How Railcards work.

[Joseph T]

I'm currently considering buying railcards for myself. So far I know that one railcard can grant a 1/3 discount when buying a ticket, but beyond that I don't know much else. Could you answer the following questions for me?

• Is there a limit to how many railcards you can own at once and/or apply to a ticket?
• If you apply two railcards to a ticket, do you get 2/3 off or 1/3 off of 1/3 off from the original price?
• Can you buy a railcard when you already have a valid card of the exact same type?

 

[skyhigh]

Is there a limit to how many railcards you can own at once and/or apply to a ticket?

You can have as many Railcards as you want, as long as you meet the qualifying criteria for the Railcard. You cannot apply more than one Railcard to a ticket.

If you apply two railcards to a ticket

As above, you can't.

Can you buy a railcard when you already have a valid card of the exact same type?

Yes, though I can't think of many reasons why you'd want to.

 

[Gaelan]

Yes, though I can't think of many reasons why you'd want to.

Two Together railcards would be one case, if there are multiple people you frequently travel with.

 

[jfollows]

I have a Two Together railcard for travelling with someone else and a Senior railcard for travelling on my own or when the other railcard can’t be used. All perfectly normal.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

[*]If you apply two railcards to a ticket, do you get 2/3 off or 1/3 off of 1/3 off from the original price?

Like your thinking. If you're eligible for three railcards then you get three discounts meaning it's free travel! Say a Network Railcard + 16-25 Railcard + Veterans Railcard? Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that!

[*]Can you buy a railcard when you already have a valid card of the exact same type?

This might be useful if wanting to buy a one year 16-25 railcard just before your 26th birthday and you already held a one year 16-25 railcard bought eleven months ago which still has a little bit of (unexpired) validity.

 

[Hadders]

Which railcard are you considering buying? Different rules apply to each railcard.

 

[ikcdab]

Like your thinking. If you're eligible for three railcards then you get three discounts meaning it's free travel! Say a Network Railcard + 16-25 Railcard + Veterans Railcard? Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work like that!

i also like your (tongue in cheek) reply. It wouldnt work like that. the second 1/3 discount would be from the discounted price, not the original price. Thus you would need an infinite number of railcards to achieve free travel - and even then it would never be absolutely zero!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Feb 2024 ==

 

[pokemonsuper9]

i also like your (tongue in cheek) reply. It wouldnt work like that. the second 1/3 discount would be from the discounted price, not the original price. Thus you would need an infinite number of railcards to achieve free travel - and even then it would never be absolutely zero!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 15 Feb 2024 ==

Although with fares being rounded to nearest 5p, you could eventually get to 0p.

So far I know that one railcard can grant a 1/3 discount when buying a ticket,

Certain railcards (e.g. 16-17 Saver) give different discounts, the 16-17 gives half price on any (non-ScotRail) ticket.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Two Together railcards would be one case, if there are multiple people you frequently travel with.

I've concurrently (co-) held 2 x Two Together Railcards more than once in the past. The savings for just the one trip can sometimes make it worthwhile.

 

[fandroid]

This might be useful if wanting to buy a one year 16-25 railcard just before your 26th birthday and you already held a one year 16-25 railcard bought eleven months ago which still has a little bit of (unexpired) validity.

But then you can dump the older card as the new one would be immediately valid. In fact it would be highly recommended to put the old one right out of action to ensure that it's never accidentally used after its expiry date.


Edit: small change for clarity

 

[Deafdoggie]

I've held a Family & Friends Railcard and a Disabled Railcard simultaneously. Although the children are no longer young enough to benefit from the F&F now, so it's just the Disabled one.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

I'm currently considering buying railcards for myself. So far I know that one railcard can grant a 1/3 discount when buying a ticket, but beyond that I don't know much else. Could you answer the following questions for me?

• Is there a limit to how many railcards you can own at once and/or apply to a ticket?
• If you apply two railcards to a ticket, do you get 2/3 off or 1/3 off of 1/3 off from the original price?
• Can you buy a railcard when you already have a valid card of the exact same type?

For completeness, it may be worth adding that all of the Railcards have some sort of condition that has to be met to use them. I think it's right to say that if you are
- aged between 30 and 60 and
- not a student in full time education and
- not disabled and
- not in the armed forces or a veteran and
- travelling by yourself (i.e. without another adult or child) and
- not travelling in the Network South East area and
- not holding an annual season ticket in the Gold Card area and
- not unemployed and authorised to obtain a jobseekers railcard

then you won't be entitled to use any (GB wide) railcard. No doubt there are local railcards which someone otherwise excluded could get - but they're likely only to be of use in their local areas.

 

[Haywain]

- not travelling in the Network South East area and
- not holding an annual season ticket in the Gold Card area and
- not unemployed and authorised to obtain a jobseekers railcard

then you won't be entitled to use any (GB wide) railcard.

None of those three entitle the use of a GB-wide railcard either.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

- not travelling in the Network South East area and
- not holding an annual season ticket in the Gold Card area and
- not unemployed and authorised to obtain a jobseekers railcard

then you won't be entitled to use any (GB wide) railcard.

None of those three entitle the use of a GB-wide railcard either.

Fair point - a bit of a failure in my logic.

Is that the case for the jobseekers railcard? Never having seen one, my impression was that they did have national validity but it sounds like this is one of many things that I need to learn.

 

[Haywain]

Is that the case for the jobseekers railcard? Never having seen one, my impression was that they did have national validity but it sounds like this is one of many things that I need to learn.

Well, I thought it wasn't valid in Scotland but it seems that it is. However, I'm saved from being wrong because it isn't valid on Southeastern High Speed services!

 

[kkong]

For completeness, it may be worth adding that all of the Railcards have some sort of condition that has to be met to use them. I think it's right to say that if you are
- not in the armed forces or a veteran
...

You can be the spouse, legal partner or dependent child of a person in this category and use an HM Forces railcard when travelling by yourself.