Senior persons railcard

[Southend Rider]

Can I book an advance ticket on a senior person railcard before I am 60, but travel after my 60 birthday when I will have purchased a railcard.

 

[Haywain]

Yes.

 

[saismee]

Yes.

Online will be no problem, though some ticket office staff may refuse to sell it despite it being fully within the terms of the ticket and railcard.

 

[AlterEgo]

Online will be no problem, though some ticket office staff may refuse to sell it despite it being fully within the terms of the ticket and railcard.

The terms state you may need to show the railcard when purchasing tickets.

 

[jfollows]

I frequently buy tickets discounted with a Two Together railcard which I do not have, buying the railcard nearer and prior to the time of travel. It’s only a requirement to present the railcard at time of travel. However if you book tickets at a station in person they normally expect you to show your railcard at time of purchase.
Essentially I let my railcard expire if I’ve no use for it, but buy a new one when I do. I don’t need it for local journeys, eg to Manchester, because of the Duo ticket from Northern.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Can I book an advance ticket on a senior person railcard before I am 60, but travel after my 60 birthday when I will have purchased a railcard.

What type of Senior railcard are you considering purchasing? If a physical railcard, which you may prefer, best not leave it too late.

 

[TUC]

The terms state you may need to show the railcard when purchasing tickets.

As said above, just buy it online.

 

[Haywain]

If a physical railcard, which you may prefer, best not leave it too late.

If ordering online for a plastic railcard, I agree, but it can be left until pretty much the last minute of buying a one year railcard at a station.

 

[Southend Rider]

Thank you all, the money saved on one trip to Manchester from Essex will get the cost back.

 

[TUC]

If ordering online for a plastic railcard, I agree, but it can be left until pretty much the last minute of buying a one year railcard at a station.

And indeed can be left until the last minute for a digital railcard. Mine expires at the end of the month, but I don’t intend to renew it until the next rime I’m travelling by rail. Why give TOCs the benefit of income from unused days at the start?

 

[Southend Rider]

Thank you all, I will get the cost back on 1 return trip to Manchester from Essex

 

[Fawkes Cat]

What type of Senior railcard are you considering purchasing? If a physical railcard, which you may prefer, best not leave it too late.

Just to pick up on this, what seems to be the current delivery time for physical Senior Railcards ordered online? I'd prefer a physical card but expect to be commuting into the office when aged 60+1 day, so is the 14 days before your birthday that you're allowed to order likely to be enough to get the thing to me?

 

[Snow1964]

Just to pick up on this, what seems to be the current delivery time for physical Senior Railcards ordered online? I'd prefer a physical card but expect to be commuting into the office when aged 60+1 day, so is the 14 days before your birthday that you're allowed to order likely to be enough to get the thing to me?

In theory yes, but it's delivery is by Royal Mail, and there has been recent reports that locally some mail delivery offices do not cover staff on holiday, and 2 weeks or more can stay undelivered, and turns up in a big batch later. So if your local delivery offices doesn't deliver mail on time might not get railcard.

 

[Fawkes Cat]

In theory yes, but it's delivery is by Royal Mail, and there has been recent reports that locally some mail delivery offices do not cover staff on holiday, and 2 weeks or more can stay undelivered, and turns up in a big batch later. So if your local delivery offices doesn't deliver mail on time might not get railcard.

Thanks

 

[cav1975]

Just to pick up on this, what seems to be the current delivery time for physical Senior Railcards ordered online? I'd prefer a physical card but expect to be commuting into the office when aged 60+1 day, so is the 14 days before your birthday that you're allowed to order likely to be enough to get the thing to me?

I renewed my 3 year plastic Senior Railcard last month by phoning the call centre, which seemed to be in India. Service was efficient and the card came by Royal Mail 4 days later. If you are concerned, there is a special delivery option which might be faster.

 

[Gloster]

I renewed my card at my local station today and I had it in my hand five minutes after walking in. You don’t have to buy it online.

 

[TUC]

I renewed my card at my local station today and I had it in my hand five minutes after walking in. You don’t have to buy it online.

