Oyster Card 'Registration' and Railcard Discount

[Atomix330]

How exactly does one 'register' an Oyster? I have an online Oyster account and a card attached to it, and yet when I use an Oyster machine at a TFL station, it declares that my Oyster is not registered, and so I cannot link it to my railcard and get the entitled discount. My card easily shows up on my account on the app and on the website.

Is there a fix or a recommended course of action?

 

[bluegoblin7]

How exactly does one 'register' an Oyster? I have an online Oyster account and a card attached to it, and yet when I use an Oyster machine at a TFL station, it declares that my Oyster is not registered, and so I cannot link it to my railcard and get the entitled discount. My card easily shows up on my account on the app and on the website.

Is there a fix or a recommended course of action?

Registering on the website isn't the same as registering a card. Station staff can 'register' your card in the process of adding a railcard discount (you can't add a railcard via self-service means).

 

[totally]

How exactly does one 'register' an Oyster? I have an online Oyster account and a card attached to it, and yet when I use an Oyster machine at a TFL station, it declares that my Oyster is not registered, and so I cannot link it to my railcard and get the entitled discount. My card easily shows up on my account on the app and on the website.

Is there a fix or a recommended course of action?

Really suprisingly in this day and age you need to find a member of staff who can do it for you. However make sure they put on the correct discount. I have a disabled railcard and an Oyster as I do not live in London. I only have to do mine opnce every 3 years and have found the best place to go is the TfL and Visit London Travel Centre at Kings Cross . Across the network there are staff who do not know how to do it and worse some who think they do but as can be seen elsewhere on the forumn add the wrong discount. That can have serious consequences.
In addition to this if you use the bus and have disabled discount I have once been asked to produce the railcard to an inspector, the reason being it is the railcard that validates the discount.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

And make sure railcard is valid for 3 years or less. 3 year cards issued by post may have validity of up to 3years 6days but tfl systems can't cope with this and the staff serving me said they risked disciplinary action if they adjusted expiry date a few days earlier.

 

[gordonthemoron]

I’ve always found the staff at Euston tube station able to add railcards correctly, I expect large busy stations to be more familiar with them

 

[wildcard]

And make sure railcard is valid for 3 years or less. 3 year cards issued by post may have validity of up to 3years 6days but tfl systems can't cope with this and the staff serving me said they risked disciplinary action if they adjusted expiry date a few days earlier.

I've not had this problem . I am now on my 4th 3 year Senior Railcard . I renew on-line for the plastic version . You can do this 30 days in advance of expiry and the card arrives in less than 2 weeks. I am not keen on leaving the Oyster (re) registration to the last minute. I use my nearest TfL terminus station. The TfL staff at the station I use seem well aware of the problem of loading an expiry date more than 3 years hence - they suggested to me they load say 2 years and I come back in 18 months to get the expiry date changed . And that's what I've done ever since my first SNR . The most recent time the staff member did say she was worried this might invalidate the discount - I assured her it wouldn't ( and it hasn't ) .

 

[Greenheart]

I renewed the gold card discount on my oyster at London Bridge this morning. It's now in it's third year, the set up and subsequent renewals have been relatively smooth, just a couple of minor issues with one member of staff initially not knowing about the discount, and another initially expecting a record card along with the paper ticket.

 

[rebmcr]

I’ve always found the staff at Euston tube station able to add railcards correctly, I expect large busy stations to be more familiar with them

Or perhaps the more critical stations (such as large NR termini) tend to get assigned staff from the smarter end of the pool, who have an easier time understanding when asked about unusual queries.

 

[Tubeboy]

Or perhaps the more critical stations (such as large NR termini) tend to get assigned staff from the smarter end of the pool, who have an easier time understanding when asked about unusual queries.

Thanks for the vote of confidence. As someone who works in outer London, I've put railcard and young visitor discounts on frequently, without issue, for many years. Also, so have many of my colleagues.

How exactly does one 'register' an Oyster? I have an online Oyster account and a card attached to it, and yet when I use an Oyster machine at a TFL station, it declares that my Oyster is not registered, and so I cannot link it to my railcard and get the entitled discount. My card easily shows up on my account on the app and on the website.

Is there a fix or a recommended course of action?

There are two types of registration. Basic and full.

Basic is what most people have. An oyster account to protect against theft and loss. This isn't connected to the back office system that the ticket machines run off, so your basic registered oyster will show as unregistered on the machines.

Full registration is done by staff on the ticket office machine computer. This is only really done for people who are registering an oyster for a PRIV discount for the first time. The information taken is more detailed than a basic registration. When this card is presented to the ticket ,machine, it will show as registered. Hope that helps.

Re railcard. When we put a discount on a basic registered oyster, we "trick" the machine into thinking it's fully registered by providing a postcode and and a password....but this can be ABC and not the real details.

 

[bicbasher]

Once at a Oyster Ticket Shop (independent retailers generally inside London), they had to register my new Oyster so I could get the Bus and Tram Photocard added.

Luckily they're one of the few retailers i've experienced that know what they're doing. Before I found this retailer, I'd go to the TfL Visitor Centre in Victoria to get them to add the discount.

 

[Recessio]

Or perhaps the more critical stations (such as large NR termini) tend to get assigned staff from the smarter end of the pool, who have an easier time understanding when asked about unusual queries.

I'd second this, because staff at bigger stations tend to experience more tourists and unusual oyster queries simply by seeing more passengers every day.

I tried to get a railcard discount added at Kennington once and the gentleman on duty threw a complete huff, very clearly resenting that I had the audacity to disturb him from watching Netflix in his little perspex box, and it took him ages to work out how to do it.

Meanwhile the staff at Euston gateline was perfectly happy to do it when I asked, and she only took about thirty seconds to do it. Best to stick to the bigger stations in my opinion.

 

[Cesarcollie]

I'd second this, because staff at bigger stations tend to experience more tourists and unusual oyster queries simply by seeing more passengers every day.

I tried to get a railcard discount added at Kennington once and the gentleman on duty threw a complete huff, very clearly resenting that I had the audacity to disturb him from watching Netflix in his little perspex box, and it took him ages to work out how to do it.

Meanwhile the staff at Euston gateline was perfectly happy to do it when I asked, and she only took about thirty seconds to do it. Best to stick to the bigger stations in my opinion.

Guy on gateline at Liverpool Street (LUL) did mine on Friday, no problem at all. Merely asked me to look away when he typed his PIN into the machine!