Rail Travel Vouchers.

[David57]

I have a RTV issued in my name, not for the greatest value, (£20.00), but it took ages of arguing to get it, and would hate it to go to waste, but due to health issues I cannot {sadly!) use it before it's expiry date.

Can I gift it to a friend to use?

 

[henryb]

I have a RTV issued in my name, not for the greatest value, (£20.00), but it took ages of arguing to get it, and would hate it to go to waste, but due to health issues I cannot {sadly!) use it before it's expiry date.

Can I gift it to a friend to use?

You can gift I believe, it’s unlikely it will be checked against your name

 

[AlbertBeale]

You can gift I believe, it’s unlikely it will be checked against your name

Last time I used a voucher at a ticket office, I had to fill in my name, and the journey it was being used for, before surrendering it for the ticket. But the ticket seller didn't even glance to see whether the name I'd put was the same as the name on the voucher - and of course there was no interest in checking whether it was my name anyway... I can't imagine there'd be a problem. After all, someone could be going to the station to get the ticket for you anyway - there's no rule that you have to buy your own ticket.

One thing, I suppose, is that if you tried to use a voucher in someone else's name when getting a ticket with a railcard, it might be a bit obvious that the railcard was in a different name from the voucher.

 

[AY1975]

I presume it's a paper rail travel voucher rather than an e-voucher that you've got?

If so, I'm guessing that it's only fairly recently that paper RTVs have been issued with the holder's name on. It's several years since I was last issued with a paper RTV, and as I recall they never used to have the holder's name on so there was nothing to stop you selling or gifting them to a friend or family member.

 

[Alex365Dash]

If so, I'm guessing that it's only fairly recently that paper RTVs have been issued with the holder's name on. It's several years since I was last issued with a paper RTV, and as I recall they never used to have the holder's name on so there was nothing to stop you selling or gifting them to a friend or family member.

I received a paper RTV a few weeks ago for a Delay Repay claim where GTR took so long to get it done properly it couldn't be issued another way - it didn’t have my name on it when issued, nor was I asked for it when I cashed it in at the ticket office. (Unlike most Rail Travel Vouchers, a majority of GTR’s RTVs are usually cashable at any GTR ticket office.)

 

[AY1975]

So I presume this means that there is no longer a nationally agreed standard for paper RTVs, and each train operator can decide for itself whether they are issued for use by anyone or only by the named holder, where they are redeemable and whether to accept other operators' RTVs.

I thought all RTVs were, at least in theory, supposed to be redeemable at any National Rail ticket office for travel with any train operator, though.

 

[Andy Pacer]

So I presume this means that there is no longer a nationally agreed standard for paper RTVs, and each train operator can decide for itself whether they are issued for use by anyone or only by the named holder, where they are redeemable and whether to accept other operators' RTVs.

I thought all RTVs were, at least in theory, supposed to be redeemable at any National Rail ticket office for travel with any train operator, though.

Interesting change. I must admit I gave up with them as I got fed up with the dread of trying to redeem them, either failures to scan or ticket office staff who didn't know what to do with them!

I'd assume any TOC should accept any other TOCs RTVs.

 

[Haywain]

So I presume this means that there is no longer a nationally agreed standard for paper RTVs, and each train operator can decide for itself whether they are issued for use by anyone or only by the named holder, where they are redeemable and whether to accept other operators' RTVs.

There is no change to the standards for Rail Travel Vouchers, and no instructions exist to the effect that they can only be used by a named individual. However, redeeming vouchers for cash has, for a very long time, been restricted to a few TOCs and to vouchers they have issued themselves.

I'd assume any TOC should accept any other TOCs RTVs.

Yes.