Network Goldcard Min Fare

[Hager98]

Last week at Gillingham Kent station i attempted to buy with a Network Goldcard (after 10am) a Day Return to Rainham but was refused this as i was told there was a minimum fare i explained i had a goldcard rather than a network goldcard but was told that i could only buy a ticket if i was the annual goldcard holder. Is this correct i was told there was no min fare only i cant use it til 10am.

Secondly is there a rule someone can point out about buying tickets in advance as i am often told at various stations that i can only buy tickets on the day and not before or even on the day but before 10am. Some people say other staff used their discretion others flat out refuse to sell me what i see is a perfectly valid ticket.

 

[MikeWh]

Last week at Gillingham Kent station i attempted to buy with a Network Goldcard (after 10am) a Day Return to Rainham but was refused this as i was told there was a minimum fare i explained i had a goldcard rather than a network goldcard but was told that i could only buy a ticket if i was the annual goldcard holder. Is this correct i was told there was no min fare only i cant use it til 10am.

The Gold Card Partner Card has the same restrictions as the ordinary Network Card as far as I know.

Secondly is there a rule someone can point out about buying tickets in advance as i am often told at various stations that i can only buy tickets on the day and not before or even on the day but before 10am. Some people say other staff used their discretion others flat out refuse to sell me what i see is a perfectly valid ticket.

TVMs won't sell you tickets before 10am. Staff can sell them, but they will often wait until the last peak service has left. You can buy tickets online which can be days in advance, so if the ticket office won't sell them, buy online and pickup from the TVM two hours later.

 

[wibble]

The Gold Card Partner Card has the same restrictions as the ordinary Network Card as far as I know.

You're correct - the Partner's card (for £1) is a normal Network Railcard with a £24 discount if you already hold an annual season ticket.

 

[Greenback]

The Partners Goldcard has always ben treated like an ordinary Netwrok Card.

Retail staff should sell you the ticket you want at any time*. They should tell you the restrcitions of the ticket, and endorse the ticket if necessary.

When I challenged colleagues as to why they would sell a Network Card discounted Cheap Day Return at 8,30pm (for the next day), but not at 8.30am on the day, I never got a satisfactory answer, apart from 'that's what I was told 15 years ago' or 'I'm just doing what Dave does'.

* - obviously this is limited in that you can't buy some tickets too far ahead!

 

[Hager98]

Then how could a penalty fare stand. It says Network Gold Card on the front the ticket machines ask if you have a Network Gold Card and it doesnt say you have to be in possession of a annual ticket. Even when you book online it does not say you have to have it just have the network Gold Card.

 

[swt_passenger]

I'm confused here. If YOU have an annual season ticket, that is issued as a Gold Card, and allows YOU discounted travel without the normal network card minimum fare restrictions after 10 am.

Are you saying YOU have a Gold Card partner's Network Card as well?

 

[Bill Badger]

Then how could a penalty fare stand. It says Network Gold Card on the front the ticket machines ask if you have a Network Gold Card and it doesnt say you have to be in possession of a annual ticket. Even when you book online it does not say you have to have it just have the network Gold Card.

I don't beleive the Partner Card is ever called a Gold Card, it is simply a normal Network Card issued on standard Network Card stock, for which you pay £1 rather than the normal £25.

Certainly when my partner buys a discounted ticket from a TVM she will choose the Network Card option rather than the Gold Card one - there isn't a button for anything else

 

[Greenback]

I don't beleive the Partner Card is ever called a Gold Card, it is simply a normal Network Card issued on standard Network Card stock, for which you pay £1 rather than the normal £25.

Certainly when my partner buys a discounted ticket from a TVM she will choose the Network Card option rather than the Gold Card one - there isn't a button for anything else

That's right. The season ticket is the Gold Card, the Partners card is a Network Card.

To be honest, there's always been a bit of confusion between the two, even amongst ticket office staff in my experience.

 

[yorkie]

Then how could a penalty fare stand. It says Network Gold Card on the front the ticket machines ask if you have a Network Gold Card and it doesnt say you have to be in possession of a annual ticket. Even when you book online it does not say you have to have it just have the network Gold Card.

Are you a holder of an annual season ticket?
What exactly does your card (the one with your name on it) say?

I thought that only the holder of an annual season ticket (in the 'Network Area') has a Gold Card, and I also thought that the annual season itself is the Gold Card? Am I incorrect or out of date?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Here is an example of a Gold Card:

http://therailticketgallery.fotopic.net/p60666483.html

As you can see, this is the actual season ticket which also acts as a Gold Card.

A Network Railcard is just a Railcard alone.

 

[Greenback]

You are right Yorkie. IIRC the full name of the partners card used to be Network Gold Card Holder Partners Card.

 

[Hager98]

My Father has the Annual ticket as printed on the ticket stock in Yorkie's link.

The railcard i was issued with looks like this: http://therailticketgallery.fotopic.net/p33984847.html

But rather than saying NETWORK RAILCARD where it is printed onto the ticket in the left hand corner is says NETWORK GOLD CARD. So that is why its my understanding i have a Network Gold Card.

Also on the southeastern ticket machines when you have the option of different railcard discounts one of them says Network Gold Card with i believe a picture of the railcard i hold NOT a picture of the gold card my father has.

 

[SignalEngineer]

My Father has the Annual ticket as printed on the ticket stock in Yorkie's link.

