Gold Record Card - Photocard?

[455refurb]

Hi all,

I've recently purchased a Travelcard Season through my company's travel supplier, who administer our season ticket loan scheme. This arrived on an Oyster Card with a seperate Gold Record Card, as expected.

At no point was I asked to provide a Photocard number, which I have in the past when purchasing National Rail seasons. There is no dedicated space on the Gold Record Card to write in a Photocard number.
I understand a Photocard may not be required for Travelcard seasons, but would I not need a Photocard in order to use the benefits of the Gold Record Card on National Rail services? In other words, is the Gold Record Card valid on National Rail without a Photocard?

On a seperate but related note, I've had the Gold Card Discount loaded onto the Oyster card for PAYG journeys outside the validity of my season. This was done for me by a member of staff using a TVM. I appear however to be receiving the PAYG discount at peak times... is this expected?

Thanks in advance

 

[paddington]

I appear however to be receiving the PAYG discount at peak times...

Can you provide an example? There should be no PAYG discounts at peak times but perhaps you have misunderstood the peak definitions? Also if you only travel in the evening peak, you will be capped at the off-peak rate which is discounted.

Isn't your Oyster card a photo card? I haven't had a GRC for a while, and it is difficult to retrieve an old one from my ticket collection, but the Oyster card number may be printed on it? However, I never showed my Oyster card when using my GRC to buy or travel on discounted NR tickets.

 

[causton]

You do not need a photocard if you have a season ticket on an Oyster card. The Oyster card and Gold Record Card are enough

 

[Hadders]

Some contra-flow travel with PAYG in the afternoon 'peak' does get a Gold Card discount, for example a journey between Finsbury Park and South Kensington.

 

[MikeWh]

On a seperate but related note, I've had the Gold Card Discount loaded onto the Oyster card for PAYG journeys outside the validity of my season. This was done for me by a member of staff using a TVM. I appear however to be receiving the PAYG discount at peak times... is this expected?

Thanks in advance

If you are saying that you are getting individual fares in the peak periods (0630-0930 and 1600-1900) at the discounted rate then the staff member has selected the disabled railcard rather than the usual national railcard. I would advise you to get this checked next time you are at an underground station in case a future encounter with an RPI results in you being asked to show your disabled railcard.

 

[455refurb]

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies and advice thus far, it's really appreciated! The journey in question which I made the other day was from Sutton (Surrey) to London Victoria - I touched in at 18:24 and touched out around 19:05, but was charged £1.50, this being the discounted PAYG fare from Sutton to Boundary Zone 2, which is where my Travelcard begins. Could this have been because it is a contra-flow journey as Hadders suggests?

I checked my Oyster card this evening at a LUL TVM, it's showing my Travelcard and a "NR Railcard" discount entitlement. So that looks correct (unless it should have been set to something other than 'NR Railcard').

Thanks again all

 

[causton]

I am guessing that as the journey ends in Zone 1, the off-peak price is paid, even if the fare is not all the way to Zone 1.

 

[MikeWh]

I am guessing that as the journey ends in Zone 1, the off-peak price is paid, even if the fare is not all the way to Zone 1.

Ah yes, that would also be a good reason. The fare scale (including peak/off-peak) is decided on the whole journey before deducting the zones covered.

Note that if your journey had continued to say Camden Town then you could save money by touching on a bus at Victoria to break the journey in two.