Senior Railcard from Trip.com

[spoorweg]

I am looking to purchase two senior Railcards and came across Trip.com as recommended in MSE. The 3 year card @ £46.20 is a good deal.

Here are my queries:

1. I understand that the user must first register on Trip.com which can be online or via the app. I have a smartphone but my partner doesn't. I can register him online but how will he produce a digital card ? If he could show it by email then using my phone should be OK. Could I print it ? If not then would you say he has no choice but to pay full price and have a card posted to him.

2. I also read that it is essential to buy any train ticket within 30 days of the Railcard being issued. I don't mind doing this as long as I can get one for a few pounds. I presume I don't have to use it. Is there a way of finding a ticket for say under £5 perhaps using my freedom pass. How does one find the cheapest fare ?

3. When purchasing via Trip.com is the digital card issued immediately. I'm travelling on the 22nd July and already have a ticket, so can I buy the Railcard a week before I go. It's only me travelling for this trip but we still want our cards to start and expire the same dates.

As always any advice I receive is appreciated. I anticipate responses suggesting to "trade in" my partner for one who keeps up to date but I enjoy reminding him that I am indispensable.

 

[James H]

If your partner doesn't have a smartphone they won't be able to buy or use a railcard via Trip.com

They should buy a plastic card to be sent via post from the Railcard website

 

[MrJeeves]

I have a smartphone but my partner doesn't. I can register him online but how will he produce a digital card ? If he could show it by email then using my phone should be OK. Could I print it ? If not then would you say he has no choice but to pay full price and have a card posted to him.

Yes, you need a smartphone to have a Digital Railcard. You'd need to get a physical one instead, either from the official Senior Railcard website (I think only that will do posted Railcards?): https://www.senior-railcard.co.uk/ This will be a physical plastic railcard.

You can also go to a station and buy one there, but that will be in paper form (so not as durable). I'm not sure if the 3-year ones can be bought at stations or not?

If he will always travel with you, there's nothing that prevents you from having his Railcard on your phone, but if he ever needs to travel without you, that might prove to be rather annoying!

Is there a way of finding a ticket for say under £5 perhaps using my freedom pass.

The cheapest ticket is a 50p child ticket from Bedford to Bletchley. There's also child 55p tickets from Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley. You don't have to be a child to buy a child ticket, but you can't use it of course.

When purchasing via Trip.com is the digital card issued immediately. I'm travelling on the 22nd July and already have a ticket, so can I buy the Railcard a week before I go. It's only me travelling for this trip but we still want our cards to start and expire the same dates.

You can buy a railcard even on the day of travel, if you want. The only requirement is that you can show the Railcard on your phone before you start your journey.

I will say, though, that we've not heard great things about the Trip.com app in terms of Railcards. Some people say it doesn't work properly if you don't have an internet connection.

 

[_toommm_]

. I understand that the user must first register on Trip.com which can be online or via the app. I have a smartphone but my partner doesn't. I can register him online but how will he produce a digital card ? If he could show it by email then using my phone should be OK. Could I print it ? If not then would you say he has no choice but to pay full price and have a card posted to him.

An email won't be accepted, the digital railcard must be shown in-app as it has an Aztec code and a hologram. You could always get a cheap phone from somewhere like CEX.

I also read that it is essential to buy any train ticket within 30 days of the Railcard being issued. I don't mind doing this as long as I can get one for a few pounds. I presume I don't have to use it. Is there a way of finding a ticket for say under £5 perhaps using my freedom pass. How does one find the cheapest fare ?

Probably something like Stourbridge Junction to Stourbridge Town, or Ryde Esplanade to Ryde Pier Head; or Lichfield City to Lichfield Trent Valley would be your cheapest bet.

When purchasing via Trip.com is the digital card issued immediately. I'm travelling on the 22nd July and already have a ticket, so can I buy the Railcard a week before I go. It's only me travelling for this trip but we still want our cards to start and expire the same dates.

They normally are issued immediately.

 

[Adam Williams]

I find it very odd the idea that Trip.com require customers to purchase a railcard-discounted ticket in order to "activate" the railcard, is this actually the case and is it written down somewhere?

 

[MrJeeves]

I find it very odd the idea that Trip.com require customers to purchase a railcard-discounted ticket in order to "activate" the railcard, is this actually the case and is it written down somewhere?

Only within the terms for the current Railcard offer:

ELIGIBILITY: Users must have, or sign up for, a Trip.com account to participate in the Promotion. The Promotion is only available to users purchasing a digital UK Railcard through the Trip.com App for the first time. This Promotion is available on the Trip.com App only.
RAILCARD FLASH SALE DAYS: There will be 2 Railcard sale days. (a) From 25 June at 0:00 (GMT+1) to 28 June at 23:59 (GMT+1), unlimited Railcards will be available for £24 (i.e. 20% off on the original price on Trip.com). (b) On 28 June 2024 at 10:00 (GMT+1) and 14:00 (GMT+1), 50 Railcards will be available for £1 at each time, until stocks last. After this offer is out of stock, unlimited Railcards will be available for £24.
RESTRICTIONS: (a) The discounted Railcards are limited and are available on a first come, first served basis (based on successful completion of payment for the booking), while stocks last. (b) Certain railcards will require require age/ID verification. You will also require to upload a passport style photo for your railcard. Please prepare the relevant ID documents/photos for the verification process. (c) After the customer has purchased their discounted railcard, they will be required to purchase a rail ticket on Trip.com within 30 days, in order to activate their Railcard
GENERAL: These terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore. Trip.com reserves all rights of final interpretation and further reserves the right to amend, modify, supplement, suspend, or terminate this offer at any time.

