Oyster card railcard discount before 0630?

[aquae39]

Hello, I will make a super early tube journey before 0630. Can the railcard discount apply into oyster card at this off peak time?

 

[JonathanH]

Hello, I will make a super early tube journey before 0630. Can the railcard discount apply into oyster card at this off peak time?

You will be charged what the single fare finder says - https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/find-fares/tube-and-rail-fares/single-fare-finder - for the given journey. The railcard discount applies whenever peak fares don't apply including for journeys started before 0630.

Single fare finder
Find out the cost of a journey between any two stations on Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail services where pay as you go (contactless or Oyster) is accepted.

However, the discount does not apply to the daily cap, which only takes effect from 0930.

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/railcard-fares.pdf

Railcard prices: All Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail services and most National Rail services in Z1-9

The point is that fares on PAYG are either peak or off-peak - there is no off-peak time when PAYG fares with a railcard are charged at the non-railcard fare but railcards don't have any effect on single fares at peak times.

Peak and off-peak times
We charge higher fares at the busiest times of the day.

Using pay as you go

On Tube, DLR, London Overground, TfL Rail and National Rail services in London:
Peak fares - Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30, and between 16:00 and 19:00
Off-peak fares - at all other times and if you travel from a station outside Zone 1 to a station in Zone 1 between 16:00 and 19:00, Monday to Friday

If you're travelling on London Overground between Euston (National Rail station) and Watford Junction:
Peak fares - from Watford Junction towards Euston (Southbound), Monday to Friday between 06:30 and 09:30 (not on public holidays). From Euston towards Watford Junction (Northbound), peak fares apply Monday to Friday between 16:00 and 19:00 (not on public holidays)
Off-peak fares - at all other times

Using Day Travelcards
Peak and off-peak times change for different Day Travelcards:
Anytime Day Travelcards - use for the whole day (for the date printed on your ticket) and for journeys starting before 04:30 the next day
Off-peak Day Travelcards - use for the whole day from 09:30, Monday to Friday, or anytime on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays (for the date printed on your ticket), and for journeys starting before 04:30 the next day

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[aquae39]

Thank you for all the details. I now understand how the fare system works now.
That means the railcard discount can apply into oyster for single journeys before 0630 but not the daily cap discount.
The daily cap discount only applies for making journeys after 0930.
The times shown are quite confused between the single fare finder and national railcard discount pages.
Anyway, thanks.

 

[MikeWh]

The times shown are quite confused between the single fare finder and national railcard discount pages.

The Oyster system is quite limited in what it can do with regard to pricing. The railcard discount pages say what will happen when you buy National Rail tickets. You'll notice that every railcard has slightly different conditions from all the others. TfL stipulated that all railcards that could be added to Oyster had to have the same implimentation so the TOCs had to compromise. Thus off-peak fares are discounted before 0630 and the start of the off-peak cap is standardised at 0930 even though some railcards specify 1000. The Network Railcard is not allowed to be added because TfL couldn't allow discounts to only apply at weekends. A few years ago TfL relented and allowed the Disabled railcard to offer discounts at all times, but that is the only variation and there won't be any others any time soon.