How to ask Oyster Shop staff to add railcard discount

[hkstudent]

I ordered a new oystercard online as the old one failed to work, while TfL hotline staff cannot put railcard discount on though the line.
I heard mixed review on asking local oyster stop staff to put railcard on. What ways should I do to make staff be confident in adding the discount to my card?

 

[packermac]

I ordered a new oystercard online as the old one failed to work, while TfL hotline staff cannot put railcard discount on though the line.
I heard mixed review on asking local oyster stop staff to put railcard on. What ways should I do to make staff be confident in adding the discount to my card?

Only ever had it done by station staff, and not all of them know how to do it. Also one year the put a tram discount on instead of railcard, which was a pain as I no longer live in London so had to go through the whole thing again when pushed for time. So I always try to follow what they are doing now (pre COVID of course).

 

[MikeWh]

I ordered a new oystercard online as the old one failed to work, while TfL hotline staff cannot put railcard discount on though the line.
I heard mixed review on asking local oyster stop staff to put railcard on. What ways should I do to make staff be confident in adding the discount to my card?

Whilst ticket stops should be able to do it, they won't get any money for doing so, so will often pretend they can't or don't know how to. You are better off using a tube station. Alternatively, Abbey Wood may be able to do it as it is run by a TfL concession.

 

[talldave]

I always asked at a large underground station where distracting a member of staff for a few minutes didn't cause problems.

One word of caution from my personal experience. If your Oyster card isn't registered, the process of adding a railcard discount seems to create a dummy account for the card. If you subsequently try to register it, you cant because it's already registered. But you can't log into the associated account because you don't know any of the blank/dummy details to log in. A call to TfL is necessary to untangle the mess.

 

[Vespa]

I had mine done by a station staff, I already added my oyster card to a TFL account I created, so it was a matter of going to a station staff to put my disabled railcard on, took some getting used to but we got there in the end.
I can now buy a weekly pass or travel off peak DSB price

 

[MikeWh]

I can now buy a weekly pass or travel off peak DSB price

Discounts for disabled railcard holders apply all day.

One word of caution from my personal experience. If your Oyster card isn't registered, the process of adding a railcard discount seems to create a dummy account for the card. If you subsequently try to register it, you cant because it's already registered. But you can't log into the associated account because you don't know any of the blank/dummy details to log in. A call to TfL is necessary to untangle the mess.

Yet more examples of staff making things up as they go along. Railcard discounts should not be applied to unregistered cards and if they aren't registered it is the customer's responsibility to get that done first.

 

[Iggy12a]

Just asked at Aldgate to have my Senior Railcard discount put on my Oyster and told to go to a National Rail station, as he claims that underground stations are no longer doing this due to pandemic.

 

[MikeWh]

Just asked at Aldgate to have my Senior Railcard discount put on my Oyster and told to go to a National Rail station, as he claims that underground stations are no longer doing this due to pandemic.

Sorry, that's absolute rubbish. Please raise a complaint.

 

[Hadders]

Just asked at Aldgate to have my Senior Railcard discount put on my Oyster and told to go to a National Rail station, as he claims that underground stations are no longer doing this due to pandemic.

That's just laziness on behalf of the staff member. I agree with @MikeWh that you should complain.

 

[Vespa]

That's just laziness on behalf of the staff member. I agree with @MikeWh that you should complain.

I agree, I call bull****, name him and shame him to the TFL, I had mine done for me in London no problem whatsoever

 

[BJames]

That's just laziness on behalf of the staff member. I agree with @MikeWh that you should complain.

I agree too... I've had a London Overground staff member in the ticket office a while back tell me it could only be done online! Clearly not the case, and fortunately someone else a stop down the line knew what they were doing. How come only some seem to know what they're doing, or do they just not care enough? It really didn't take long to add it.

 

[Hadders]

I normally get my railcard discount added at Kings Cross St Pancras without incident. Last time round the member of staff claimed it had to be done online, I persisted and told him he was wrong, told him it was in the supervisor functions of the ticket machine. Eventually he remembered....

 

[Leisurefirst]

Sorry, that's absolute rubbish. Please raise a complaint.

I got the same thing at Shepherd's Bush Central Line (actually I wanted them to take the discount OFF as I had applied for a refund for my Gold Card...)
Was frankly looked at with contempt for daring to speak to them (standing chatting) and told to call the helpline. (Which probably would have been no use).
Walked straight across to the LO station and someone behind the counter did it.

