Getting an Oyster card next week

[158757]

Hi,

I think I'm finally going to bite the bullet and get an oyster card. I've had a look on MikeWh's site first before asking (excellent site by the way), so there are just a couple of things I'd like to check:

1)I'm sure a few weeks ago I read as part of a thread on here that you can buy them in certain places and get £2 credit included as part of your £5 deposit. Is this still the case anywhere (I may be wrong) and if so where.

2)I have a 16-25 railcard and thus would like to load the discount onto it. I have given myself an hour to get from Kings Cross to Paddington-will this be enough time to purchase a card and sort all the administration, plus still do the transfer between stations?

Thanks

 

[SS4]

Hi,

I think I'm finally going to bite the bullet and get an oyster card. I've had a look on MikeWh's site first before asking (excellent site by the way), so there are just a couple of things I'd like to check:

1)I'm sure a few weeks ago I read as part of a thread on here that you can buy them in certain places and get £2 credit included as part of your £5 deposit. Is this still the case anywhere (I may be wrong) and if so where.

2)I have a 16-25 railcard and thus would like to load the discount onto it. I have given myself an hour to get from Kings Cross to Paddington-will this be enough time to purchase a card and sort all the administration, plus still do the transfer between stations?

Thanks

2. Yes. The procedure itself is very quick

 

[wintonian]

There are blue vending machines at Paddington and St Pancras that will sell you a £2 (& the £3 credit) Oyster cards that I have seen, they are at other stations as well but I haven’t noticed any on my travels.

Time it takes to register the railcard after filling out the form depends on the queue for instance last time I was at Paddington it took me approx. 15min (Good Friday) to get to the window, whilst last time I used the TFL ticket office at Waterloo there wasn’t a queue.

 

[SS4]

There are blue vending machines at Paddington and St Pancreas that will sell you a £2 (& the £3 credit) Oyster cards that I have seen, they are at other stations as well but I haven’t noticed any on my travels.

Time it takes to register the railcard after filling out the form depends on the queue for instance last time I was at Paddington it took me approx. 15min (Good Friday) to get to the window, whilst last time I used the TFL ticket office at Waterloo there wasn’t a queue.

Filling out the form? I didn't have to fill in anything when I loaded mine on at Euston Square a couple of weeks ago, handed the oyster card and railcard over and a minute later it was done.

 

[button_boxer]

Filling out the form? I didn't have to fill in anything when I loaded mine on at Euston Square a couple of weeks ago, handed the oyster card and railcard over and a minute later it was done.

The card has to be 'registered' in order to be able to load a discount onto it. The form filling is to register the card, so if your card is already registered (e.g. if you originally bought it online) then loading the discount is quick.

 

[SS4]

The card has to be 'registered' in order to be able to load a discount onto it. The form filling is to register the card, so if your card is already registered (e.g. if you originally bought it online) then loading the discount is quick.

Ah, that would make sense since I bought mine online

 

[Daniel]

Or if the booking clerk is in a rush you can put the station NLC in the registration password field which allows a discount to be loaded without registering the card

 

[MikeWh]

Hi,

I think I'm finally going to bite the bullet and get an oyster card. I've had a look on MikeWh's site first before asking (excellent site by the way),

Thanks, I'm pleased it helped.

There are blue vending machines at Paddington and St Pancreas that will sell you a £2 (& the £3 credit) Oyster cards that I have seen, they are at other stations as well but I haven’t noticed any on my travels.

The deposit is £3 and the credit is £2. This gives you enough for a zone 1 and 2 tube journey before needing to top it up. As far as I know they are still available at all the mainline tube stations.

Or if the booking clerk is in a rush you can put the station NLC in the registration password field which allows a discount to be loaded without registering the card

Indeed. Take a copy of http://www.oyster-rail.org.uk/railcard-discounts/ with you in case you get a clerk who is not sure what he is doing. However, I do strongly recommend registration because it gives you protection if the card is ever lost or stolen.

 

[158757]

Thanks all. I don't suppose there is a picture of these blue machines anywhere so I know what I'm looking for?

Also can you download and print a registration form to fill in and thus save time on the day, or do they only have them at stations?

 

[Mojo]

Thanks all. I don't suppose there is a picture of these blue machines anywhere so I know what I'm looking for?

Also can you download and print a registration form to fill in and thus save time on the day, or do they only have them at stations?

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4364105445_0079f00dd8.jpg

Note that the machines only take coins.

 

[wintonian]

They look like this:

--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4048/4364105445_0079f00dd8.jpg

Note that the machines only take coins.

