More expensive WITH a railcard?

[alexl92]

My other half purchased a one-way ticket to Huddersfield this morning at the ticket machines in Leeds. With her railcard this was quoted at £12, but without it was just £5. I’m sure I’ve heard an explanation for this in the past but I can’t remember at all. Please can someone explain why this is?

Many thanks

 

[Merseysider]

The use of 16-25 railcards before 10am is subject to a £12 minimum fare being paid. It's in the T&C agreed to when the railcard was purchased

If it was any other railcard then the machine is behaving incorrectly.

 

[Wallsendmag]

The use 16-25 railcards before 10am is subject to a £12 minimum fare being paid. It's in the T&C agreed to when the railcard was purchased

If it was any other railcard then the machine is behaving incorrectly.

Apart from HMF?

 

[xotGD]

The use 16-25 railcards before 10am is subject to a £12 minimum fare being paid. It's in the T&C agreed to when the railcard was purchased

If it was any other railcard then the machine is behaving incorrectly.

Why doesn't the machine just say that the Railcard fare is £5, and is an undiscounted fare?

 

[Bletchleyite]

Why doesn't the machine just say that the Railcard fare is £5, and is an undiscounted fare?

With some Railcards there may be reasons you wish to accept the minimum fare. For example they used to give peak validity on VTWC. So it's probably sensible to allow it but with the minimum applied.

 

[SaveECRewards]

With some Railcards there may be reasons you wish to accept the minimum fare. For example they used to give peak validity on VTWC. So it's probably sensible to allow it but with the minimum applied.

That was a very specific exception are there any other reasons these days?

 

[Starmill]

If you asked at a ticket office, that is what they would tell you. The fare is £5.70, railcard or no.

The ticket machine is far less clever than this though. It still needs to offer a minimum fare ticket for cases where the full fare is £12 or more, but not more than £18. Then it's cheaper to accept the minimum fare than to not use the railcard.

That's a pretty darn good reason to offer tickets at the minimum fare.

 

[Bletchleyite]

That was a very specific exception are there any other reasons these days?

On a weekday you may want to accept it on a Network Railcard to get the associated child discounts.