Can you load a prepaid ticket to a Key Smartcard at a machine?

[bmcd243]

I know that it isn't possible to load a ticket bought online to the Smartcard via the app but is it possible to load a prepaid ticket (single/return - bought online) to the Smartcard using a machine at the station using the reference number or is it paper tickets only?

 

[ar10642]

It used to be possible to do this, but they took away the ability citing hand-wavey improvements to KeyGo in some non-specific future as being better.

The only way to use the Key for singles and returns is to use the actual ticket machine to buy and load it onto the card, which takes away a lot of the advantage of using it. Very annoying.

Oh wait, sorry, misunderstood. No it's not possible to load prepaid tickets either, only ones you've just bought on the machine.

 

[bmcd243]

@ar10642 yeah, it is very annoying

KeyGo is great on paper but with some stations having one-way systems because of COVID, tapping-out is impossible. Even if you are able to tap-out, I wouldn't want to risk forgetting and getting fined £25 - at least you can still do it via the machine.

 

[ar10642]

Last time I checked KeyGo couldn't do railcards, so not very useful for me.

Although I just checked and it looks like that might have been fixed now, might be time to look at it again when all this madness is over.

 

[bmcd243]

@ar10642 They have just changed it so that you can now use your railcard with KeyGo: https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/the-key-smartcard/keygo

 

[MrJeeves]

Last time I checked KeyGo couldn't do railcards, so not very useful for me.

They added this feature from 26 August after the last passenger survey (maybe they actually listen now?!).

The only issue I've found is that it is impossible to buy a Key ticket from machine with the 16-17 railcard. GTR are aware of it and are looking into the issue, suggesting it's possible the machine is reading the DOB on the card which is always set to 1/1/1970, which is why the railcard shows as unavailable.

At the moment, it sounds like the traditional "deprecate this feature to push our new service which people don't really want to use" with the buying of single/return tickets online...

 

[ar10642]

They added this feature from 26 August after the last passenger survey (maybe they actually listen now?!).

The only issue I've found is that it is impossible to buy a Key ticket from machine with the 16-17 railcard. GTR are aware of it and are looking into the issue, suggesting it's possible the machine is reading the DOB on the card which is always set to 1/1/1970, which is why the railcard shows as unavailable.

At the moment, it sounds like the traditional "deprecate this feature to push our new service which people don't really want to use" with the buying of single/return tickets online...

For me it was literally the only advantage of having a Key card. If I have to queue up at the ticket office anyway, what's the point? I don't really like the idea of KeyGo helping itself to £25 whenever it feels like it.

 

[yorkie]

The only way to use the Key for singles and returns is to use the actual ticket machine to buy and load it onto the card, which takes away a lot of the advantage of using it. Very annoying.

I can't understand why this is even a 'thing'

I simply use a website/app (usually Trainsplit), select the fare I want, choose an e-ticket, and I can then show the ticket on any device (I could print it if I wanted to) without any need to faff around loading the ticket onto a card, or activating it, or any other nonsense.

@bmcd243 what journey are you making? If it is available as an e-ticket, I'd do that. I can check this for you.

 

[ar10642]

I can't understand why this is even a 'thing'

I simply use a website/app (usually Trainsplit), select the fare I want, choose an e-ticket, and I can then show the ticket on any device (I could print it if I wanted to) without any need to faff around loading the ticket onto a card, or activating it, or any other nonsense.

@bmcd243 what journey are you making? If it is available as an e-ticket, I'd do that. I can check this for you.

You can't do this in Southern/Thameslink land and they wouldn't open the barriers anyway

 

[MrJeeves]

You can't do this in Southern/Thameslink land and they wouldn't open the barriers anyway

Beat me to it!

Noone at GTR would let you past the barriers. There's no e-ticket or m-ticket scanners anywhere.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Beat me to it!

Noone at GTR would let you past the barriers. There's no e-ticket or m-ticket scanners anywhere.

Not quite true they are at some select locations.

 

[MrJeeves]

Not quite true they are at some select locations.

Choose enough to the truth. They're at so few places, they might as well not exist at all, honestly.

I've seen none on the BML.

 

[alistairlees]

Choose enough to the truth. They're at so few places, they might as well not exist at all, honestly.

I've seen none on the BML.

There's nearly 100 gated stations on the GTR network and 18 have barcode readers, currently. Examples with barcode readers are Brighton, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport. A further 39 will get barcode readers within the next year. The remaining gated stations which still won't have barcode readers will all be within Zones 1-6 (but not London Termini), if I remember correctly. eTickets will be available between the barcode-reader enabled stations, as well as to / from most of the ungated GTR stations (nearly 150), except for journeys wholly within Zones 1-6, or crossing London.

 

[MrJeeves]

There's nearly 100 gated stations on the GTR network and 18 have barcode readers, currently. Examples with barcode readers are Brighton, London Bridge and Gatwick Airport. A further 39 will get barcode readers within the next year. The remaining gated stations which still won't have barcode readers will all be within Zones 1-6 (but not London Termini), if I remember correctly. eTickets will be available between the barcode-reader enabled stations, as well as to / from most of the ungated GTR stations (nearly 150), except for journeys wholly within Zones 1-6, or crossing London.

Brighton have no barcode readers. I was there on Friday. It's odd because you can buy e-tickets from there (I was definitely wrong about e-tickets not being able to be used).

 

[alistairlees]

Brighton have no barcode readers. I was there on Friday. It's odd because you can buy e-tickets from there (I was definitely wrong about e-tickets not being able to be used).

There are four gatelines at Brighton that are barcode-enabled.

 

[MrJeeves]

There are four gatelines at Brighton that are barcode-enabled.

My bad then, but either way, I'd prefer a smartcard or paper tickets over an e-ticket. The ability to add PAYG if desired, use a season ticket, or add London Travelcards to it so it works on TfL outweighs the need to queue for a ticket, in my opinion.

 

[Haywain]

The ability to add PAYG if desired, use a season ticket, or add London Travelcards to it so it works on TfL outweighs the need to queue for a ticket, in my opinion.

Where would you be queuing for an e-ticket?

 

[MrJeeves]

Where would you be queuing for an e-ticket?

Whoops, I was comparing the key to paper tickets. AFAIK, you can't have an e-ticket London Travelcard, or a PlusBus e-ticket.

 

[Hadders]

My bad then, but either way, I'd prefer a smartcard or paper tickets over an e-ticket. The ability to add PAYG if desired, use a season ticket, or add London Travelcards to it so it works on TfL outweighs the need to queue for a ticket, in my opinion.

Season tickets on smart cards is a sensible thing. Point to point tickets make sense as etickets.

PAYG on anything other than Oyster is hit and miss. London Day Travelcards are only available on paper.

 

[MrJeeves]

Season tickets on smart cards is a sensible thing. Point to point tickets make sense as etickets.

PAYG on anything other than Oyster is hit and miss. London Day Travelcards are only available on paper.

Despite how great the Key seems to be, every time you think of a great use for it, there's an exception!

If Travelcard season tickets work, so should day Travelcards! It's kind of pathetic, GTR.

I have been told that contactless PAYG on GTR is in the testing phase... That should be interesting!

 

[Hadders]

Despite how great the Key seems to be, every time you think of a great use for it, there's an exception!

If Travelcard season tickets work, so should day Travelcards! It's kind of pathetic, GTR.

I have been told that contactless PAYG on GTR is in the testing phase... That should be interesting!

Even with Oyster you can't load a Day Travelcard onto an Oyster card. Daily caps apply with Oyster but being technical that is not the same thing as a Travelcard.