And the exact money only according to the pic.

 

[Mojo]

Note that these machines are only subject to availability; so don't be disappointed if you find they have run out!

 

[Daniel]

Note that these machines are only subject to availability; so don't be disappointed if you find they have run out!

An important issue to highlight, in that once they have run out they will not be re-stocked. These machines are being removed as part of an upgrade to the ticket machines.

 

[wintonian]

An important issue to highlight, in that once they have run out they will not be re-stocked. These machines are being removed as part of an upgrade to the ticket machines.

When will we start seeing the upgraded machines?

 

[Mojo]

When will we start seeing the upgraded machines?

At the start of 2011 it was scheduled from introduction in May. It'll be later than this now. The new hardware has already gone into the machines at the staff training facility, but it is still being fine tuned so will be a while before you see it across the network.

Installation of the pilot devices was scheduled to go in at one machine at each of Bank (Bullring), Liverpool Street (main), Stratford (East), South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus and Heathrow T123. The main rollout is scheduled to commence 15 May. If you want the machine numbers, PM me.

To confuse things, it won't be every ticket machine at stations, so customers had better learn the difference between the machines at LU stations I imagine there will be a new design of signage anyway, but wonder how it will work at stations where there is a single queue for a variety of different machines.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

An important issue to highlight, in that once they have run out they will not be re-stocked. These machines are being removed as part of an upgrade to the ticket machines.

The machines themselves are being restocked by the contractors until all the current stock held centrally has been exhausted.

 

[JKJimar53]

At the start of 2011 it was scheduled from introduction in May. It'll be later than this now. The new hardware has already gone into the machines at the staff training facility, but it is still being fine tuned so will be a while before you see it across the network.

Installation of the pilot devices was scheduled to go in at one machine at each of Bank (Bullring), Liverpool Street (main), Stratford (East), South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus and Heathrow T123. The main rollout is scheduled to commence 15 May. If you want the machine numbers, PM me.

To confuse things, it won't be every ticket machine at stations, so customers had better learn the difference between the machines at LU stations I imagine there will be a new design of signage anyway, but wonder how it will work at stations where there is a single queue for a variety of different machines.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

The machines themselves are being restocked by the contractors until all the current stock held centrally has been exhausted.

I noticed something new on the ticket machines this weekend its that some touchscreen ticket machines had a new option "Buy new Oyster card" is this to do with the upgrade and how will the Oyster cards be dispensed.

 

[wintonian]

Through the hole at the bottom?

 

[Daniel]

I noticed something new on the ticket machines this weekend its that some touchscreen ticket machines had a new option "Buy new Oyster card" is this to do with the upgrade and how will the Oyster cards be dispensed.

Yes, you may notice that the Child Tickets button has been moved slightly to the left, to allow a third additional button to buy an oyster card. This functionality will be fitted only to "AFM" machines, not QFM's, MFM's, or FFM's, which is why, as Mojo said, passengers will need to learn the types.

A stack of cards is located above the coin vault, I suppose essentially where the note vault would be it it were an MFM on the same rack. There was a delay in implementing the oysters on the TVM's as they have now built in a second RTD (card reader) on the inside, to load PAYG onto the card before it was dispensed. There were worries that if they dropped a card out and then said touch the pad to activate, people would just walk off, so cards will now be activated and topped up before being dropped to the customer.

Through the hole at the bottom?

Essentially, yes!

 

[yorkie]

An important issue to highlight, in that once they have run out they will not be re-stocked. These machines are being removed as part of an upgrade to the ticket machines.

I wonder if it's worth buying some to later sell to friends, or is there a rule against that? My understanding is that it is allowed, providing you do not have a product or discount loaded onto it that is specific to one person (such as a Travelcard), is that correct?

 

[wintonian]

I wonder if it's worth buying some to later sell to friends, or is there a rule against that? My understanding is that it is allowed, providing you do not have a product or discount loaded onto it that is specific to one person (such as a Travelcard), is that correct?

I'm fairly sure you can with PAYG as long as it doesn’t have a railcard discount loaded as obviously that isn't transferable, though how anybody would know as you never get asked to sow you railcard, is beyond me.

 

[MikeWh]

You may be asked to show a railcard if your Oyster is checked by RPIs.

 

[Daniel]

I wonder if it's worth buying some to later sell to friends, or is there a rule against that? My understanding is that it is allowed, providing you do not have a product or discount loaded onto it that is specific to one person (such as a Travelcard), is that correct?

