Digital vs physical Railcard

Belperpete · 24 Dec 2018

LowLevel said:
Not a clue to be honest. You'd be best asking Rail Delivery Group, they might be able to give an accurate answer. As train crew we are given the basic advice to offer of one refund per year (one might assume of validity, multi year railcards make that complex), the new ticket purchased being refunded and to signpost the passenger to customer relations of the company issuing the new replacement ticket, so I assume they refund it.

The detailed part apart from selling the new ticket to correct a validity issue and sign posting to customer relations is up to said CR bods to deal with.

Refunds (unlike delay repay) are dealt with by whoever sold you your ticket. So if you have had to buy a full-price ticket because you didn't have your railcard with you when you went to the booking office, for example, it would be fairly simple - you would apply to the booking office where you bought your ticket. If you bought a discounted ticket in advance from one TOC before travelling, but then got charged for a full-fare ticket by a different TOC because you forgot to bring your railcard with you when travelling on their train, then I would apply to the TOC who charged you the full fare (providing them with the evidence that you had bought the discount ticket, and had the railcard).

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Ianno87 · 5 Jan 2019

Had an interesting issue today with my Digital 26-30 Railcard...

Expiry date shown as today, 5th January.

But... the Railcard in My App has now greyed out and is marked 'EXPIRED'... a day early! And I can't just renew as I'm too old...

Anybody else had this problem on a digital railcard?

A Challenge · 5 Jan 2019

Are you actually making a journey today?

Ianno87 · 5 Jan 2019

A Challenge said:
Are you actually making a journey today?

Was thinking about doing so... but now less likely to.

Just grateful I hadn't booked (say) an Advance ticket for today.

A Challenge · 5 Jan 2019

I am not sure how the railcard app works, but does it show the date on which it expired and that it is today (and hence should still be valid)? Also, what day did you buy it/it start (5th or 6th January last year)?

Ianno87 · 5 Jan 2019

Bought it on 6th December 2017, as part of Anglia trial of 26-30 (just checked my e-mail receipts to be sure)

Original expiry was 5th December 2018 (as shown on Railcard).

It was given a one month "Thank You for helping with the trial" extension* to 5th January 2019 (as Railcard was updated to be shown with this date).

Now showing as Expired today.

My guess is perhaps that the way the extension was done messed it up somehow?

*I do realise I'm quite lucky to have a free 1 month extension in the first place, so can't complain too much!

DynamicSpirit · 18 Jul 2019

Bletchleyite said:
Physical without a doubt. The digital Railcards are a good idea but the implementation is totally not fit for purpose and causes all sorts of issues. Just get one online so it's a single plastic card and keep it in your wallet so you always have it with you.

Reviving this thread as I've just encountered the same question... should I get a digital or a paper railcard.

So am I correct in deducing from your post that, if I buy the railcard online but select a physical card, I'd get a plastic one which is different from the laminated paper ones that ticket offices sell?

And a more general question... If I go for a digital one, does it have to go in its own railcard-specific app, or can any digital tickets I buy be stored in the same app alongside the railcard?

172006 · 18 Jul 2019

DynamicSpirit said:
So am I correct in deducing from your post that, if I buy the railcard online but select a physical card, I'd get a plastic one which is different from the laminated paper ones that ticket offices sell?

Yes. If you apply online you get a plastic railcard, which is sturdy enough to last at least a year.

Bletchleyite · 18 Jul 2019

DynamicSpirit said:
So am I correct in deducing from your post that, if I buy the railcard online but select a physical card, I'd get a plastic one which is different from the laminated paper ones that ticket offices sell?

Yes. It's like a (non-embossed) credit card.

And a more general question... If I go for a digital one, does it have to go in its own railcard-specific app, or can any digital tickets I buy be stored in the same app alongside the railcard?

It's its own app, which is an almighty faff.

_toommm_ · 18 Jul 2019

Bletchleyite said:
It's its own app, which is an almighty faff.

And that's when it works...

DavidGrain · 18 Jul 2019

I was first offered a digital ticket back in the days of the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway of beloved memory and, even although in those days I did not have a suitable phone, I thought that there was no way that I would ever want such a ticket. I recall about that time Lufthansa were introducing digital tickets for flights.

The thought of a a digital railcard even for one year, let alone the three year card which I normally buy online, would fill me with dread about what would happen if I ever lost my phone, or the battery failed or anything else that could go wrong.

Ianno87 · 18 Jul 2019

172006 said:
Yes. If you apply online you get a plastic railcard, which is sturdy enough to last at least a year.

Yes, the online issued plastic cards are very durable. Personally I'd never buy a ticket-office issued one now unless there was a specific reason to do so (e.g. One issued for £10 with a Goldcard)

Belperpete · 18 Jul 2019

And if you do buy on-line as recommended, you might consider buying it with Tesco clubcard points at a considerable discount.

Belperpete · 18 Jul 2019

DavidGrain said:
I was first offered a digital ticket back in the days of the Wrexham and Shropshire Railway of beloved memory and, even although in those days I did not have a suitable phone, I thought that there was no way that I would ever want such a ticket. I recall about that time Lufthansa were introducing digital tickets for flights.

Digital airline tickets are a very different beast to digital railway tickets. Digital airline tickets effectively mean you don't need a ticket, whereas digital railway tickets require an app or a pdf loaded onto a mobile phone that you must carry with you and have charged and working.

DavidGrain said:
The thought of a a digital railcard even for one year, let alone the three year card which I normally buy online, would fill me with dread about what would happen if I ever lost my phone, or the battery failed or anything else that could go wrong.

