PRIV Oyster

[92002]

The proof of entitlement is a Rail Staff Leisure Card with a photo of the holder on it. The discount is then added to a registered Oyster card - presumably registered to the same person as named and pictured on the Rail Staff Leisure Card. Anybody “finding a card and asking for it to be added” would surely be unsuccessful.

The other thing to keep in mind. Once you have youe discounted card, it needa to be updated every year with your new details. If its not updated it will automatically revert to a standard Oyster card with no discounts. At the end of June. Sounds like this could be your problem with both cards.

 

[Haywain]

The other thing to keep in mind. Once you have youe discounted card, it needa to be updated every year with your new details. If its not updated it will automatically revert to a standard Oyster card with no discounts. At the end of June. Sounds like this could be your problem with both cards.

I don’t have a problem, other than the inconvenience of finding somewhere to get the discount loaded.

 

[AndrewE]

I tried to get non safeguarded priv added to my Oyster card at Paddington Elizabeth line a couple of weeks ago and none of the staff there had the first clue what I was taking about so just paid normal fare in the end.

I think it is mandatory that you fill in the appropriate form off the RSTL - or whatever - website, after which you get the instructions for taking your Oyster to an appropriate station and getting then discount loaded.
It's like an exam (or renewing a passport): read the instructions and obey them to the letter and it's easy. Diverge from the official process and you are in trouble!

 

[CyrusWuff]

I think it is mandatory that you fill in the appropriate form off the RSTL - or whatever - website, after which you get the instructions for taking your Oyster to an appropriate station and getting then discount loaded.

Somewhat bizarrely, a form is only required for initially adding a discount for safeguarded staff. It's not needed for non-safeguarded staff or renewals (unless the discount has expired prior to getting it renewed.)

 

[Horizon22]

NR only does what it says on the tin, it only provides a discount on journeys priced on one of the NR or Overground fare scales (the Overground is part of National Rail, even though TfL don't want to publicly admit it).

There is no discount at all on "mixed mode" journeys, or ones priced on the LU/DLR scale.

So it can sometimes be cheaper to "split" by using an NR only discounted Oyster card for the NR portion of the journey, and then a separate undiscounted Oyster card (or contactless card/device) for the LU/DLR portion of the journey.

Otherwise the problem is that the OSI joins up the two "journeys" into one, despite this being more expensive than charging them separately. It's just one of those Oyster quirks.

Alternatively a paper ticket to somewhere with LU validity (e.g. the opposite side of London) can sometimes also be cheaper than the above split, but it depends on the exact journey you're making.

Oh yes I've had that problem before. Tried to use my Priv Oyster to Victoria on the Underground and then same card on the train to Croydon. Charged me a huge whack, but TfL customer services were able to separate it for me quite helpfully, although said in future for that (my) specific scenarios and if I know my journey includes a LU & NR split, to use two separate cards.

 

[Surreytraveller]

NR Only is for Non-Safeguarded staff (i.e. those who joined on or after 1st April 1996).

Priv All is for Safeguarded staff, and also allows a Priv rate Travelcard Season to be loaded onto the card.

Priv All-N is similar, but doesn't allow a Travelcard Season discount.

For completeness, there's also Priv TfL Rail Only, which only gives a discount on TfL services (including London Overground and Crossrail), not all NR services in the zones.

And if Priv All-N is loaded onto a Zip card, it stops the Zip Card from working as its a nonsense combination. Not a lot of LU staff realise this, as a child dependant is entitled to the same discounts (i.e. a Priv Season) as the staff member.
Therefore a Zip Card should have a proper staff discount loaded, not the 'nominee' one

 

[357]

I have given up with it to be honest

Nobody wants to load it, it has to be done again every year, and then I was looked at like a fraud because nobody updated the LU manual (this was when they could still apply it) from "PRIV" to "Rail Staff Measure Card".

 

[Mojo]

I have given up with it to be honest

Nobody wants to load it, it has to be done again every year, and then I was looked at like a fraud because nobody updated the LU manual (this was when they could still apply it) from "PRIV" to "Rail Staff Measure Card".