 

[Iggy12a]

Sorry, that's absolute rubbish. Please raise a complaint.

I will put in a complaint and let you know any feedback.
I went to London Bridge and the guy at the gate took me over to a machine, tapped his card, entered his PIN and then told me to tap my Oyster. Then the transaction just terminated.
Apparently my Oyster is "unissued"; I couldn't even do a top-up.
It's a brand new Oyster sent out in the post from TfL on Tuesday. It was issued as a replacement for a first generation card showing on my online account.
When I checked my account on Thursday, the new Oyster was showing on my account and I updated the security answer.
Any ideas how to get my Oyster issued?

EDIT
Have just phoned the Oystercard helpline, and been told that my Oyster needs activating at a TfL station.
Why didn't the chap at London Bridge not think to do this?

 

[eoff]

I have been told in the past that you can't do this online as they want a TFL employee to see you and the card.
It has caused me problems though because it used to be that you could not add a railcard discount when you started the journey, for example Heatrhow T5 but fortunately you can travel free to the T123 office. Staff have been very helpful to me in adding a new railcard to my Oyster card in the past.

The real gotcha used to be purchasing the card with the discount in the first place if you are a visitor to London. I had to stand at T123 once and fill in a paper application so that I could be given a card with the discount applied at the same time.

 

[Cdd89]

Yet more examples of staff making things up as they go along. Railcard discounts should not be applied to unregistered cards and if they aren't registered it is the customer's responsibility to get that done first.

It seems to take a while between completing Online oyster registration and that fact being reflected on a LU TVM. (Not sure if it’s a time delay, or if a subsequent journey needs to be undertaken).

So when I added my 26-30 Railcard at Victoria, it showed up as unregistered. But the staff member didn’t seem to mind letting me register it on the machine. The fact my card has had two attempted registrations doesn’t seem to have affected my online facilities, perhaps it’s less problematic that way around.

 

[kristiang85]

It seems to take a while between completing Online oyster registration and that fact being reflected on a LU TVM. (Not sure if it’s a time delay, or if a subsequent journey needs to be undertaken).

So when I added my 26-30 Railcard at Victoria, it showed up as unregistered. But the staff member didn’t seem to mind letting me register it on the machine. The fact my card has had two attempted registrations doesn’t seem to have affected my online facilities, perhaps it’s less problematic that way around.

Yes, in my case after twice going they still said it showeed unregistered and they couldn't do anything (I had been asking for days by this point having used it). So I walked to the other end of Waterloo and a much more helpful chap said it was a known problem, and he sorted it for me.

 

[northken]

Just had one part of Paddington refuse to apply a Railcard discount to Oyster and tell me to do it online. I showed him how it's impossible to do it online and that the TfL website says it can be done at tube stations, but he didn't budge. When I said South Kensington did it for me last time he said he'd authorise me travel there!

I then head over to the Praed Street tube entrance where they do it for me with no issues. Really shows how you have to shop around sometimes.

 

[RJ]

Whilst ticket stops should be able to do it, they won't get any money for doing so, so will often pretend they can't or don't know how to.

Sounds about right!

Back in mid-2004 I got a pre-pay Oyster card and took it to my local newsagent. They loaded a child discount onto it. It charged me 35p on the buses and beeped 8 times on validation, which perplexed the drivers on some of the buses. It was a totally unadvertised product and I wouldn't be surprised if I was the only one using it, it was cheaper than the cash fare and weekly bus pass! It got replaced with a 14-15 card when free travel was introduced in 2005. In hindsight I wonder if the newsagent should even have done that discount. Maybe they just stick to doing top ups these days as that's what they're familiar with.

 

[hkstudent]

Just had one part of Paddington refuse to apply a Railcard discount to Oyster and tell me to do it online. I showed him how it's impossible to do it online and that the TfL website says it can be done at tube stations, but he didn't budge. When I said South Kensington did it for me last time he said he'd authorise me travel there!

I then head over to the Praed Street tube entrance where they do it for me with no issues. Really shows how you have to shop around sometimes.

I would suggest you to do a formal complain to TfL if you feel unhappy about that staff in Paddington Underground Station. They have to do that for you.

