Digital Railcard - Trainline

[blakey1152]

So I found out that Monzo as one of their perks offer a digital railcard which is potentially rather useful
However, unfortunately it seems that this digital railcard is provided using Trainline!

This obviously means that unless I'm buying walk up tickets on the day I wish to travel and use their annoying app they'll charge me a fee and I can't book in advance because of this.

I looked through the FAQs but was unable to find the answer to my question...
If I get the digital railcard from Trainline am I stuck with having to use them as the ticket provider?
Or is there some way of showing the Railcard within their app without buying a ticket and purchasing tickets from a TOC with the railcard discount and not paying their fees

Thanks in advance

 

[800Travel]

If I get the digital railcard from Trainline am I stuck with having to use them as the ticket provider?
Or is there some way of showing the Railcard within their app without buying a ticket and purchasing tickets from a TOC with the railcard discount and not paying their fees

Thanks in advance

No - you can still purchase your ticket in any way - you just must be able to display the railcard when it is requested. It can be shown in their app. I don't have a trainline railcard, but hopefully someone will be along to share the right steps.

 

[alistairlees]

So I found out that Monzo as one of their perks offer a digital railcard which is potentially rather useful
However, unfortunately it seems that this digital railcard is provided using Trainline!

This obviously means that unless I'm buying walk up tickets on the day I wish to travel and use their annoying app they'll charge me a fee and I can't book in advance because of this.

I looked through the FAQs but was unable to find the answer to my question...
If I get the digital railcard from Trainline am I stuck with having to use them as the ticket provider?
Or is there some way of showing the Railcard within their app without buying a ticket and purchasing tickets from a TOC with the railcard discount and not paying their fees

Thanks in advance

Using the Railcard on the Trainline app, you can buy discounted tickets from anywhere; you don't have to use Trainline (app or web).

 

[WelshBluebird]

Why would you have to buy tickets from them? Just show the railcard using the app and your tickets however else you want to! It isn't like they hide it either. Just click the account button on the bottom menu then you have an easy to see railcards button to click!

 

[blakey1152]

Why would you have to buy tickets from them? Just show the railcard using the app and your tickets however else you want to!

It seems very sneaky that they imply that can buy tickets with your railcard with them in the app but nowhere does it say you are free to use other ticket purchasers and I didn't want to find that if I got the railcard that I got stitched up up and that it was hidden away in the terms and conditions that you could only use the railcard with them.

I don't like their dubious tactics and their adverts which give false information and I'd rather buy a ticket from a TOC and not pay any fees in advance.

 

[WelshBluebird]

It seems very sneaky that they imply that can buy tickets with your railcard with them in the app but nowhere does it say you are free to use other ticket purchasers and I didn't want to find that if I got the railcard that I got stitched up up and that it was hidden away in the terms and conditions that you could only use the railcard with them.

I don't like their dubious tactics and their adverts which give false information and I'd rather buy a ticket from a TOC and not pay any fees in advance.

It's just a normal railcard. I've no idea why you'd get the impression you couldn't use it elsewhere. Nothing they say suggests that!

Infact on their railcard landing page they explicity say "use your digital Railcard on tickets bought anywhere (not just with us)" - https://www.thetrainline.com/trains/great-britain/railcards

 

[blakey1152]

It's just a normal railcard. I've no idea why you'd get the impression you couldn't use it elsewhere. Nothing they say suggests that!

Infact on their railcard landing page they explicity say "use your digital Railcard on tickets bought anywhere (not just with us)" - https://www.thetrainline.com/trains/great-britain/railcards

Thank you for that link!!!
I didn't find that anywhere at all

Much appreciated

 

[ATS3]

Is there not a way you can request a physical version with the ID number they gave you and call railcard customer services? If you live in London, perhaps you can also apply it to an oyster card, which will get you the 1/3 offer physically..

 

[Hadders]

Is there not a way you can request a physical version with the ID number they gave you and call railcard customer services? If you live in London, perhaps you can also apply it to an oyster card, which will get you the 1/3 offer physically..