LUL has never been able to add the non-Safeguarded discount ever since it was created.

 

[357]

LUL has never been able to add the non-Safeguarded discount ever since it was created.

I've had it added a few times, it was on the machine as Priv-NR only

 

[Mojo]

I've had it added a few times, it was on the machine as Priv-NR only

It shouldn’t have been done so, it was never permitted from the start even if it was an option.

 

[dk1]

Liverpool Street barrier staff did mine. The cheery TfL chap even put his passcode in & talked me through doing it myself.

 

[Mojo]

Liverpool Street barrier staff did mine. The cheery TfL chap even put his passcode in & talked me through doing it myself.

Didn’t know TfL had barrier staff at Liverpool St, thought it was just Greater Anglia (or obviously LU staff at the LU station).

 

[dk1]

Didn’t know TfL had barrier staff at Liverpool St, thought it was just Greater Anglia (or obviously LU staff at the LU station).

Tube station obviously.

 

[Mojo]

Tube station obviously.

This thread is about the discount for non safeguarded staff, which as stated upthread is not able to be set at LU stations.

 

[PupCuff]

Tottenham Court Road sorted my NR only priv oyster out fine the other week. The RSTL guidance says (or said, I haven't checked to see if its changed since) any station on the Elizabeth Line can do it.

 

[dk1]

This thread is about the discount for non safeguarded staff, which as stated upthread is not able to be set at LU stations.

Oh my bad lol

 

[trek]

“All NR” is not an option. “NR Only” is only valid on NR services and is for non safeguarded staff. “All Rail” is for all services NR / LU / DLR / etc and is allowed for Safeguarded staff and their dependents, as well as non safeguarded GTR, LNER and Eurostar staff with appropriate entitlement card, there is also a “TfL Rail” discount for child dependents of non safeguarded LU or TfL staff, and an “All Rail-N” discount for spouse / partner of non safeguarded staff.

The LU operated central stations are not supposed to apply this discount - those being Bond St (when it opens) to Whitechapel inclusive.

Non safeguarded GTR and LNER (staff on the south end) get a separate TfL PTAC alongside their Rail Staff Leisure Card, by my understanding this means they need the TfL Rail discount setting separately to the NR Only option, which can be both on the same card (up to three discounts total can be added). This does result in a side effect that "mixed" NR/LU journeys are not discounted. All Rail would discount travelcard seasons which non safeguarded staff are not entiled to which suggests it is not correct?

Eurostar staff I believe would be entitled to the All Rail discount as they get an old style Staff Travel Card, albeit with all the boxes crossed out and endorsed only for validity on National Rail and TfL.

LUL has never been able to add the non-Safeguarded discount ever since it was created.

Newer LUL machines (Silver ones with the large touchscreen) do have the option in some cases where those machines are at LUL stations but as you've said LUL staff shouldn't be setting it.

 

[Mojo]

Non safeguarded GTR and LNER (staff on the south end) get a separate TfL PTAC alongside their Rail Staff Leisure Card, by my understanding this means they need the TfL Rail discount setting separately to the NR Only option, which can be both on the same card (up to three discounts total can be added). This does result in a side effect that "mixed" NR/LU journeys are not discounted. All Rail would discount travelcard seasons which non safeguarded staff are not entiled to which suggests it is not correct?

Eurostar staff I believe would be entitled to the All Rail discount as they get an old style Staff Travel Card, albeit with all the boxes crossed out and endorsed only for validity on National Rail and TfL.

Sorry I should have been clearer. Eligible LNER, GTR and Eurostar staff (the latter in addition to their Staff Travel Card with the boxes crossed out) get a separate yellow Ptac endorsed “TfL Only.” This predates the creation of the non-safeguarded Oyster discount, so prior to that it would have been TfL Only, however since then they have been entitled to separate discounts on NR services as well as LU / DLR services.

Newer LUL machines (Silver ones with the large touchscreen) do have the option in some cases where those machines are at LUL stations but as you've said LUL staff shouldn't be setting it.