 

[Adam Williams]

I don't see how their "offer" terms can override the fundamental requirement 5.1.1. in the spec:

Once the online purchase of a Digital Railcard has been successfully completed, including
application verification, it must be available to the customer immediately.

 

[jamiearmley]

I find it very odd the idea that Trip.com require customers to purchase a railcard-discounted ticket in order to "activate" the railcard, is this actually the case and is it written down somewhere?

Yes, it's part of the conditions of their cheap Railcard deal. I would avoid trip.con for tickets and Railcards, it's not user friendly.

 

[Watershed]

I wouldn't touch Trip.com with a ten-foot bargepole. Far too many offers and "discounts" that turn out to involve complicated additional steps, or unexpected costs or limitations. They have also been found wanting when it comes to compliance with various industry standards. Offline access to the Railcard seems to be via a very convoluted method that isn't at all set out clearly.

I would suggest that the relatively small saving they are offering on the cost of the Railcard is simplu not worth the hassle of having to deal with Trip.com, let alone the digital Railcard format - which continues to be stupidly restrictive. I'd get a plastic Railcard from the "official" site and be done with it.

 

[MrJeeves]

I don't see how their "offer" terms can override the fundamental requirement 5.1.1. in the spec:

It may not meet the spec, but the spec doesn't form part of the contract with the customer. Is RDG actually going to care is the bigger question, I think?

 

[Adam Williams]

It may not meet the spec, but the spec doesn't form part of the contract with the customer.

You are entirely correct of course, but this sort of wilful noncompliance (and by a TPR who've been told off before for doing stupid things and should know better) damages consumer confidence in Digital Railcards more generally. That's what the specs exist for, to give customers confidence when they purchase from an accredited retailer that a minimum bar will have been met. This includes things like offline access.

I can see exactly why they do it, it's a great way to try and force users into using your app - I'm sure the marketing and strategy people love it, but this is simply not how they're supposed to work. There is genuinely nothing wrong today with purchasing railcard-discounted tickets from a TVM in advance of travel and sorting out the railcard afterwards (or purchasing a TrainSplit railcard and buying tickets from Trainline or LNER), and this seems like a way to catch passengers out.

 

[jamiearmley]

I wouldn't touch Trip.com with a ten-foot bargepole. Far too many offers and "discounts" that turn out to involve complicated additional steps, or unexpected costs or limitations. They have also been found wanting when it comes to compliance with various industry standards. Offline access to the Railcard seems to be via a very convoluted method that isn't at all set out clearly.

I would suggest that the relatively small saving they are offering on the cost of the Railcard is simplu not worth the hassle of having to deal with Trip.com, let alone the digital Railcard format - which continues to be stupidly restrictive. I'd get a plastic Railcard from the "official" site and be done with it.

And of course, it's Chinese owned. It might not bother many, but when our own famously corrupt and inept government (under Boris) takes steps to remove Chinese companies from our energy and communications infrastructure, citing national security concerns, I would argue that providing your personal details to them via trip.com is unwise to put it mildly....

 

[lfc84]

I've just put my phone into flight mode and opened the trip.com app and I can view my Railcard. So it's accessible without internet access. I got mine for £5.99 by completing their "challenge". In my case it was to book a hotel. So I booked an ibis that I was planning to use and the price was the same as booking directly

 

[Wallsendmag]

I've just put my phone into flight mode and opened the trip.com app and I can view my Railcard. So it's accessible without internet access. I got mine for £5.99 by completing their "challenge". In my case it was to book a hotel. So I booked an ibis that I was planning to use and the price was the same as booking directly

Does Flight Mode disable internet access? I used my phone in Flight Mode to browse the web on a long flight.

 

[lfc84]

Does Flight Mode disable internet access? I used my phone in Flight Mode to browse the web on a long flight.

It should do

 

[Haywain]

It should do

It's possible to have flight mode on and connect to wifi at the same time.

 

[lfc84]

It's possible to have flight mode on and connect to wifi at the same time.

Correct. Enabling flight mode turns off mobile data and WiFi (on android at least). Sounds like the person above then turned on WiFi after enabling flight mode

 

[Wallsendmag]

Correct. Enabling flight mode turns off mobile data and WiFi (on android at least). Sounds like the person above then turned on WiFi after enabling flight mode

Sorry works the same way on Apple .

 

[MrJeeves]

Correct. Enabling flight mode turns off mobile data and WiFi (on android at least). Sounds like the person above then turned on WiFi after enabling flight mode

On modern versions of Android, if you're already connected to WiFi and turn on Airplane Mode it will leave WiFi on and connected.

 

[Mark J]

I wouldn't touch Trip.com with a ten-foot bargepole. Far too many offers and "discounts" that turn out to involve complicated additional steps, or unexpected costs or limitations. They have also been found wanting when it comes to compliance with various industry standards. Offline access to the Railcard seems to be via a very convoluted method that isn't at all set out clearly.

I would suggest that the relatively small saving they are offering on the cost of the Railcard is simplu not worth the hassle of having to deal with Trip.com, let alone the digital Railcard format - which continues to be stupidly restrictive. I'd get a plastic Railcard from the "official" site and be done with it.

Trip.com and Trainpal appear to be different arms of the same company.

Trainpal is equally as bad for the supposed offers and discounts.

 

[miklcct]

Trip.com and Trainpal appear to be different arms of the same company.

Trainpal is equally as bad for the supposed offers and discounts.

They are both in the Chinese-owned Ctrip group, which is well known by its poor customer service.

 

[spoorweg]

Thanks for all the replies. I don't like the sound of Trip.com so will use the official website to purchase our Railcards and enjoy having yet another plastic card.