No. Trainline don't sell physical railcards, only digital ones.

 

[ATS3]

No. Trainline don't sell physical railcards, only digital ones.

But they give you a railcard number - its still a railcard and surely still refers to something

 

[Hadders]

But they give you a railcard number - its still a railcard and surely still refers to something

Trainline only sell digital railcards. You cannot get a physical railcard from Trainline as they do not sell them.

If you want a physical railcard then you need to buy it from a station of from railcard.co.uk. Nowhere else sells physical railcards.

 

[Bletchleyite]

No - you can still purchase your ticket in any way - you just must be able to display the railcard when it is requested. It can be shown in their app. I don't have a trainline railcard, but hopefully someone will be along to share the right steps.

It's under Account -> Railcards. Somewhat clunky and probably deliberately so.

No issue with buying on the day tickets from Trainline, in any case, fees are not charged for this.

 

[Joe Paxton]

It's under Account -> Railcards. Somewhat clunky and probably deliberately so.

I agree it's a bit clunky and not immediately obvious - not sure why it'd be in their interest to make it deliberately so though?

No issue with buying on the day tickets from Trainline, in any case, fees are not charged for this.

Nonetheless people might prefer to give their business elsewhere (to a David rather than the Goliath).

 

[Bletchleyite]

I agree it's a bit clunky and not immediately obvious - not sure why it'd be in their interest to make it deliberately so though?

As a nudge to buy tickets from them.

 

[WelshBluebird]

Maybe this is just me, but I really don't find the location of it clunky at all. Infact it make perfect sense to me that it's under account! Maybe me being a software developer is part of the problem but I really don't see how that isnt obvious. Where else would it be given the options on the main menu along the bottom of the app?

 

[Joe Paxton]

As a nudge to buy tickets from them.

Hmm,, perhaps. I remember it just being a bit of a momentary mystery as to where to find the blasted Railcard in their app. I'd think a clear 'Railcards' button on the homepage would improve the user experience... and making it an overall slicker experience would in turn encourage people to use the app as a one-stop shop.

As an aside, it's interesting that this question has been raised on here a number of times.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Maybe this is just me, but I really don't find the location of it clunky at all. Infact it make perfect sense to me that it's under account! Maybe me being a software developer is part of the problem but I really don't see how that isnt obvious. Where else would it be given the options on the main menu along the bottom of the app?

Easiest without crowding the shortcuts would be to list them out at the bottom of the scrolling section taking you straight to the popup with one tap.

 

[zero]

Is there not a way you can request a physical version with the ID number they gave you and call railcard customer services? If you live in London, perhaps you can also apply it to an oyster card, which will get you the 1/3 offer physically..

A digital railcard can be applied to an oyster card too

 

[Joe Paxton]

Maybe this is just me, but I really don't find the location of it clunky at all. Infact it make perfect sense to me that it's under account! Maybe me being a software developer is part of the problem but I really don't see how that isnt obvious. Where else would it be given the options on the main menu along the bottom of the app?

I bought a Digital Railcard with them over two years ago since which the app design has changed a little bit, but I do recall a momentary frustration in trying to find it back then though I don't recall the detais.

Looking at the Trainline app as it is today, I might expect the Railcard would feature in the 'My Tickets' section. In 'Account' I guess I expect things like address(es), payment methods, marketing opt-outs etc.

 

[janb]

As staff I've easily memorised the steps to display a Trainline railcard because a lot of people struggle to find them. One thing I do find is having directed them to Account, a lot of people fail to see "Railcards" on that page and scroll past it so I'd suggest they put it in bold text or a more prominent position or something of that ilk.

 

[WelshBluebird]

One thing I do find is having directed them to Account, a lot of people fail to see "Railcards" on that page and scroll past it so I'd suggest they put it in bold text or a more prominent position or something of that ilk.

I mean if people don't read the screen infront of them then I'm not convinced that's the apps fault!

 

[Bletchleyite]

I mean if people don't read the screen infront of them then I'm not convinced that's the apps fault!

Good user interface design involves calling out commonly used functions on screens where there are a lot of options. This isn't particularly good user interface design.

