Contactless from US Issuer

[DaveHolman]

Hi - planning a trip in September. I'm seeing conflicting information across different websites. I have contactless cards from Chase Bank and PayPal. Will neither of them work to get on the Thameslink, from Gatwick Airport to St Pancras? And if not, what are my other options for purchasing a ticket. I really don't want to stand in more lines or spend more than necessary.
Thanks for your advice

 

[route:oxford]

Hi - planning a trip in September. I'm seeing conflicting information across different websites. I have contactless cards from Chase Bank and PayPal. Will neither of them work to get on the Thameslink, from LGW to St Pancras? And if not, what are my other options for purchasing a ticket. I really don't want to stand in more lines or spend more than necessary.
Thanks for your advice

If they have an American Express symbol on them they will work.

If the have a Visa or Masercard symbol on them they are highly likely to work.

A small number of US Visa & Mastercards don't allow International Contactless use.

 

[tarq]

Hi Dave, if contactless doesn’t work with your card, you can buy an Oyster card, top it up with credit and pay as you go. The fares are the same as contactless.

https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay...ster/buying-tickets-and-oyster#on-this-page-6

 

[AngusH]

Can I ask for clarification:

Are you asking:

a) if you can use your card to buy a ticket for travel

Almost certainly yes, if your card is valid for international use and one of the accepted cards (Visa, Visa Delta, MasterCard, Maestro and Amex)
There is a staffed rail ticket office at Gatwick which will sell you a ticket and should accept your card. (Or worse case, use cash)

or

b) specifically if you can use the card as a "contactless" travel ticket
(which a specific usage that allows travel just by tapping your card on the barrier and then tapping again at your destination)
This is more complicated, as previously discussed.

It might should work, but I'd buy a ticket from the office myself.

 

[Starmill]

Hi @DaveHolman are you able to confirm what day of the week are you travelling on? Do you have a general idea of what time of day it will be?

If you are using 'Pay as you go', touching your card in and out on the reader at the stations, most of the time the fare from Gatwick Airport to London St Pancras would be £8.30.

 

[paddington]

The OPs thread elsewhere https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-ireland/1975024-plane-train-gatwick.html

 

[matt_world2004]

I wouldnt use a contactless card if from abroad. As each day you use it, you will incur international transaction fees. Buy a nornal (Not a tourist) oyster card and keep it for future trips/friends relatives trips.

 

[sprunt]

I wouldnt use a contactless card if from abroad. As each day you use it, you will incur international transaction fees. Buy a nornal (Not a tourist) oyster card and keep it for future trips/friends relatives trips.

I have a contactless credit card that I can use abroad without incurring international transaction fees - I don't know the specifics on the OP's cards but it's possible they may not impose international fees either.

Regarding OP's issue, would the simplest solution not just be to try the card(s) at the gate? If one opens the gates then it can be used, otherwise you'll need to buy a ticket.

 

[paddington]

I wouldnt use a contactless card if from abroad. As each day you use it, you will incur international transaction fees. Buy a nornal (Not a tourist) oyster card and keep it for future trips/friends relatives trips.

It's relatively easy to get cards that have no foreign transaction fees in the US and the UK. The OP is in one of the relatively rare situations where buying an Oyster will cost a lot more as they will be using it for a single trip and be unable to refund it afterwards. Yes it can be kept for future trips to London, but what tends to happen is people forget to bring it on planned trips and don't have it on unplanned trips.

 

[kieron]

The OP is in one of the relatively rare situations where buying an Oyster will cost a lot more as they will be using it for a single trip and be unable to refund it afterwards.

Out of interest, what would prevent DaveHolman from getting a refund later on if he did get an Oyster card?

 

[matt_world2004]

Out of interest, what would prevent DaveHolman from getting a refund later on if he did get an Oyster card?

30 day rule but they do internstional refunds without sending back the oyster card

 

[Mojo]

30 day rule but they do internstional refunds without sending back the oyster card

What is the “30 day rule?”

There was, a couple of years ago, a temporary restriction whereby cards couldn’t be refunded within 48 hours due to fraud prevention, but this is no longer the case. I seem to remember it was reduced to 24 hours. In any case, this didn’t apply to refunds done by the customer service dep’t or at visitor centres.

 

[matt_world2004]

What is the “30 day rule?”

There was, a couple of years ago, a temporary restriction whereby cards couldn’t be refunded within 48 hours due to fraud prevention, but this is no longer the case. I seem to remember it was reduced to 24 hours. In any case, this didn’t apply to refunds done by the customer service dep’t or at visitor centres.

I thought there was a minimum of 30 days from purchase of the oyster card to stop them being used as disposable tickets. Mandella effect there

 

[paddington]

What is the “30 day rule?”

There was, a couple of years ago, a temporary restriction whereby cards couldn’t be refunded within 48 hours due to fraud prevention, but this is no longer the case. I seem to remember it was reduced to 24 hours. In any case, this didn’t apply to refunds done by the customer service dep’t or at visitor centres.

I have not heard of any 30 day rule, and not experienced such when my friends visiting London have used an oyster 2-3 journeys then refunded it in a short space of time. Not sure whether the threshold is 24 or 48 hours now. Trying to refund to a US bank account would likely be futile as fees would exceed most refunds.

 

[Mojo]

Trying to refund to a US bank account would likely be futile as fees would exceed most refunds.

If the refund is £10 or less then you can return it at the machines and the refund will be issued in cash, regardless of the original payment method.

I thought there was a minimum of 30 days from purchase of the oyster card to stop them being used as disposable tickets. Mandella effect there

No, that doesn't exist. I think that's something you've made up.

 

[matt_world2004]

No, that doesn't exist. I think that's something you've made up.

Hence the term 'Mandela effect' a memory that you are convinced is true but is not

 

[Flying Snail]

Dear me, such a lot of complexity to a simple journey from Gatwick to central London, it really shouldn't require a team of internet experts to work out how such a simple task can be achieved.

From reading the link given on post #6 it appears the OP actually wants to go from Gatwick to Glasgow and back and is concerned with the connection times from his flight arrival.

IMO the best option for this journey would be a 2 day in 1 month Britrail pass at $152 Approx £110 plus delivery, considerably cheaper than off-peak fares and cheaper than all but the lowest tier advances without the possibility of being shafted due to a delay arriving at Gatwick.

 

[trebor79]

I remember when oyster first started the wife and I were queuing to buy travel cards. There was a friendly staff member advising people to get oyster cards instead and then just return them at the end of our trip to get the deposit back.
This we did. But the guy behind the desk went mental at me and started ranting about how "these can't just be used again you know. We have to send them to another office to be reactivated". He then grumpily flung 3 quid at me, and got *really* huffy when I asked for the remaining credit to be refunded too. Often wondered if it was an attempt to confuse/belittle me into not getting the refund so he could pocket it.
I didn't have much sympathy when ticket office staff were up in arms about mass office closures, mainly because of this incident.

 

[Saperstein]

I remember when oyster first started the wife and I were queuing to buy travel cards. There was a friendly staff member advising people to get oyster cards instead and then just return them at the end of our trip to get the deposit back.
This we did. But the guy behind the desk went mental at me and started ranting about how "these can't just be used again you know. We have to send them to another office to be reactivated". He then grumpily flung 3 quid at me, and got *really* huffy when I asked for the remaining credit to be refunded too. Often wondered if it was an attempt to confuse/belittle me into not getting the refund so he could pocket it.
I didn't have much sympathy when ticket office staff were up in arms about mass office closures, mainly because of this incident.

Well uncalled for, Would have been well worth a complaint IMHO.