Ticket history

[fred2909]

Hi guys.

Like the absolute fool that I am I let my railcard expire and didn’t realise until my ticket got scanned by an inspector last week, and he asked me to present it. He asked me if I had been using it regularly since it expired in August and I answered honestly and said “yes”. He asked me loads more questions and advised me my case was going to be sent to GTR’s fraud team.

I actually use my dad’s account to book all my tickets, so I’m wondering if they’ll be able to see my ticket history even though the tickets were bought on an account in someone else’s name. I use my own credit card for payment. I’ll need to apply for a bank loan to pay the fine if they ask me to pay for every ticket in full since August, so just trying to get my ducks in a row before the letter comes in.

 

[Trainman40083]

Did you give your own details, or will their communication go through to your father, as the account holder?

 

[fred2909]

Did you give your own details, or will their communication go through to your father, as the account holder?

I gave my own details. I only use my dad’s account as he gets air miles!

 

[John R]

I would expect they would review your Dad’s account and question any tickets purchased with a railcard discount. Does anyone else (say a sibling) also use that account for purchasing tickets with a railcard, as that might complicate things.

 

[fred2909]

I would expect they would review your Dad’s account and question any tickets purchased with a railcard discount. Does anyone else (say a sibling) also use that account for purchasing tickets with a railcard, as that might complicate things.

So they’ll have a way of linking my ticket back to my dad’s account? Thought there may have been a GDPR issue or something. Yeah my dad uses it too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jan 2026 ==

So they’ll have a way of linking my ticket back to my dad’s account? Thought there may have been a GDPR issue or something. Yeah my dad uses it too.

Oh, but not with a railcard. It’s just me with a railcard.

 

[MarlowDonkey]

Thought there may have been a GDPR issue or something.

They have it covered under prevention and detection of crime.

 

[fred2909]

They have it covered under prevention and detection of crime.

Is there a possibility I could get my dad in trouble here too?

 

[AlterEgo]

They have it covered under prevention and detection of crime.

It is debatable whether this entitles them to go through the personal data of someone who is not suspected of committing any offences.

 

[Trainman40083]

Is there a possibility I could get my dad in trouble here too?

It may be best to tell him what had happened.

 

[fred2909]

It may be best to tell him what had happened.

I have. It was a genuine (albeit incredibly stupid) mistake so I have no intention of lying to anyone. I understand I’ll be punished but my dad hasn’t done anything wrong.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jan 2026 ==

It is debatable whether this entitles them to go through the personal data of someone who is not suspected of committing any offences.

When they scan my ticket, does it automatically link back to the account it was purchased on?

 

[z444z]

When they scan my ticket, does it automatically link back to the account it was purchased on?

Yes.

 

[Bertie the bus]

Is there a possibility I could get my dad in trouble here too?

I can’t see any possibility of you getting your dad into trouble. You were the one who was stopped and if they go through the account, send you a list of journeys booked with a railcard and you accept you made those journeys they will either ask you to pay a settlement or threaten to prosecute you – in which case you can ask for, and likely get, a settlement. They are not going to be bothered about tickets purchased without a railcard discount or who those tickets were purchased for.

There is some byelaw about not buying a ticket for another person with the intention of them not paying the correct fare but in the very unlikely event of them raising that then you just say you share the account, and the fact you pay for your tickets with your credit card is pretty conclusive proof that is the truth.

 

[John R]

It is debatable whether this entitles them to go through the personal data of someone who is not suspected of committing any offences.

If they identify that an offence has been committed, then it would seem a reasonable use of data to investigate the account from which that ticket was purchased to establish the scale of offending.

But before we go down a rabbit hole of what is and isn't allowed under GDPR (and if we do it should probably be hived off to a separate thread), and focus instead on what is helpful to the OP, I think all they need to know is that the investigators can, and are quite likely to, ask for information on ticket purchases from the account on which the ticket is purchased.

 

[WesternLancer]

Is there a possibility I could get my dad in trouble here too?

Almost certainly not. I can’t think of a reason why.
But worth putting him in the picture.

Forgot to renew railcard is a pretty regular thing on these forums.

Doesn’t help when staff call it the Fraud Team. I suspect the correct name is Revenue Protection Team.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

I have. It was a genuine (albeit incredibly stupid) mistake so I have no intention of lying to anyone. I understand I’ll be punished but my dad hasn’t done anything wrong.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 30 Jan 2026 ==


When they scan my ticket, does it automatically link back to the account it was purchased on?

Unlikely to get punished for what has happened if you follow advice from here.
They will just want the money you failed to pay for the correct tickets when you erroneously bought discounted ones when you were not actually entitled to the discount by virtue of the railcard being expired.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Have you renewed your railcard now?

If not then do so as it’s something you can say you did to put right the error promptly following it being drawn to your attention.

 

[SuspectUsual]

Almost certainly not. I can’t think of a reason why

On the basis that we know it isn’t an offence to buy a railcard discounted ticket whilst not holding the relevant railcard * can we completely discount this getting dad into any sort of trouble?


* for the OP - for example people buy tickets for family members; people buy tickets in advance of travel, sometimes by many weeks, and don’t want to waste railcard validity so buy/renew just before they travel. That sort of thing

 

[Haywain]

Doesn’t help when staff call it the Fraud Team. I suspect the correct name is Revenue Protection Team

GTR appears to have both.