You can, but making time to do that seems pointless to me when I can just sit at home in a spare five minutes one evening and get it done.

 

[Gloster]

You can, but making time to do that seems pointless to me when I can just sit at home in a spare five minutes one evening and get it done.

I didn’t have to make time: I needed to get my bus back from the bus station, which is adjacent to the ticket office. So if you want to be really pedantic it took me seven minutes including the time walking from or back to the buses. I am not suggesting that somebody travels halfway across the country to buy the pass, but if your daily life takes you to or close to a station, you can get the card without much ado.

 

[Haywain]

I didn’t have to make time: I needed to get my bus back from the bus station, which is adjacent to the ticket office. So if you want to be really pedantic it took me seven minutes including the time walking from or back to the buses. I am not suggesting that somebody travels halfway across the country to buy the pass, but if your daily life takes you to or close to a station, you can get the card without much ado.

Just because doing it that way suited you doesn't mean it will suit everyone. Both are legitimate ways of buying a Railcard and we should be free to make the choice that best suits us, without being accused of being pedantic.

 

[Gloster]

Just because doing it that way suited you doesn't mean it will suit everyone. Both are legitimate ways of buying a Railcard and we should be free to make the choice that best suits us, without being accused of being pedantic.

Indeed and I am not suggesting otherwise, but almost all the earlier posts are concerned with buying online. The few that mention buying over the counter seem to concentrate on the disadvantages. I was merely highlighting for the OP that buying over the counter is not without its advantages.

 

[sheff1]

I renewed my card at my local station today and I had it in my hand five minutes after walking in. You don’t have to buy it online.

You do if you want a 3-year card which works out considerably cheaper.

 

[Haywain]

Indeed and I am not suggesting otherwise, but almost all the earlier posts are concerned with buying online. The few that mention buying over the counter seem to concentrate on the disadvantages. I was merely highlighting for the OP that buying over the counter is not without its advantages.

For many, being able to only buy a one-year paper railcard are serious disadvantages.

 

[TUC]

It's fine if some wish to buy in person, but for others such as myself who buy all my tickets online and as e- tickets, I wouldn't want the inconvenience of needing to remember to have a separate physical railcard.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Don’t forget you can use Tesco Clubcard vouchers to buy a Senior Railcard.
If you were a Basildon rider, not a Southend rider you could get a discount code from the Council.

 

[Howardh]

I'm thinking of renewing my 3-yr senior card and having another physical card delivered; what happens if the post is so late that I don't get it before my current one expires? Can I carry on and simply show an inspector that it's been paid for but not received? On saying that, I intend to apply a full 28 days before expiry so shouldn't be an issue, but just wondered!

 

[Mcr Warrior]

I'm thinking of renewing my 3-yr senior card and having another physical card delivered; what happens if the post is so late that I don't get it before my current one expires? Can I carry on and simply show an inspector that it's been paid for but not received?

That's a Frequently Asked Question. No. You cannot travel on discounted tickets until you have received your Railcard. You have to sign it anyway, which you can't do, if you haven't received it.

 

[Belperpete]

I'm thinking of renewing my 3-yr senior card and having another physical card delivered; what happens if the post is so late that I don't get it before my current one expires? Can I carry on and simply show an inspector that it's been paid for but not received? On saying that, I intend to apply a full 28 days before expiry so shouldn't be an issue, but just wondered!

Senior Railcard FAQs
See the section on "My Railcard has not arrived in the post"

If you have a railcard but forget to bring it with you, you likewise have to pay the full fare, but in this case are allowed to claim the extra back (only once per year). But you have to provide proof that you did have a railcard at the time, so can't use this for cases where you haven't yet got the railcard.

 

[Joe Paxton]

That's a Frequently Asked Question. No. You cannot travel on discounted tickets until you have received your Railcard. You have to sign it anyway, which you can't do, if you haven't received it.

I rather suspect that, like debit/credit cards these days, many people never sign it even if it's a supposed requirement.

 

[Howardh]

I rather suspect that, like debit/credit cards these days, many people never sign it even if it's a supposed requirement.

True, I have signed all my cards (credit/railcard etc) and the ink's worn off!