Network Railcard on Oyster card?

[cgcenet]

In London yesterday, my wife renewed her Network Railcard at the London Waterloo National Rail ticket office. We then went to a London Underground ticket window to put the Railcard on her oyster card, as she had been able to get done for her previous Network Railcard. This has in the past given her a discount on PAYG journeys as well as a travelcard cap. The first ticket clerk we spoke to said that thsi was not possible, as the Network Railcard only gives a discount for a London Travelcard at weekends. When we pointed out that the Railcard had been put on Oyster before, he just said that whoever did that had made a mistake. We tried again at two different LU ticket offices, and they said the same thing. However, when we tried at the TfL desk at Piccadilly Circus station, the clerk did apparently load the Network Railcard onto her Oyster card.

I've seen the Network Railcard page (http://www.railcard.co.uk/), and it appears that the rules for discount have changed from before. ISTR that a London Travelcard used to be exempt from the £13 Weekday minimum fare, but now it appears that this is not the case. Also the site says that the "Network Railcard discounts are not available on Oyster pay as you go."
So my questions are:
1. Have the rules on Network Railcard validity for London travel changed recently? If so, when? And if they have changed, then it would have been nice if the ticket clerks we spoke to had said so rather than reacting to my wife's request in the high-handed way that they did.
2. If a Network Railcard discount can still be loaded onto Oyster, then what discount does this give now? Does it just give a lower Travelcard cap on weekends and public holidays?

 

[34D]

A good question. Other posters will know.

I myself didn't believe it was possible to have the discount loaded.

 

[CyrusWuff]

The LU clerks were correct. A Network Railcard discount cannot be loaded onto an Oyster because of the £13 minimum fare Mondays to Fridays, and Oyster doesn't distinguish between Railcard types when it comes to discounts, they're all added as "NR Railcard".

I would strongly suggest the OPs wife goes to a station and asks them to remove the wrongly applied discount, given the potential repercussions of an encounter with Revenue Protection (i.e. a report for possible prosecution under Section 5(3) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889).

This page on the TfL site makes it clear that the only discount available to Network Railcard holders is on the purchase of Off-Peak Day Travelcards at weekends and public holidays (i.e. when the minimum fare doesn't apply), and that Railcard discounts can only be loaded onto Oyster for 16-25, Disabled, HM Forces and Senior Railcard holders.

 

[cgcenet]

Thanks for explanation CyrusWuff

 

[wimbledonpete]

The LU clerks were correct. A Network Railcard discount cannot be loaded onto an Oyster because of the £13 minimum fare Mondays to Fridays, and Oyster doesn't distinguish between Railcard types when it comes to discounts, they're all added as "NR Railcard".

I would strongly suggest the OPs wife goes to a station and asks them to remove the wrongly applied discount, given the potential repercussions of an encounter with Revenue Protection (i.e. a report for possible prosecution under Section 5(3) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889).

This page on the TfL site makes it clear that the only discount available to Network Railcard holders is on the purchase of Off-Peak Day Travelcards at weekends and public holidays (i.e. when the minimum fare doesn't apply), and that Railcard discounts can only be loaded onto Oyster for 16-25, Disabled, HM Forces and Senior Railcard holders.

Can I clarify the situation on Gold Cards? Not mentioned above but as far as I'm aware there's no minimum fare with these and therefore they can be loaded on to an Oyster card? That's what I believe I have, also loaded on at Piccadilly Circus.

 

[class303]

The LU clerks were correct. A Network Railcard discount cannot be loaded onto an Oyster because of the £13 minimum fare Mondays to Fridays, and Oyster doesn't distinguish between Railcard types when it comes to discounts, they're all added as "NR Railcard".

I would strongly suggest the OPs wife goes to a station and asks them to remove the wrongly applied discount, given the potential repercussions of an encounter with Revenue Protection (i.e. a report for possible prosecution under Section 5(3) of the Regulation of Railways Act 1889).

This page on the TfL site makes it clear that the only discount available to Network Railcard holders is on the purchase of Off-Peak Day Travelcards at weekends and public holidays (i.e. when the minimum fare doesn't apply), and that Railcard discounts can only be loaded onto Oyster for 16-25, Disabled, HM Forces and Senior Railcard holders.

Gold cards can also be loaded.
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Can I clarify the situation on Gold Cards? Not mentioned above but as far as I'm aware there's no minimum fare with these and therefore they can be loaded on to an Oyster card? That's what I believe I have, also loaded on at Piccadilly Circus.

Gold cards can and should be loaded to oyster.

 

[swt_passenger]

The other reason a Network Card cannot be loaded, is that like a Family & Friends it is usable by more than one person travelling together. That functionality would be difficult to add to Oyster PAYG, which is based on individuals all having their own card.

 

[MikeWh]

Just to add further clarification to the above. Network Railcards have never been valid to add to an Oyster Card. [This hasn't stopped various staff putting them on, but they shouldn't be.] 16-25, Senior, Disabled and Forces cards have been valid since January 2010, with the Gold Card added in May 2010.

 

[Be3G]

16-25, Senior, Disabled and Forces cards have been valid since January 2010

Change that to 2008 and you'll be spot on. Granted it wasn't very well known back then! I only discovered it because I had a habit of studying the fares booklet TfL helpfully used to produce each year. Caused a bit of confusion when I went to get it done at Southgate station a mere couple of days after the facility was enabled…

 

[trevmonk]

The other reason a Network Card cannot be loaded, is that like a Family & Friends it is usable by more than one person travelling together. That functionality would be difficult to add to Oyster PAYG, which is based on individuals all having their own card.

But a Gold Card can also be used by more than one person travelling together and that IS eligible for the Oyster discount, albeit only for the holder.

 

[MikeWh]

Change that to 2008 and you'll be spot on. Granted it wasn't very well known back then! I only discovered it because I had a habit of studying the fares booklet TfL helpfully used to produce each year. Caused a bit of confusion when I went to get it done at Southgate station a mere couple of days after the facility was enabled…

Cheers for that! Was it still January? Although I did use Oyster before 2010, it was only on buses as I live miles from any TfL rail services.

 

[Mojo]

But a Gold Card can also be used by more than one person travelling together and that IS eligible for the Oyster discount, albeit only for the holder.

However only the holder can have the discount added.

Friends/Family Railcard HAS to be used by at least 2 customers whereas the Gold Card could be used by just 1.

 

[Be3G]

Cheers for that! Was it still January? Although I did use Oyster before 2010, it was only on buses as I live miles from any TfL rail services.

Yep. The new fares round began 2nd January, and I went off to get it sorted out on the 4th, if I'm remembering correctly. I live in zone 6 a lengthy bus ride from any non-bus TfL services too, but the thought of paying just £3.35 to get in to London (what was then the cost of a discounted 1–4 cap) was too good to ignore!

 

[bb21]

It was possible to add the discount to the card before the start of the new fares round, as I had mine added on the 27th December iirc although it did not kick in until 2nd January.

The discounted Zones 2-6 cap of £3.05 was one of the best value products I have ever used.