You could equally well lose the plastic railcard, have your wallet containing it stollen, etc. In this case, it is relatively easy to obtain a replacement (been there, done that). I would hope that it would likewise be easy to obtain a replacement for an electronic version if needed.

radamfi · 18 Jul 2019

Belperpete said:
You could equally well lose the plastic railcard, have your wallet containing it stollen, etc. In this case, it is relatively easy to obtain a replacement (been there, done that). I would hope that it would likewise be easy to obtain a replacement for an electronic version if needed.

It is easy enough to transfer the railcard to a new phone. Just go on the Railcard website and get a new download code.

Hadders · 18 Jul 2019

DavidGrain said:
The thought of a a digital railcard even for one year, let alone the three year card which I normally buy online, would fill me with dread about what would happen if I ever lost my phone, or the battery failed or anything else that could go wrong.

Does the thought of losing a physical Railcard fill you with similar dread?

Bletchleyite · 18 Jul 2019

Hadders said:
Does the thought of losing a physical Railcard fill you with similar dread?

To me it's more the cack-handedness of it all, plus the reliance on having to autheticate with a server.

I think I'd be more attracted to it if I had a "Railcard account" I could use to buy tickets online and show in one "piece", or even the Railcard just being a 2D barcode in a pkpass file.

wellhouse · 18 Jul 2019

Con
I've lost a wallet with my Senior Railcard in it

Pro
My wife's digital Senior Railcard had proved inconvenient on occasion. While I usually purchase tickets online for TVM collection, if I wish to buy from a booking office (for example with part payment using Rail Travel Vouchers) I can only do so if my wife gives me her phone which is far less convenient than just giving me her card.

suzanneparis · 22 Jul 2019

I can't quite see why it's not possible for the system to work in such a way that you can have both a physical card and an electronic version. After all, presumably, both show your name. In fact, why don't they simply have a photo as well as your name on both?

The likelihood of forgetting both your card and your phone is much smaller than forgetting one or the other. Likewise theft. Unlikely that both will be stolen.

philthetube · 22 Jul 2019

I have my railcard downloaded to both my phone and tablet, if travelling I usually carry both and this solves the defective phone problem

paddington · 22 Jul 2019

If I lose my phone, I wouldn't buy a new one until I get home - and the phones I use tend to not be available in the UK anyway. If I am on a rail trip, all my prepurchased tickets are now invalid. I don't have any other devices on which I could show a digital railcard, perhaps there is an Android emulator that I could install on my laptop, but not sure if this would be accepted by rail staff.

If I lose a physical railcard I can easily buy a new one if required.

Western Sunset · 22 Jul 2019

Belperpete said:
And if you do buy on-line as recommended, you might consider buying it with Tesco clubcard points at a considerable discount.

That's what I do too.

A Challenge · 22 Jul 2019

paddington said:
If I lose a physical railcard I can easily buy a new one if required.

If you have a digital Railcard, you could buy a new paper Railcard as well.

paddington · 23 Jul 2019

A Challenge said:
If you have a digital Railcard, you could buy a new paper Railcard as well.

Not a 26-30. But I think I missed the point slightly, as this thread is about comparing digital to physical card if both options are available.

silvercar · 23 Jul 2019

I've just bought a digital railcard (through clubcard points - thanks for the tip). I wouldn't think of going on a journey without my phone so I'm happy for it to live on my phone.
I've also taken a screenshot of the railcard, just in case the app fails. I know the screenshot isn't a valid railcard but it does make me feel that I can produce evidence if the app fails for any reason.

IanD · 23 Jul 2019

I have had an online purchased physical Two Together rail card for two years, each year the photos have worn away and been more or less unrecognisable by the end of the year. In fact the image has mostly transferred to the clear plastic part of my railcard wallet. With the most recent one, this happened within the first month and I had to get a replacement which is showing similar properties. They are not as durable as you would expect.

Still wouldn't get a digital one though.

daniel1234321 · 23 Jul 2019

Hi, just found this thread. I'm going to buy a 16-25 railcard and I'm still not sure what to go for (having read all of this thread). I don't carry a wallet but do carry my 16+ oyster card in a wallet case thing, so I could just keep my railcard in there. No one would steal that as it has no real monetary value when compared to my phone. I also carry my phone everywhere but it has died on me (its relatively old so battery has degraded with use) multiple times on rail trips before, so I'm leaning more towards a plastic railcard. Just another thing, how long do plastic railcards take to arrive from online application?

Joe Paxton · 23 Jul 2019

daniel1234321 said:
...
Just another thing, how long do plastic railcards take to arrive from online application?

In my experience, delivery is very quick - often the next day (via regular 1st class post) if ordered before say 3pm.

Ianno87 · 23 Jul 2019

Joe Paxton said:
In my experience, delivery is very quick - often the next day (via regular 1st class post) if ordered before say 3pm.

Mine was equally quick. To allow for postal delays, a few extra days are stuck on its validity anyway, so if delivered promptly you end up with a Railcard valid for ~368 days.

RJ · 23 Jul 2019

I'm a fan of the plastic railcards purchased online.

From the ticket office, I often see damaged or faded paper railcards. Some require a photocard counterpart and sometimes the customer only has one, or the other part but not both.

I've seen failures of the railcard app, with it displaying an error message upon being opened. I couldn't help but feel sorry for customers caught in this situation - I've not seen any briefs on what to do in this circumstance. I don't like relying on smartphones either - I sometimes carry a battery as big as the phone itself to ensure it doesn't run out of juice which is a ridiculous state of affairs!

I'd quite like a 26-30 railcard but won't buy it as an app - I want a plastic card version!

Digital vs physical Railcard

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