Buying a Monthly Season Ticket

[themeone]

I've always bought weekly season tickets before, and bought them online, collecting via the machine at my local station i.e. just the same as for any other rail ticket.

I tried to buy a monthly season this morning to start on 1 December, but it seems to be not possible. I tried a few different websites and the only options seem to be delivery by post, for which it's now too late, or do the whole transaction at the ticket office.

Just wanted to check if this is correct, or if there is a way to book a monthly season online or even by phone.

 

[reb0118]

I think you can get renewals online but have to register your first monthly purchase at a station - as, unlike a weekly, monthlies (or longer) require your details to be input to the database.

Remember that you can get a monthly to start on any date - not just the 1st of the month - and period seasons can run from any length from one month to one year.

Edit: it seems possible to order a monthly here.

 

[greatkingrat]

Also it is worth bearing in mind that if you have time off over the Christmas period, it may not be worth getting a monthly for December.

 

[themeone]

Edit: it seems possible to order a monthly here.

I tried that, it allows you to get so far, then says there are no delivery options available for the dates / route chosen, presumably meaning the only delivery option would be post, for which it's too late.

 

[kieron]

I tried that, it allows you to get so far, then says there are no delivery options available for the dates / route chosen, presumably meaning the only delivery option would be post, for which it's too late.

The options seem to be standard post or special delivery. Scotrail (who have shoehorned the season ticket thing into a version of the WebTIS journey planner) are happy to sell tickets to start on the 2nd at a price, but not the 1st.

For the 1st, your only option may be to call a TOC's customer service department, explain when you want the ticket to start and why you can't visit a ticket office, and hope they can suggest a solution.

I haven't found a way to request a photocard online, though, even though you can get railcards that way. I take it you already have one?

 

[bb21]

Is there any particular reason why you cannot just buy it at your local station? It seems to me that you are overcomplicating things for yourself if that is possible.

 

[themeone]

Is there any particular reason why you cannot just buy it at your local station? It seems to me that you are overcomplicating things for yourself if that is possible.

No, in fact I'm going to do that this afternoon - I just wanted to check it was the only option open to me, and it seems like it is.

I guess I was hoping that the whole rigmorole of going to the ticket office and filling in a form might have come to an end, but it seems not. I've never understood why that is necessary, especially as it doesn't seem to apply to monthly travelcards, within the London zones anyway.

 

[westv]

No, in fact I'm going to do that this afternoon - I just wanted to check it was the only option open to me, and it seems like it is.

I guess I was hoping that the whole rigmorole of going to the ticket office and filling in a form might have come to an end, but it seems not. I've never understood why that is necessary, especially as it doesn't seem to apply to monthly travelcards, within the London zones anyway.

You only have to fill in the form once - well with annual tickets anyway, I never needed to bother with monthly tickets. After that renewals are easy.

 

[bb21]

No, in fact I'm going to do that this afternoon - I just wanted to check it was the only option open to me, and it seems like it is.

I guess I was hoping that the whole rigmorole of going to the ticket office and filling in a form might have come to an end, but it seems not. I've never understood why that is necessary, especially as it doesn't seem to apply to monthly travelcards, within the London zones anyway.

I think this was important where Charter discounts still apply, but on routes where Delay Repay have taken over, monthly or longer season tickets still give you certain rights over weeklies, some of which require details of the ticket holder to be held.

As someone else has mentioned, it only applies to the first time, and the details can be recalled automatically on subsequent renewals.

 

[hairyhandedfool]

....I guess I was hoping that the whole rigmorole of going to the ticket office and filling in a form might have come to an end, but it seems not. I've never understood why that is necessary, especially as it doesn't seem to apply to monthly travelcards, within the London zones anyway.

Not every company requires you to fill in a form, some just enter the relevant details onto the computer at the time of purchase.

You only have to fill in the form once - well with annual tickets anyway, I never needed to bother with monthly tickets. After that renewals are easy.

Generally speaking, but if you buy from a different company, even just once, you would need to do a new form (or provide the relevant details again), there are further exceptions but they are fairly rare.

 

[themeone]

Not every company requires you to fill in a form, some just enter the relevant details onto the computer at the time of purchase.

That is in fact what happened at East Croydon - he entered my photocard number which retrieved my name and address, maybe because I'd filled in a form there in the past, though if so it would have been years ago.