 

[redreni]

My parents bought a digital Railcard at a promotional price from TrainPal and they required a ticket to be purchased through them in order to activate the Railcard.

It was rather inconvenient because their journey planner is broken (doesn't see the fixed walking link between Kings Cross and St Pancras), which confused my parents (understandably) and took some effort on my part to prevent them being overcharged or inconvenienced.

In fairness they did make clear that subsequent ticket purchases did not have to be via TrainPal. I don't think retailers are allowed to go any further along the anti-competitive path than the 'buy a ticket to activate the Railcard' thing, are they? I don't know what Trainline does.

 

[Mike395]

Trainline has no requirement to buy a ticket from them to activate a purchased Railcard, including during a promotional offer or for Railcards bundled with e.g. Monzo Premium.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Trainline doesn't require you to purchase a ticket to activate the Railcard.

I'm surprised trip.com passes accreditation set up like that, but if you want to activate one a child single between any two Marston Vale stations will only set you back 50p, or if it has to be a Railcard one then 65p (I think they round down, if not 70p).

(That was only supposed to be a time-limited offer - I wonder if WMT have forgotten about it )

 

[MrJeeves]

(That was only supposed to be a time-limited offer - I wonder if WMT have forgotten about it )

It's been extended a few times, the latest being until 16 Nov.

Trains to Marston Vale Line | Cheap Train Tickets to Marston Vale Line

Find trains to Marston Vale Line with London Northwestern Railway. Best price guaranteed with no booking fees!

www.londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk

 

[Joe Paxton]

My parents bought a digital Railcard at a promotional price from TrainPal and they required a ticket to be purchased through them in order to activate the Railcard.
[...]
In fairness they did make clear that subsequent ticket purchases did not have to be via TrainPal. I don't think retailers are allowed to go any further along the anti-competitive path than the 'buy a ticket to activate the Railcard' thing, are they? I don't know what Trainline does.

Trainline doesn't require you to purchase a ticket to activate the Railcard.

I'm surprised trip.com passes accreditation set up like that, but if you want to activate one a child single between any two Marston Vale stations will only set you back 50p, or if it has to be a Railcard one then 65p (I think they round down, if not 70p).

The Trip.com requirement to buy a ticket from them in order to activate the Digital Railcard purchase only exists for their special offer price on Railcards (1 year at £19.80 or 3 years at £46.20, detailed at HUKD - sister company Trainpal also runs the same offer for 1 year Railcards, as per HUKD) - they do make the requirement pretty clear during the purchase process.

Meanwhile a (Railcard discounted) 70p Evening or Sunday Single from Ryde Esplanade to Ryde St John's Road will do the trick to 'activate' the Railcard purchase.

Though I'd say there are other reasons why Trip.com and Trainpal might struggle with accreditation for Digital Railcards, if it were properly enforced - both apps need a data connection to access the Railcard sub-section of the app (the workaround being open the Railcard sub-section of the app up when you have a data connection and leave it be in the background... though of course this shouldn't be necessary).

 

[Par]

It's under Account -> Railcards. Somewhat clunky and probably deliberately so.

No issue with buying on the day tickets from Trainline, in any case, fees are not charged for this.

I have a railcard from Trainline, but I haven’t bought a ticket from them in years. I got it because it was discounted to £20. You need 3 clicks to show it, whereas the ‘Railcard’ app version (which I’ve just renewed through) only needs 2 clicks, so no real hardship to display.

The version in the Trainline app needs 2 clicks from the screen seen below.

 

[ATS3]

A digital railcard can be applied to an oyster card too

but you need a railcard number for this, so if that exists, then you should be able to call their customer services and ask for a physical replacement using that number, no?

 

[Adam Williams]

but you need a railcard number for this, so if that exists, then you should be able to call their customer services and ask for a physical replacement using that number, no?

No, these numbers are generated by the Railcard retailer. Retailers are under no obligation to offer physical railcards and National Rail will not fulfil a physical railcard for a customer of a third-party retailer, because the customer is not theirs.