You are correct, there is no rule there - PAYG is transferable, but discounts and period tickets aren't.

I'm fairly sure you can with PAYG as long as it doesn’t have a railcard discount loaded as obviously that isn't transferable, though how anybody would know as you never get asked to sow you railcard, is beyond me.

When you have a Railcard discount loaded onto your card, your card comes under the "documents required" field with regards to monitoring on the gateline, which is one of the only things that I've seen checked commonly by station staff.

Revenue Control Inspectors can see your discount entitlement with a MOVie reader and you will be asked to show your railcard.

 

[island]

And the exact money only according to the pic.

You can overpay if you want, you just won't get any change.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Installation of the pilot devices was scheduled to go in at one machine at each of Bank (Bullring), Liverpool Street (main), Stratford (East), South Kensington, Piccadilly Circus and Heathrow T123. The main rollout is scheduled to commence 15 May. If you want the machine numbers, PM me.

There's two in Bank as of Saturday at least, and I've seen several others.

 

[Daniel]

There's two in Bank as of Saturday at least, and I've seen several others.

Mojo is talking about modified AFM (a type of TVM) machines, not the OVM (blue vending machines).

 

[wintonian]

Mojo is talking about modified AFM (a type of TVM) machines, not the OVM (blue vending machines).

Daniel, could you explain these TFL TVM abbreviations in this and the post further up as were not all as interested in the Underground as we are in NR?

 

[island]

By OVM do you mean the coin-only machine that sells only Oyster cards with a £3 deposit and £2 credit for £5?

The two machines I saw at Bank were card-only, selling new Oyster cards, Oyster top-ups, and paper tickets. What are they?

I also don't know the distinction between all the different POMs (Passenger Operated Machines, which I believe is an LUL umbrella term for all kinds of machines that a passenger might use to buy a ticket without seeing a member of staff).

 

[Daniel]

Daniel, could you explain these TFL TVM abbreviations in this and the post further up as were not all as interested in the Underground as we are in NR?

Sure.

POM = Passenger Operated Machine. Our version for "TVM"


MFM = MultiFare Machine. Large touch screen machine, takes notes coins and cards.
AFM = Automated Fare Machine. Small touch screen machine, takes coins and cards.
FFM = Few Fare Machine. Push button machine. Paper only, not oyster. Takes coins.
QBM = Queue Buster Machine. Silver touch screen machine. Sometimes oyster only. Takes cards.
OVM = Oyster Vending Machine. Blue machines which charge £5, £3 deposit and £2 PAYG

 

[Mojo]

Here is my (personal) opinion:

MFM = MultiFare Machine. Large touch screen machine, takes notes coins and cards.

The best.

AFM = Automated Fare Machine. Small touch screen machine, takes coins and cards.

I thought it stood for Advanced. Makes an annoying beeping noise and annoyingly doesn't take notes.

FFM = Few Fare Machine. Push button machine. Paper only, not oyster. Takes coins.

Never used one. Coming in the autumn will be a more AFMs to replace a number of these (not completely).

QBM = Queue Buster Machine. Silver touch screen machine. Sometimes oyster only. Takes cards.

Unreliable and rubbish for servicing (so I've heard). I thought they were all Oyster only because the tickets kept jamming. I'm sure I have seen a ticket one as well though (maybe Paddington H&C?).

OVM = Oyster Vending Machine. Blue machines which charge £5, £3 deposit and £2 PAYG

Hurrah!

 

[Daniel]

I thought it stood for Advanced.

Sorry, you're correct.

Never used one. Coming in the autumn will be a more AFMs to replace a number of these (not completely).

Correct, alot of these are being replaced as the housing is the same size for an AFM as it is for an FFM. FFM's are used so little most stations I work at on the Northern Line service their FFM's around once a week - the maximum I've taken out of one is £60.

Unreliable and rubbish for servicing (so I've heard).

Unreliable is debatable, rubbish for servicing - quite easy actually, just no-ones been shown how to do it and presumably no-one got bored and shoved a UTS card in it like I did one day...

I thought they were all Oyster only because the tickets kept jamming. I'm sure I have seen a ticket one as well though (maybe Paddington H&C?).

I don't know about the tickets jamming, as all the stations I have worked at which have QBM's have been oyster only. I do know ones which issue paper tickets are around, though.

 

[JKJimar53]

Ill have to buy an oyster this way next time im in london im assuming its set up and ready to use at machines where it is offered.

I do feel however its just another attempt to get fewer people to use ticket offices.