To add even more confusion, these are actually TfL machines and not LU ones, but yes it is not a valid option for such staff.

 

[trek]

Sorry I should have been clearer. Eligible LNER, GTR and Eurostar staff (the latter in addition to their Staff Travel Card with the boxes crossed out) get a separate yellow Ptac endorsed “TfL Only.” This predates the creation of the non-safeguarded Oyster discount, so prior to that it would have been TfL Only, however since then they have been entitled to separate discounts on NR services as well as LU / DLR services.

To add even more confusion, these are actually TfL machines and not LU ones, but yes it is not a valid option for such staff.

The yellow PTAC entitles usage of privilege rate pay as you go for residential tavel (commuting) on TfL services which the Staff Travel Cards issued to Eurostar staff (or any safeguarded staff, for that matter, who can only commute using a season) would not.

 

[Mojo]

The yellow PTAC entitles usage of privilege rate pay as you go for residential tavel (commuting) on TfL services which the Staff Travel Cards issued to Eurostar staff (or any safeguarded staff, for that matter, who can only commute using a season) would not.

Thanks for that, I did wonder why Eurostar staff got the yellow Ptac as well, given, as you said in an earlier post, they also get the Staff Travel Card. The reason you give however makes sense.

 

[Haywain]

So, to clarify this, if I want the NR discount added to an Oyster card the card must be registered? That means buy a new card and use it so that it can then be registered and I can then pay to get somewhere where the staff might deign to load the discount on to it? Have I got that right or is there a simpler way?

 

[Watershed]

So, to clarify this, if I want the NR discount added to an Oyster card the card must be registered? That means buy a new card and use it so that it can then be registered and I can then pay to get somewhere where the staff might deign to load the discount on to it? Have I got that right or is there a simpler way?

Yes, it really is that stupidly complex. Quite why they can't just let LU staff apply the discount, I don't know...

 

[Haywain]

Yes, it really is that stupidly complex. Quite why they can't just let LU staff apply the discount, I don't know...

I'd be wondering if it was worth the effort if I hadn't already bought the new Oyster card!

 

[357]

So, to clarify this, if I want the NR discount added to an Oyster card the card must be registered? That means buy a new card and use it so that it can then be registered and I can then pay to get somewhere where the staff might deign to load the discount on to it? Have I got that right or is there a simpler way?

Yes, it really is that stupidly complex. Quite why they can't just let LU staff apply the discount, I don't know...

Exactly why as I said up thread, I don't bother!

 

[XAM2175]

Quite why they can't just let LU staff apply the discount, I don't know...

I half-suspect it's because they view it as an expense in staff time for which they (as a company) are not being compensated. A bit like how Royal Mail and Post Office Limited will only co-operate to the exact extent covered in the contract, so (for example) it's free to have a parcel re-delivered to your RM delivery office but charged-for if you have it re-delivered to a Post Office.

 

[92002]

I half-suspect it's because they view it as an expense in staff time for which they (as a company) are not being compensated. A bit like how Royal Mail and Post Office Limited will only co-operate to the exact extent covered in the contract, so (for example) it's free to have a parcel re-delivered to your RM delivery office but charged-for if you have it re-delivered to a Post Office.

More than likely it's to stop fraudulent use of thr card. .

 

[Haywain]

More than likely it's to stop fraudulent use of thr card. .

How? Proof of entitlement to the discount is a card carrying a photo of the holder, so not much room for fraud there. Once it's loaded it's like any other Oyster card so the potential for fraud is as big as with any other discount.

 

[92002]

How? Proof of entitlement to the discount is a card carrying a photo of the holder, so not much room for fraud there. Once it's loaded it's like any other Oyster card so the potential for fraud is as big as with any other discount.

Not necessarily true though. Some people do not need a photograph card.

 

[Haywain]

Some people do not need a photograph card.

We are talking specifically about 'New Entrants', who hold a Rail Staff Leisure Card - as far as I am aware they ALL require a photograph.

 

[357]

Not necessarily true though. Some people do not need a photograph card.

Who?

ALL PRIV/"leisure travel" cards have photos on them now as far as I'm aware.