Does the Gold Card trick still work?

[Ibl0010]

The Network Railcard can't be added to an Oyster card and its minimum fare of £13 on weekdays makes it much less valuable for shorter journeys. Also, unlike a Gold Card, it doesn't offer a discount on First Class fares or for other people travelling with you.

Which one is worthwhile will depend on exactly what journeys you'll be doing. But in essence, if you want a discount on Oyster fares, or you'll mostly be making shorter journeys on weekdays (where the discounted fare is less than £13), the Gold Card will be a better bet.

If you're not too fussed about the Oyster discount and mainly make longer distance journeys (where the discounted fare is more than £13), or or mostly travel on weekends/BHs, the Network Railcard will do the job just fine.

There is no requirement to live near Hatton or Lapworth to get a Gold Card season between the two - lots of people buy it (despite never making the actual journey it covers) purely for the Gold Card discount.

Each year's Gold Card lets you buy one Railcard for the discounted price of £10; that can be any Railcard except a 16-17 Saver or a Veterans Railcard. It can be for you or for someone else. You can do this at any stage during the year.

The Gold Card is valid throughout the network of all of the operators you've mentioned (though note that for the DLR, there is no discount on paper tickets, only on Oyster fares). The Network Railcard wouldn't be valid north of Banbury.

I think the gold card may be the better option as currently living in London my journeys are mainly on tube week days and even though i am in the process of moving to Buckinghamshire i will still be commuting to London and still use the tube 5 days a week. I am sure the little £1 or so on oyster alone will add up in no time and plus other benefits of the gold card.

Though my girlfriend will be able to benefit from the gold card to get discounts ticket when travelling together, my thinking is to buy her the network rail card to cover certain area that the gold card does not cover. If 2 people are traveling together and one has a network rail card, can the person with the network rail card buy discount tickets for the other person travelling with who do not have a network rail card.

 

[infobleep]

It's an incredibly complex calculation depending on where you live and what journeys you make ( in terms of both frequency and location) and if you can make use of the reduced price railcard. I've had a notional gold card for 3 years in the past but only made a saving for 1 of those years. For the majority of people I'd suggest it's at the best marginal.
For me the introduction of the Veterans Railcard means it's a game I no longer have to play.

Whether it's marginal might depend on which Annual season ticket you buy. I maintain the part time Ezter St Davids to Ezeter Xentre is valid for a gold card. It is an annual season ticket when you search for it online.

 

[Watershed]

my thinking is to buy her the network rail card to cover certain area that the gold card does not cover

There are no routes covered by the Network Railcard which aren't covered by the Gold Card. The only benefit over the Gold Card is that it is accepted by Avanti and LNER. So unless you'll be travelling regularly on those operators it won't offer you anything over a Gold Card.

If 2 people are traveling together and one has a network rail card, can the person with the network rail card buy discount tickets for the other person travelling with who do not have a network rail card.

The Network Railcard only offers a discount for the person named on the Railcard.

The Gold Card, by contrast, also gives a 34% discount for up to 3 adults who are travelling with you, plus a 60% discount for up to 4 children (aged 5-15) who are travelling with you.

 

[paul1609]

Whether it's marginal might depend on which Annual season ticket you buy. I maintain the part time Ezter St Davids to Ezeter Xentre is valid for a gold card. It is an annual season ticket when you search for it online.

At £156 its still a lot of money to make up on the marginal benefits. Personally if I was in the market for one, Id splash out the extra £24 for one of the Southern ones for the discount on key go.

The Network Railcard only offers a discount for the person named on the Railcard.

The Gold Card, by contrast, also gives a 34% discount for up to 3 adults who are travelling with you, plus a 60% discount for up to 4 children (aged 5-15) who are travelling with you.

Thats not correct, the Network Railcard also offers the group discount:https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/about-the-railcard/the-benefits/

 

[A Challenge]

Thats not correct, the Network Railcard also offers the group discount:https://www.network-railcard.co.uk/about-the-railcard/the-benefits/

Is this a new thing - I'd never heard about it before?

 

[JonathanH]

Is this a new thing - I'd never heard about it before?

No, the ability to have four adults and four children travelling on one person's Network Railcard has been a feature from day 1.

 

[infobleep]

At £156 its still a lot of money to make up on the marginal benefits. Personally if I was in the market for one, Id splash out the extra £24 for one of the Southern ones for the discount on key go.

