card is also held.

Just to be clear, I'm giving my opinion on how it should work, not explaining how it works in the current stupid system. Logically there would be a flag on the smartcard to indicate whether a Gold Card discount is on the card.

 

[Watershed]

Gold Record Cards shouldn't be needed any more given that the season ticket is on a smartcard anyway. Anyone that wants to check the ticket can scan it.

Not all season tickets are issued on smartcards. Plus Gold Cards can be used to get a discount on Oyster but as far as I'm aware, TfL RPIs do not have a mechanism to read what a smartcard contains (other than a Travelcard).

 

[signed]

Plus Gold Cards can be used to get a discount on Oyster but as far as I'm aware, TfL RPIs do not have a mechanism to read what a smartcard contains (other than a Travelcard).

Can't you load maltese cross tickets on Smartcards? If that's the case then obviously the RPIs would be perfectly able to read it

 

[Watershed]

Can't you load maltese cross tickets on Smartcards? If that's the case then obviously the RPIs would be perfectly able to read it

I don't think so.