Whilst ticket stops should be able to do it, they won't get any money for doing so, so will often pretend they can't or don't know how to. You are better off using a tube station. Alternatively, Abbey Wood may be able to do it as it is run by a TfL concession.

Indeed.
But what I am concerend about now is, for those SW / SE Londoners not being served by TfL's rail-based services, they are kind of deprieved from loading railcard discount then, as long as they don't get to inner London for railcard loading.
I know some Outer Londoners (adult) seldom go to central London.

 

[packermac]

I would suggest you to do a formal complain to TfL if you feel unhappy about that staff in Paddington Underground Station. They have to do that for you.


Indeed.
But what I am concerend about now is, for those SW / SE Londoners not being served by TfL's rail-based services, they are kind of deprieved from loading railcard discount then, as long as they don't get to inner London for railcard loading.
I know some Outer Londoners (adult) seldom go to central London.

No different to those of us that do not live in London but still have Oyster Cards and want the Railcard loaded. Last time I had mine done was 04:40 at Osterley during Night Tube operation. Think I may have woken the guy up (all pre COVID of course)

 

[MikeWh]

Just had one part of Paddington refuse to apply a Railcard discount to Oyster and tell me to do it online. I showed him how it's impossible to do it online and that the TfL website says it can be done at tube stations, but he didn't budge. When I said South Kensington did it for me last time he said he'd authorise me travel there!

I then head over to the Praed Street tube entrance where they do it for me with no issues. Really shows how you have to shop around sometimes.

I've reported this to my contact at TfL who has forwarded it onto the relevant manager. It will be picked up on.

 

[Iggy12a]

I will put in a complaint and let you know any feedback.
I went to London Bridge and the guy at the gate took me over to a machine, tapped his card, entered his PIN and then told me to tap my Oyster. Then the transaction just terminated.
Apparently my Oyster is "unissued"; I couldn't even do a top-up.
It's a brand new Oyster sent out in the post from TfL on Tuesday. It was issued as a replacement for a first generation card showing on my online account.
When I checked my account on Thursday, the new Oyster was showing on my account and I updated the security answer.
Any ideas how to get my Oyster issued?

Just had a phone call from TfL. Apparently it is a known feature (bug) that when a new Oyster is sent out as a replacement for a 1st generation card, the new card is in an unissued state; to activate you have to go to an Oyster Ticket Stop/Shop, and a tube station cannot do it.
I will see if the Ticket Stop can put my railcard discount on too whilst in there.

 

[MikeWh]

Just had a phone call from TfL. Apparently it is a known feature (bug) that when a new Oyster is sent out as a replacement for a 1st generation card, the new card is in an unissued state; to activate you have to go to an Oyster Ticket Stop/Shop, and a tube station cannot do it.
I will see if the Ticket Stop can put my railcard discount on too whilst in there.

Does it need to be activated before being used for an actual journey, or does that also activate it?

 

[Iggy12a]

Does it need to be activated before being used for an actual journey, or does that also activate it?

I don't know. But i can't use it for a journey because it has no credit on it. I can't top-up at a machine at a station because it is unissued.

 

[MikeWh]

That sounds completely fouled up. I've asked more questions.

 

[Leisurefirst]

Just had one part of Paddington refuse to apply a Railcard discount to Oyster and tell me to do it online. I showed him how it's impossible to do it online and that the TfL website says it can be done at tube stations, but he didn't budge. When I said South Kensington did it for me last time he said he'd authorise me travel there!

I then head over to the Praed Street tube entrance where they do it for me with no issues. Really shows how you have to shop around sometimes.

Had exactly this at the two Hammersmiths a couple or so years back.
Told at H&C have to go to National Rail station... um, no...
Walked over to D&P (the alternative entrance/exit by Tesco Metro), no problem.

 

[zoothorn]

Earlier this year (pre Covid) I got a 3year senior railcard loaded with absolutely no fuss at the Tramlink shop just down the street from East Croydon Station

 

[FlippyFF]

Is it possible to have a railcard (goldcard) discount added to a TfL contactless account i e. debit card rather than Oyster? What about if you use Apple Pay or Google Pay?

TIA

Simon

 

[island]

No to all of the above.

The main sticking point is that there is not (currently) a way to flag to ticket inspectors that they should check the Railcard when that card is scanned.