 

[WesternLancer]

On the basis that we know it isn’t an offence to buy a railcard discounted ticket whilst not holding the relevant railcard * can we completely discount this getting dad into any sort of trouble?


* for the OP - for example people buy tickets for family members; people buy tickets in advance of travel, sometimes by many weeks, and don’t want to waste railcard validity so buy/renew just before they travel. That sort of thing

Indeed my thinking

 

[fred2909]

It is debatable whether this entitles them to go through the personal data of someone who is not suspected of committing any offences.

My dad has just reminded me that he switched accounts a few months ago (he used one to collect Avios an then wanted Emirates points instead) so I guess this question will be answered by whether or not they track back to his other account too.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Thanks for your help everyone. I’ll arrange a loan for the maximum possible amount, which I think will be about £6k, and wait for the letter to come through the door.

There goes any holidays for the next few years! What a wally.

 

[z444z]

whether or not they track back to his other account too.

From what we see, it’s very possible that they won’t!

I’ll arrange a loan for the maximum possible amount, which I think will be about £6k, and wait for the letter to come through the door.

Is there any way you can have a loan lined up but not actually commit until you know what amount GTR want? Sorry if this is what you mean already, just want to double check!

 

[fred2909]

From what we see, it’s very possible that they won’t!

This would really save me as more than half the tickets were bought on the old account.

Is there any way you can have a loan lined up but not actually commit until you know what amount GTR want? Sorry if this is what you mean already, just want to double check!

I’ve done some research and found a loan that I can repay early without penalty, so I think that’s the best route forward. Do you happen to know how long GTR gives you to pay the settlement?

 

[Haywain]

Do you happen to know how long GTR gives you to pay the settlement?

In general it would be 14 or 21 days. Have you really spent that much on tickets since the railcard expired?

 

[fred2909]

In general it would be 14 or 21 days. Have you really spent that much on tickets since the railcard expired?

Close to it yeah. I’m in the office five days a week.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

Close to it yeah. I’m in the office five days a week

Sorry for context I live in Cambridgeshire too. Full price anytime day return is £60.70. Never bought a season ticket as i can get cash back on daily tickets.

 

[z444z]

Do you happen to know how long GTR gives you to pay the settlement?

14 days.

 

[AlterEgo]

How are you getting around the time restrictions on the railcard to use it for commuting? GTR may have the same question.

Is this a Disabled Railcard?

 

[blimmo]

£60.70 (and it's discounted version) is above the minimum fare for a 16-25 or 26-30 railcard.

OP you should be aware they will calculate the settlement using two anytime singles and not return tickets.

 

[fred2909]

£60.70 (and it's discounted version) is above the minimum fare for a 16-25 or 26-30 railcard.

What do you mean? It has always let me buy it for slightly under £40 with my railcard.

OP you should be aware they will calculate the settlement using two anytime singles and not return tickets.

I thought it would just be the journey taken in peak no? Is the return leg not valid?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

How are you getting around the time restrictions on the railcard to use it for commuting? GTR may have the same question.

Is this a Disabled Railcard?

26-30 can be used at peak times.

 

[AlterEgo]

26-30 can be used at peak times.

Ah yes, I meant the minimum fare - but I can see you're travelling a long way!

 

[blimmo]

What do you mean? It has always let me buy it for slightly under £40 with my railcard.

Apologies, I was explaining why you can correctly use your Railcard to discount the ticket to @AlterEgo. For shorter journeys where the discounted price is less than £12 you wouldn't be able to use it before 10am.

I thought it would just be the journey taken in peak no? Is the return leg not valid?

They can calculate it basically however they want since this is a settlement offer to avoid prosecution for the time you were caught. None of your tickets were valid since they were all discounted with a Railcard that you didn't have.

In practice often TOCs will calculate it with anytime single fares for each direction regardless of the time the journey actually happened. (You can see why they would be incentivised to choose that system from the prices...) Recently GTR specifically have been being significantly more reasonable and charging off peak journeys with off peak fares and even letting people pay the difference. There is no way to know what they will offer you until you get the letter unfortunately.

 

[fred2909]

Apologies, I was explaining why you can correctly use your Railcard to discount the ticket to @AlterEgo. For shorter journeys where the discounted price is less than £12 you wouldn't be able to use it before 10am.

Ah! Ha, you gave me a bit of fright there I though I was in the hole even deeper

They can calculate it basically however they want since this is a settlement offer to avoid prosecution for the time you were caught. None of your tickets were valid since they were all discounted with a Railcard that you didn't have.

In practice often TOCs will calculate it with anytime single fares for each direction regardless of the time the journey actually happened. (You can see why they would be incentivised to choose that system from the prices...) Recently GTR specifically have been being significantly more reasonable and charging off peak journeys with off peak fares and even letting people pay the difference. There is no way to know what they will offer you until you get the letter unfortunately.

Of course. That makes sense. In my head it was just discounting the peak element for some reason. Thanks for pointing that out. I’ll re-do my maths.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 31 Jan 2026 ==

From what we see, it’s very possible that they won’t!

I’ll hope for this

OP you should be aware they will calculate the settlement using two anytime singles and not return tickets.

And plan for this.

You guys are so helpful, thank you all.

 

[saismee]

Doesn’t help when staff call it the Fraud Team. I suspect the correct name is Revenue Protection Team.

Revenue Protection Team would be the ones on the ground, while the Fraud Team would be the ones in the office (often called the Prosecutions Department or other similar names).