The railcard i was issued with looks like this: http://therailticketgallery.fotopic.net/p33984847.html

But rather than saying NETWORK RAILCARD where it is printed onto the ticket in the left hand corner is says NETWORK GOLD CARD. So that is why its my understanding i have a Network Gold Card.

Also on the southeastern ticket machines when you have the option of different railcard discounts one of them says Network Gold Card with i believe a picture of the railcard i hold NOT a picture of the gold card my father has.

I have the same card and agree it is a bit confusing (especially at the TVM).

My understanding is that the partner card has the same conditions as a normal railcard but I do remember once instance where a ticket office staff member told me the opposite, but in that instance my fare was more than £10 (I think it's gone up too) so it didn't matter.

http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/season_tickets/GC_TandC_May10.pdf
The latest T&Cs don't even mention the partner card anymore. I'm sure they used to and it did mention that the partner card had the same validity as a normal Network Railcard (the only difference being £1 to buy). I imagine that it prints out 'Network Gold Card' due to the ticket coding in the system.

I'd like to add an additional question. Is it possible to purchase more than one partner card for £1? It doesn't say explicitely that you can't but sometimes the ticket office will write on the back of your original Gold Card that you have purchased a partner card. Is that to prevent you from buying another? One time I bought a partner card and the ticket seller gave me the receipt in case the partner card was lost (as you can pay £5 replacement for a lost Network Railcard) but told me I didn't really need it as I could just buy another one for £1 anyway....

 

[Greenback]

It used to be the case that there was only one £1 card per Gold Card. I'm going back almost a decade so it might have changed.

Although it is confusing, the card that Hager98 appears to hold is a Network Card to all intents and purposes.

 

[wintonian]

T&C's from SWT:

The Terms & Conditions for a Gold Card discounts are the same as a Network Railcard, however:

- There is no discount on First Class fares even if the Gold Card is First Class.

- Annual Gold Card holders buying discounted Day Travelcards (Off-peak) for accompanying adults or children must buy one for themselves if their Annual Gold Card is not valid for travel on all the London Fare Zones.

- The £13.00 minimum fare does not apply.

 

[swt_passenger]

T&C's from SWT:

But those T&C don't help for a partners card, as we are discussing, now that the original poster has confirmed what he actually holds...

 

[Hager98]

But those T&C don't help for a partners card, as we are discussing, now that the original poster has confirmed what he actually holds...

I'd say what ticket i actually do hold is still in dispute, its printed on it that its a Network Gold Card and when i select the ticket i want to buy from the machine it offers me a reduced fare when i select it.

 

[wintonian]

But as a discounted card is a "benefit" of an annual season ticket and is marked as a "Network Gold Card" (assumingly to distinguish it from a normal Network Card) then I would have thought that the same T&C's would apply.

 

[Greenback]

But as a discounted card is a "benefit" of an annual season ticket and is marked as a "Network Gold Card" (assumingly to distinguish it from a normal Network Card) then I would have thought that the same T&C's would apply.

No, it's not. The confusion arises from it being marked as a Network Gold Card on the ticket and the fact that there are selections for gold cards on TVM's.

In my day, there were season ticket leaflets that clearly said something along the lines of 'a further benefit os that you may purchase a Network Railcard for your partner for only £1.' We issued thes on ordianry blue Network Railcard stock, and as has been mentioned, endorsed the bac of the Gold Card to indicate that the benefit had been taken advantage of.

In addition to that, the Network Railcard application form, which had to be completed (and for which we earned an additional 50p per crd issued!) by the applicant, contained a box to indicate whther this was a partners card or not. As I recall, the price of the card (£1) was shown on the railcard itself. This was the only way to distinguish between a Network Card and Partners Card, although in practice there was no need to, as the were treated exactly the same as the Network Railcard.

 

[wintonian]

So if there is no diffrence why mark the card as such by including the word "gold" on it?

 

[Bill Badger]

I’m pretty sure it is only 1 Partner Card per Gold Card, when I bought one for my partner last year I had my Gold Card endorsed “Network Railcard issued’ together with the ticket number. Having said that this year the Booking Office staff just looked at my Gold Card but didn’t write anything on it

I can’t offer an explanation why Hager 98 has Network Gold Card, printed on the Partner Card, where Network Card normally is. As I stated earlier the one I purchased for my partner last weekend was just a normal Network card other than the price and it states ‘Network Card’ on it no ‘Network Gold Card’

 

[Greenback]

So if there is no diffrence why mark the card as such by including the word "gold" on it?

I have no idea, unfortunately! Maybe it's just the new all singing and dancing that's in use nowadays trying to be as accurate as possible and failing! It certainly doesn't help anyone!

I found this on Passenger Focus http://www.passengerfocus.org.uk/advice-and-complaints/advice-and-information/question.asp?dsid=982

Annual season tickets valid in the London and South East area are issued as Gold Cards or Gold Card Travelcards and offer benefits similar to a Network Railcard but without the minimum fare. An annual Gold Card or Gold Card Travelcard holder may also purchase a Network Railcard for the reduced price of £1 for a relative or friend. Other benefits of Gold Cards include off-peak first class upgrades for just £5 and cheap travel for friends and family.

The page still refers to network Cards being £20, but otherwise the wording is very similar to how I remember it 9 years ago.

 

[wintonian]

Simplification again?