Booking a ticket for TOD when I know that the payment card won't work to collect

[CC 72100]

Morning all,

Bit of a quandary....

Last night I snapped my bank card. It's ok, I've ordered another one, but it will go to my registered home address which is 100 miles away (having moved around a fair bit these last 5-6 years I've kept my registered address for that sort of thing the same).

I therefore need to get home to pick up the new card, and for that, book tickets to do the journey (will travel this Friday).

Now whilst the snapped card will happily work online in the meantime, I can't imagine it working in any TVMs to collect the ticket.

I've realistically only got enough cash out to cover me the week, and any ATM which takes one look at my card will gobble it up instantly and will never be seen again.

Any advice in this situation?

Thanks in advance.

 

[najaB]

Any advice in this situation?

Three possible solutions:

• Use the card to purchase a Virgin voucher, then use the voucher to buy the ticket.
• Use TheTrainline (yes, I know!) and pay using PayPal (assuming you have an account).
• Buy the ticket the normal way, then call the TOC and explain the situation.

Any of these will result in the ticket being set to 'Any Card' collection.

 

[Hadders]

Purchase an evoucher on the VTEC website for the value of your fare. Use the evoucher to buy your ticket. You can collect the ticket using any card. If you don't have another card then ask a friend to assist.

Your bank branch should be able to assist with a cash withdrawal.

 

[Merseysider]

Use TheTrainline (yes, I know!) and pay using PayPal (assuming you have an account).

London Midland and VTWC also accept PayPal, and give an 'any card' collection reference.

 

[najaB]

London Midland and VTWC also accept PayPal, and give an 'any card' collection reference.

Thanks. I suspected that some TOCs would have started doing PayPal by now.

 

[Bletchleyite]

London Midland and VTWC also accept PayPal, and give an 'any card' collection reference.

And Loco2.

 

[Taunton]

Is it not the case that any proper card will do?

My business travel is booked by our company travel department on their Amex card. I obviously don't have this when I travel. But my own card works perfectly well, insert card, key in reference, done.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Is it not the case that any proper card will do?

Usually not.

My business travel is booked by our company travel department on their Amex card. I obviously don't have this when I travel. But my own card works perfectly well, insert card, key in reference, done.

Business travel is an exception because the use case is company buys, employee collects. PayPal is similar because the merchant doesn't get to find out what the funding card number is so they have no mechanism to require it.

 

[Merseysider]

Is it not the case that any proper card will do?

My business travel is booked by our company travel department on their Amex card. I obviously don't have this when I travel. But my own card works perfectly well, insert card, key in reference, done.

Until about a year or so ago, yes, this was the case for almost all bookings.

Business accounts tend to be set to 'any card' collection as a default, for ease of collection by any employee.

Personal accounts tend to be set to 'payment card only'. There are exceptions; for example all of my orders through XC are 'any card' but VTWC and the majority of other TOCs enforce the requirement to use the same card.

This can be changed over the phone with the reference number.

 

[najaB]

Any advice in this situation?

Just realised you plan to travel on Friday - why not get the tickets posted?

 

[yorkie]

Is it not the case that any proper card will do?.

Depends on the retailer. Most set a 'same card required' flag. London Midland may not do (they didn't last time I checked). Business accounts generally don't. But most personal accounts do require the same card to be used to collect.

Purchase an evoucher on the VTEC website for the value of your fare. Use the evoucher to buy your ticket. You can collect the ticket using any card. If you don't have another card then ask a friend to assist..

Agreed, other Atos WebTIS sites also have this feature, such as TPE: https://tickets.tpexpress.co.uk/tpe/en/landing/purchasegiftvoucher and you can customise the value of the voucher to whatever you want. The voucher is issued instantly, and is usable instantly in your next transaction.

It's a useful method if you need to buy a ticket on behalf of someone else in a hurry; as long as they can insert any old card, they can get tickets you've booked for them within seconds.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Or even simpler go to the ticket office (if there is one) to collect your ticket


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Lrd]

I know for certain the London Midland app is set to any card, couldn't say for the website though.

 

[najaB]

Or even simpler go to the ticket office (if there is one) to collect your ticket.

