Key Smartcard and ticket acceptance on TfL

[MrJeeves]

Checking’s easy - pop to a TVM and try selecting a single/return onto a smartcard, noting the “Smart” prefix before every ticket. This becomes a bit more clear when looking at Brighton to Ashford Intl, where route ANY PERMITTED doesn’t have smart fares because it’s priced by Southeastern (the normal fares can just be fulfilled to ITSO), whilst route VIA EDENB/POLEG does have smart fares because it’s priced by Southern (GTR).

Interesting that GTR then claim that super off-peak London travelcards can't be put on the Key, considering the smart fares exist (and are used for keyGo). I wonder where the limitation is.

 

[Alex365Dash]

Interesting that GTR then claim that super off-peak London travelcards can't be put on the Key, considering the smart fares exist (and are used for keyGo). I wonder where the limitation is.

Oh, they can’t. I’ve tried, the Smart fares for Super Off-Peak tickets can’t actually be fulfilled onto ITSO.

I think it might be something to do with them being of the Super Off-Peak ticket type specifically, but I might be wrong there…

 

[Haywain]

I wonder where the limitation is.

It's to do with programming additional restrictions on gatelines.

 

[bubieyehyeh]

I tried using the TVM at a GTR station to see if I could buy a day ticket on my key yesterday, but the TVM seem to only offer season tickets, and no day tickets.

 

[MrJeeves]

I tried using the TVM at a GTR station to see if I could buy a day ticket on my key yesterday, but the TVM seem to only offer season tickets, and no day tickets.

Where were you going from and to?

 

[bubieyehyeh]

Where were you going from and to?

Littlehaven (lvn) to Shepherds Bush (spb).
Selected option to buy on smartcard, scanned my key, and TVM was only offering season tickets, the day ticket button was greyed out, so has day tickets been removed from TVMs?
I could use keygo, but would have to travel between ClaphamJunction (clj) and SPB on southern trains which is somewhat restrictive.

 

[MrJeeves]

lvn to spb.
Selected option to buy on smartcard, scanned my key, and TVM was only offering season tickets, the day ticket button was greyed out, so has day tickets been removed from TVMs?
I could use keygo, but would have to travel between clj and spb on southern trains which is somewhat restrictive.

There doesn't appear to be a SMART fare for that if you look on brfares.co.uk, which would explain why there's no option for it on the TVM.

Other flows should let you buy day tickets on the Key still.

 

[bubieyehyeh]

There did use to be a smart fare, which was on brfares before pandemic. Not tried using key again until yesterday.

However I hadn't selected the destination, it ask what type of ticket first and day ticket wasn't allowed.

So perhaps they have removed all smart fares for ticket from lvn.

 

[MrJeeves]

There did use to be a smart fare, which was on brfares before pandemic. Not tried using key again until yesterday.

However I hadn't selected the destination, it ask what type of ticket first and day ticket wasn't allowed.

So perhaps they have removed all smart fares for ticket from lvn.

Huh, interesting. I'll try a contact at GTR to see if they can ask about this.

I can see Littlehaven to Burgess Hill Smart fares available, so I don't think it'd be that.

 

[infobleep]

It's to do with programming additional restrictions on gatelines.

Is that due to cost or limitations of the amount that can be stored in gatelines?

 

[MrJeeves]

Is that due to cost or limitations of the amount that can be stored in gatelines?

I believe it's the size of the database inside the gates, from previous discussion with GTR.

Though, again, this would all be a non-issue if they didn't use separate SMART fares for ITSO flows...

In my experience, GTR aren't ones to shy away from adding tickets to gates across a wide area from a cost perspective — I had them update every barrier from Haywards Heath to Hove/Brighton, and Lewes to Wivelsfield/Brighton to fix an issue I had.

 

[su31]

Sadly, they don't have the willingness either.

All London Underground ticket machines can read ITSO cards. Staff have been told this. The screen shows the product on the card and journey history.

 

[Haywain]

Is that due to cost or limitations of the amount that can be stored in gatelines?

I was told by GTR that it's a limitation in the logic that prevents them having a second set of off-peak restrictions.

 

[infobleep]

I was told by GTR that it's a limitation in the logic that prevents them having a second set of off-peak restrictions.

Didn't smart cards come later? If they did, is the logic as designed flawed?

 

[Haywain]

Didn't smart cards come later? If they did, is the logic as designed flawed?

Cubic gates don't use the same logic for smartcards that are used for paper tickets.