Key smartcard questions

[baacch]

Sorry, wasn't sure whether I should post this in this forum or a different one.

I have, perhaps foolishly, just obtained a Key from Southern due to the continual legibility problems with a paper annual season ticket. Despite being a daily rail commuter for 20 years, I am a newbie when it comes to smartcards (and this forum - shame on me) so these questions will seem rather naïve to all you hardened veterans. Although the information on fares and ticketing posted here is generally superb, I was unable to find much about the Key (as opposed to Oyster) specifically.

My situation is basically the simplest one possible: a point to point season ticket between two adjacent stations, so no BoJs, PAYG, caps, etc. The instructions state that I must touch in/out at the start/end of every journey, which seems pretty clear. However, the barriers at both my origin and destination stations are frequently unmanned so it's only a matter of time before I forget to do so. My questions are:

1. Will I be subject to Penalty Fares if/when I forget to touch in or out? This would seem rather unfair if I only ever use these two stations (so no over-travelling) and my season ticket entitles me to an unlimited number of journeys anyway.
2. Must the touches be in the correct sequence, i.e. must every touch in be followed by a touch out at the other station? What happens if I wish to leave the station without making a journey? Do time limits apply as for Oyster?
3. Are the gateline readers intelligent enough to know which side of the barrier they are located on? If I only remember to touch out after leaving a station and go back to do so does it matter which side I do it on?
4. Similarly, if I forget to touch in at my origin station do I need to go back and do so from the entrance side of the barriers? Or is it worth trying to explain the situation to the staff at the destination station?
5. Am I still entitled to use non-Southern (GWR in this case) services? Do their conductors have the necessary equipment to read smartcards from other TOCs?

I realise that I probably should have asked these questions before deciding to switch from paper tickets. Unfortunately, Southern do not provide much information despite seemingly attempting to promote increased take-up of the Key. In any case, I see there are some seriously knowledgeable people on here so I'm hoping this is the best place to come for some helpful answers.

Many thanks

 

[redstar]

My experience (with a travelcard season on the key) is that it just works, despite the odd mistake. It could be different for a point to point season but here are some answers based on my experience:

1. No. I've failed to touch in or out on various occasions since I got the card for various reasons (card readers not working, gates left open and a torrent of people meaning the card readers show a red light and don't respond when you touch your card, forgetting, extending a journey onto a paper ticket). Provided your ticket is already loaded on the card, ticket inspectors seem to be happy even if the card hasn't been touched in, provided you're somewhere you should be, and the system is happy to let you out too.

2. No. On the journey history, an additional entry appears to get inserted to stand in for any missing entry or exit touches if one is missing.

3. Yes, they seem to be.

4. Probably you don't need to do anything (but touching one of the blue readers near the exit may be the best way to do this rather than trying to reach around to the entry side of a gate).

5. I believe the answer is yes, you're entitled to, if you're within the key area. Whether the staff can read the cards is another question. I don't know.

In summary, I've never yet had a gate refuse to let me in or out on a journey that's valid for the ticket(s) (smartcard, smartcard+smartcard or smartcard+paper) that I have.

Of course, they could be allowing more transgressions of the rules in the early stages of rollout than they might once they've had the system up and running for a few years.

I think it would also be different if you had KeyGo on the card - one reason why I have no interest in that for the moment.

 

[baacch]

Many thanks for the advice, that's exactly the reassurance I was looking for. It did occur to me that perhaps I was being a bit paranoid.

I do feel slightly foolish touching in and out of an open barrier, particularly as I seem to be the only one doing so, but I don't suppose it does any harm to get into the habit.

I too am steering well clear of KeyGo - far too stressful for someone of a nervous disposition like me!