That doesn't always work - if the booking is set to require the same card then not all ticket offices are willing/able (I'm not sure which) to issue them without the card being put into the POS terminal.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Bit of tape on the card and it'll be fine


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Brucey]

Some banks will allow a new card to be sent to a nominated branch, with collection available on production of ID.

 

[island]

Some banks will produce and issue a new card on the spot in branch

 

[Brucey]

Some banks will produce and issue a new card on the spot in branch

Indeed. A service I have availed myself of when my card was due to be replaced when I was due to be away from home for a period of time. Very useful service and they'll even print cheque books in store on request.

 

[takke]

That doesn't always work - if the booking is set to require the same card then not all ticket offices are willing/able (I'm not sure which) to issue them without the card being put into the POS terminal.

I've had a good experience at a London Overground station (Camden Road specifically) where I could collect something booked for a specific card from the ticket office, just by showing some ID (incidentally, the name on my ID did not match the name of the booking, but he seemed to just want to make a note of my name).

 

[takke]

Some banks will produce and issue a new card on the spot in branch

HSBC can also send the card to any branch of your choice nationally, which can be quite useful.

 

[father_jack]

Three possible solutions:

• Use the card to purchase a Virgin voucher, then use the voucher to buy the ticket.
• Use TheTrainline (yes, I know!) and pay using PayPal (assuming you have an account).
• Buy the ticket the normal way, then call the TOC and explain the situation.

Any of these will result in the ticket being set to 'Any Card' collection.

GWR and Southern (hiss spit) web bookings are "any card" collect. You must have one friend in the world with a debit card- or you ask someone at the TVMs to activate the machine with their card for you.

 

[father_jack]

London Midland and VTWC also accept PayPal, and give an 'any card' collection reference.

Paypal has a fee. Aren't us folk on here inclined towards trying to keep the fees to the minimum ?

 

[CC 72100]

Some banks will allow a new card to be sent to a nominated branch, with collection available on production of ID.

Ah too late now, did debate asking for that but feared that the default option would my home branch (near my home address) which is closed on Saturdays and not too helpful!

 

[CC 72100]

Three possible solutions:

• Use the card to purchase a Virgin voucher, then use the voucher to buy the ticket.
• Use TheTrainline (yes, I know!) and pay using PayPal (assuming you have an account).
• Buy the ticket the normal way, then call the TOC and explain the situation.

Any of these will result in the ticket being set to 'Any Card' collection.

I've chosen this option in the end - sorted it out with Virgin (WC) today as they run the Booking Office + TVMs at the station - set to 'any card' and I'll be using my work card to pick up the tickets.

Thanks to all for your suggestions - I'm certainly richer in knowledge on different solutions and I only hope that someone in the same position finds this thread one day :P

 

[Merseysider]

Paypal has a fee. Aren't us folk on here inclined towards trying to keep the fees to the minimum ?

PayPal does not have a transaction fee.

Sometimes a fee-paying service can be worth it for the convenience.

That's true.

I've only ever been charged fees by PayPal when selling on eBay or sending money abroad.

The customer isn't charged a fee for using Paypal to complete transactions but the merchant (ie the TOC) is, and it's around 2% IIRC.

 

[Joe Paxton]

Paypal has a fee. Aren't us folk on here inclined towards trying to keep the fees to the minimum ?

Sometimes a fee-paying service can be worth it for the convenience.

 

[SEClass375]

southeastern also have "any card" collect

 

[cjmillsnun]

I've chosen this option in the end - sorted it out with Virgin (WC) today as they run the Booking Office + TVMs at the station - set to 'any card' and I'll be using my work card to pick up the tickets.

Thanks to all for your suggestions - I'm certainly richer in knowledge on different solutions and I only hope that someone in the same position finds this thread one day :P

Glad it's sorted

 

[Bletchleyite]

Paypal has a fee. Aren't us folk on here inclined towards trying to keep the fees to the minimum ?

Paypal does not have a fee if you're buying something. The retailer is charged any fees in that case, not you. And Loco2 at least does not pass it on.

 

[fairysdad]

HSBC can also send the card to any branch of your choice nationally, which can be quite useful.

They've changed that then - a couple of years back, I needed a new card when I was on holiday, and although they could have the card sent to that branch, it had to go via my home branch, and would - apparently - taken up to 10 working days...