Does it need to be a Southern season ticket to get the discount in key go or can it be any season ticket?

 

[paul1609]

I think it's any Gold Card but I suspect it would cause awkward questions if you presented a part time Exeter season for the discount on a Southern pay as you go card.

 

[infobleep]

I think it's any Gold Card but I suspect it would cause awkward questions if you presented a part time Exeter season for the discount on a Southern pay as you go card.

I have once had awkward questions at the Waterloo Underground ticket office, where they claimed my Gold Card discount didn't apply as the journey didn't include London on it.

I got the discount issued elsewhere I seem to recall or the same window another evening.

Our the discounts on the Southern pay as you go only on trains or does it cover buses too?

 

[paul1609]

I have once had awkward questions at the Waterloo Underground ticket office, where they claimed my Gold Card discount didn't apply as the journey didn't include London on it.

I got the discount issued elsewhere I seem to recall or the same window another evening.

Our the discounts on the Southern pay as you go only on trains or does it cover buses too?

You don't get railcard discounts on the bus fares. However the key go bus areas are the same as the PlusBus areas and if you make a rail journey and then several bus journeys within the zone you are capped at the full railcard plus bus add on. This applies even if your train journey is wholly within the PlusBus area. The Brighton plus bus area stretches from Shoreham by Sea to Seaford so that's quite significant. The rail bus add on is already cheaper than the cap that applies to bus only key go.
A railcard discounted plusbus add on on a paper ticket from outside the zones is cheaper than a single bus journey in Brighton.

 

[infobleep]

You don't get railcard discounts on the bus fares. However the key go bus areas are the same as the PlusBus areas and if you make a rail journey and then several bus journeys within the zone you are capped at the full railcard plus bus add on. This applies even if your train journey is wholly within the PlusBus area. The Brighton plus bus area stretches from Shoreham by Sea to Seaford so that's quite significant. The rail bus add on is already cheaper than the cap that applies to bus only key go.
A railcard discounted plusbus add on on a paper ticket from outside the zones is cheaper than a single bus journey in Brighton.

So very handy if you live in Brighton but outside of it less so. For example someone in Surrey wouldn't get so much benefit of Pay and Go I imagine.

 

[paul1609]

So very handy if you live in Brighton but outside of it less so. For exa ole someone in Sureey woupsnt get so much benefit of Pay and Go I imagine.

Im not familiar with the area but the Redhill plusbus / bus keygo areas also covers Reigate, Merstham, Earlsfield & Nutfield stations.

 

[infobleep]

Im not familiar with the area but the Redhill plusbus / bus keygo areas also covers Reigate, Merstham, Earlsfield & Nutfield stations.

Cool. I'm not directly on a Southern branded route.

 

[Ryowxyz]

Can you use the 1/3 off tickets on peak-time trains with the gold card? (6-9am) Back when I used to have a 16-25 card I could with a minimum spend. Is it similar with the gold card?

 

[Watershed]

Can you use the 1/3 off tickets on peak-time trains with the gold card? (6-9am) Back when I used to have a 16-25 card I could with a minimum spend. Is it similar with the gold card?

No, Gold Card discounted tickets aren't valid before 9:30am, except on weekends and Bank Holidays.

The 16-25 Railcard has a slightly different target market and hence only has a minimum fare before 10am, rather than a blanket ban.

 

[listuk]

Please can someone help clarify the option for the additional £10 card for another person.

If I purchased a gold card in my name, could I: also add my wife such that she could have the oyster card discount applied for her journeys.

 

[Watershed]

Please can someone help clarify the option for the additional £10 card for another person.

If I purchased a gold card in my name, could I: also add my wife such that she could have the oyster card discount applied for her journeys.

No - whilst a Gold Card acts as a quasi-Railcard for journeys in the relevant area, it is still ultimately a season ticket. And season tickets are non-transferable, so they can only be used by the person they're issued to.

You could buy a Network Card or any other Railcard for your wife, but not a Gold Card. Now, if you're travelling together with your wife, the Gold Card discount also applies to her tickets (it applies to up to 2 adults and 4 children travelling together). But it cannot be applied to her Oyster card - you would need to buy paper/e-tickets.

