Railcard renewal - best options?

[Haywain]

My railcard is due for renewal in around 3 weeks, and I am just wondering what the best option might be. I currently have a 3-year plastic railcard, and wonder whether there are options for getting some cashback or discount on the renewal cost. I might consider a digital railcard but would want to be confident that I wouldn't have the sort of problems that have been seen here with Trainpal and with the (RDG?) Railcard app. Any thoughts?

 

[jamiearmley]

My railcard is due for renewal in around 3 weeks, and I am just wondering what the best option might be. I currently have a 3-year plastic railcard, and wonder whether there are options for getting some cashback or discount on the renewal cost. I might consider a digital railcard but would want to be confident that I wouldn't have the sort of problems that have been seen here with Trainpal and with the (RDG?) Railcard app. Any thoughts?

Tesco clubcard points? £15 of points will give you a one year Railcard voucher, redeemable through Railcard.co.uk for a plastic Railcard..?

 

[James H]

Cashback is also available on RDG Railcard purchases via Topcashback and Quidco

(I have even got cashback this way when buying a railcard using Tesco vouchers)

 

[Haywain]

I suppose there's Airtime Rewards for buying through LNER, and Amex cashback (that I don't actually get).

 

[James H]

Does LNER's railcard site use the same card merchant details as their main site?

(LNER Airtime Rewards excludes Amex, so no chance of stacking those two)

 

[Haywain]

Does LNER's railcard site use the same card merchant details as their main site?

Good question; I have no idea.

(LNER Airtime Rewards excludes Amex, so no chance of stacking those two)

Oh.

 

[Hadders]

Given the rumours of price increases (although apparently not for the next year…) I’d go for a 3 year railcard.

Trainsplit sells railcards and I’ve found their app very reliable. And in the unlikely event of any issues I’m sure you’d be able to get a very speedy resolution from people in the know

 

[James H]

Virgin Trains Ticketing now selling railcards, and as a launch offer they're giving £10 worth of Virgin points (which can be used to buy tickets) https://virgintrainsticketing.com/railcards

 

[Haywain]

To update this, I have decided that I am going to go with a digital railcard. As this will be immediately available on purchase I don't need to buy until my current railcard has expired, and can wait until I next travel after that, which gives me an extra few weeks to consider my options.

 

[Tazi Hupefi]

New Railcard posters and literature will be out from Monday.

No price / terms changes until at least 31 May 2025.

 

[Joe Paxton]

To update this, I have decided that I am going to go with a digital railcard. As this will be immediately available on purchase I don't need to buy until my current railcard has expired, and can wait until I next travel after that, which gives me an extra few weeks to consider my options.

Never seen any complaints about the Trainline app's Digital Railcards, though I imagine the Trainsplit app's implementation of them is solid too.

For my sins I've once again bought a Trip.com Digital Railcard (on offer as described here on HUKD), the implementation of which is decidedly not solid! (The workaround being to navigate to the Railcard section/page in the Trip.com app before your journey and then leave it open in the background... just a case of trying to remember not to swipe it away and close it if 'clearing the deck' of background apps.)

The Virgin Trains Ticketing offer (as per James H's earlier post, #8) seems a good deal, though no idea how solid their app's implementation of Digital Railcards is.

Given the rumours of price increases (although apparently not for the next year…) I’d go for a 3 year railcard.

Alas no option for a 3 year Network Railcard.

 

[Titfield]

Last year (was it November?) Trainline was giving a 30% discount on some railcards.

I paid £49 for my three year Senior Railcard.

 

[jamiearmley]

Never seen any complaints about the Trainline app's Digital Railcards, though I imagine the Trainsplit app's implementation of them is solid too.

For my sins I've once again bought a Trip.com Digital Railcard (on offer as described here on HUKD), the implementation of which is decidedly not solid! (The workaround being to navigate to the Railcard section/page in the Trip.com app before your journey and then leave it open in the background... just a case of trying to remember not to swipe it away and close it if 'clearing the deck' of background apps.)

The Virgin Trains Ticketing offer (as per James H's earlier post, #8) seems a good deal, though no idea how solid their app's implementation of Digital Railcards is.



Alas no option for a 3 year Network Railcard.

The only issue I regularly see with the Trainline Railcard is that it sometimes disappears. Signing out, and in again, seems to cure this.

 

[embers25]

Do we know if virgins railcards will have the same issue as trainpal whereby they require decent Internet to display

 

[Vespa]

Do we know if virgins railcards will have the same issue as trainpal whereby they require decent Internet to display

I would personally prefer a physical railcard no matter what fringe benefits you may get less to go wrong.

However I do occasionally get email offers from railcard providers and associated partners.

*I have a 3 year physical disabled railcard, as a preference as it requires no internet connection.

 

[redreni]

My railcard is due for renewal in around 3 weeks, and I am just wondering what the best option might be. I currently have a 3-year plastic railcard, and wonder whether there are options for getting some cashback or discount on the renewal cost. I might consider a digital railcard but would want to be confident that I wouldn't have the sort of problems that have been seen here with Trainpal and with the (RDG?) Railcard app. Any thoughts?

When I renewed my Network Railcard in June I couldn't see a whiff of the £20/25 offers that were around a year or two earlier.

So I ended up getting it it from the LNER ticket office at Kings Cross for £30 but with a 5% Amex kickback (so £28.50). I guess we should be grateful they haven't gone up in line with regulated fares.

 

[Pemberton]

Various digital 1 year Railcards e.g. Senior Railcard, Family and Friends Railcard etc. are available for £19.80 on the TrainPal website using a Martin Lewis, MSE Code, MSEONLY in an offer available for new TrainPal users until 31st December 2024. It requires the purchase of a train ticket through TrainPal to activate the ticket. Credit to MSE and HotUKDeals for the information. https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/deals/railcard/ has the details.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

My railcard is due for renewal in around 3 weeks, and I am just wondering what the best option might be.

You can trade Tesco Clubcard points for a Railcard, but only for the one year version.

If you renew a physical railcard ahead of time, the expiry date of the new card will be an anniversary of the old card. The renewed card doesn't have a start date, so can be used immediately.