EC and card-only TVMs

[maniacmartin]

Whether a TVM accepts only some payment methods should be classed as an opportunity to buy is regularly hotly debated here and not well documented. I'm at work so can't find any previous threads that are open, so started a new one (sorry mods).

I recently found this snippet at the bottom of page 79 of the paper East Coast timetable

If you’re unable to buy a ticket because the ticket office is closed, or a self-service ticket
machine that accepts cash is not available, it will be possible to purchase an alternative
ticket on the train from the Train Guard.

I take this to mean that if the only TVM is one that does not accept cash, then you do not have to use it if wanting to pay by cash. Note that the document is silent on the matter of if you wish to pay by card. I'm not sure what they mean by an 'alternative' ticket though.

Of course this is only the view of one TOC, but its the first I've seen of anything like this in print.

 

[island]

I take this to mean that if the only TVM is one that does not accept cash, then you do not wish to have it if wanting to pay by cash.

I'm struggling to understand what you mean by this. "wish to have" what?

 

[Zoidberg]

I'm struggling to understand what you mean by this. "wish to have" what?

I'll bet that 'auto-correct' had something to do with that phraseology.

 

[maniacmartin]

It's my zombie-like state caused by lack of sleep that causes things like that.

 

[Welshman]

I would agree with maniacmartin's interpretation that if you prefer to pay by cash and the TVM is card only, then it's acceptable to pay on the train. And I also agree it's good to have that officially documented.

However, the rubric is badly-worded - its not an alternative ticket as such, rather an alternative means of paying!

As an aside, I do wonder though, how many people walk around with enough cash on them to pay a walk-up fare on East Coast!