 

[Haywain]

it applies to up to 2 adults and 4 children travelling together

Actually up to 4 adults and 4 children.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

And season tickets are non-transferable, so they can only be used by the person they're issued to.

Didn't there used to be "business/corporate" season tickets which were actually transferable between employees of a particular business when travelling between different sites on official business. Think these were priced somewhat more than a normal season ticket (maybe at least 50% higher for any particular flow) as they'd likely be used somewhat more.

 

[Haywain]

Didn't there used to be "business/corporate" season tickets which were actually transferable between employees of a particular business when travelling between different sites on official business. Think these were priced somewhat more than a normal season ticket (maybe at least 50% higher for any particular flow) as they'd likely be used somewhat more.

In theory there still are.

 

[infobleep]

Didn't there used to be "business/corporate" season tickets which were actually transferable between employees of a particular business when travelling between different sites on official business. Think these were priced somewhat more than a normal season ticket (maybe at least 50% higher for any particular flow) as they'd likely be used somewhat more.

In theory there still are.

How fascinating. Never knew this.

So does a business season ticket include a gold card and if it does, can that be added to Oyster cards?

I imagine if the answer was yes, it would only apply to one Oyster card but could that card be transferable?

 

[Haywain]

How fascinating. Never knew this.

So does a business season ticket include a gold card and if it does, can that be added to Oyster cards?

I imagine if the answer was yes, it would only apply to one Oyster card but could that card be transferable?

No, bearer passes do not qualify for a Gold Card.

 

[Hamptonman]

As a proud owner of the Exeter Central to Exeter St Davids part time annual Gold Card for the past three years, it saddens me to report that it looks like as of March 1st this year, the ticket no longer exists, meaning that the cheapest annual GoldCard is now Lapworth to Hatton at £184.

 

[miklcct]

So very handy if you live in Brighton but outside of it less so. For exa ole someone in Sureey woupsnt get so much benefit of Pay and Go I imagine.

I believe that a train journey between Brighton and Hove and the PlusBus price cap, with a railcard-discounted KeyGo, is cheaper than the normal bus day cap, right? If the PlusBus price cap is really applicable even with an in-zone train journey than taking a train than buses can actually save money compared to taking buses alone! And if the KeyGo is loaded with a Network Railcard, how is the fare charged before 10:00?

 

[infobleep]

I believe that a train journey between Brighton and Hove and the PlusBus price cap, with a railcard-discounted KeyGo, is cheaper than the normal bus day cap, right? If the PlusBus price cap is really applicable even with an in-zone train journey than taking a train than buses can actually save money compared to taking buses alone! And if the KeyGo is loaded with a Network Railcard, how is the fare charged before 10:00?

Not 100% certain but I thought Plusebus couldn't be purchased inside the area. The train journey has to start outside of it

 

[urpert]

Since moving north a decade ago, the Gold/Network Card is just another railcard that remains out of my reach.

It’s even out of reach in Peterborough…

 

[Haywain]

Not 100% certain but I thought Plusebus couldn't be purchased inside the area. The train journey has to start outside of it

Brighton appears to be a special exception to this.

 

[infobleep]

Brighton appears to be a special exception to this.

How interesting.

 

[AlbertBeale]

Not 100% certain but I thought Plusebus couldn't be purchased inside the area. The train journey has to start outside of it

A Plusbus ticket has, I believe, to be bought as a companion to a rail ticket either to or from the station at the centre of the Plusbus zone. Hence, presumably (though I've never done it), you can purchase a Plusbus in the place you're starting your rail journey to use in that town en route to the station. You can certainly buy a Plusbus ticket in the town you're using it in if you arrive by train without having bought it in advance. (Plusbus tickets aren't always available at ticket machines, and I've added one at my destination station for the place I've arrived in with no problem in the past.)

 

[miklcct]

A Plusbus ticket has, I believe, to be bought as a companion to a rail ticket either to or from the station at the centre of the Plusbus zone. Hence, presumably (though I've never done it), you can purchase a Plusbus in the place you're starting your rail journey to use in that town en route to the station. You can certainly buy a Plusbus ticket in the town you're using it in if you arrive by train without having bought it in advance. (Plusbus tickets aren't always available at ticket machines, and I've added one at my destination station for the place I've arrived in with no problem in the past.)

I'm talking about KeyGo price cap here.