Smartcard Query

[TheGarner]

Hi,

Just a quick one - Been using a Northern branded smartcard for sometime and haven’t had any issues with it. Got pulled by a person on the manned entrances at Man Piccadilly asking where I’ve come from this morning. I Explained it got scanned by staff this morning at Piccadilly this morning on my inward journey.

Looks like the person who scanned it this morning they didn’t do something correctly -something to do with finalising? Just wondering what this is. Do they have to confirm something after they have scanned a card?

Cheers,

 

[Kilopylae]

Can you clarify—you started your journey at a station you haven't mentioned, then traveled to Manchester Picadilly, where you were pulled aside and told that someone else had started a journey at Manchester that morning using the same card.

Does someone else have another copy of your smartcard?

 

[TheGarner]

Can you clarify—you started your journey at a station you haven't mentioned, then traveled to Manchester Picadilly, where you were pulled aside and told that someone else had started a journey at Manchester that morning using the same card.

Does someone else have another copy of your smartcard?

I did my normal commute of Earlestown to Manchester. Card gets scanned at Manchester on the way in and then scanned again on the way out for my journey back to Earlestown.

The issue with something not being finalised was on my journey back home when going through the manned area at Piccadilly. When I meant scanned by someone else, I mean one of their staff members scanned it this morning and didn’t say anything.

The card is definitely mine, it’s got my name on it.

The question I’m asking is, do staff have to confirm something on their device when scanning smartcard. Which may have caused the issue if that wasn’t done correctly.

 

[RPI]

Is it a season ticket loaded onto the smart card?

 

[TheGarner]

Is it a season ticket loaded onto the smart card?

Yeah it is a season ticket and still valid until next month.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Yeah it is a season ticket and still valid until next month.

Doesn't need scanning at any point then.

 

[RPI]

Was going to say, I dont believe there's any requirement with a season to tap in and out etc, certainly not compulsory in my part of the world

 

[TheGarner]

You don’t get much choice when the ticket staff man the entrances/exits that don’t have gates.

 

[Wallsendmag]

There is nothing that needs doing with a season ticket it just needs reading to show what ticket is on the card. I've had various feedback from customers about several TOCs staff along the lines of "whats that or what do tou expect me to do with that" very disapointing.

 

[TheGarner]

Update:

I normally get the same staff member on the way home who scans/checks tickets at Piccadilly and today I managed to ask him.

The problem is, when someones scanned my smart card. They are given two options OK and FINAL. Final being used for tickets that have finished their journey. So someone has pressed the final on my season ticket which causes it to show up as a problem on the smart phones they use to scan.

I get a new season ticket soon which should solve the problem.

 

[peters]

Was going to say, I dont believe there's any requirement with a season to tap in and out etc, certainly not compulsory in my part of the world

Last time I checked Northern only had scan in and scan out facilities on the Harrogate line where they are trailing flexible season tickets, these aren't being sold on routes where scan in/scan out facilities haven't been installed. However, if the stations you use have ticket barriers (manual or automated) the smart card will be scanned when you enter and leave either the platform or station.

The problem is, when someones scanned my smart card. They are given two options OK and FINAL. Final being used for tickets that have finished their journey. So someone has pressed the final on my season ticket which causes it to show up as a problem on the smart phones they use to scan.

Why should 'final' even be an option for season tickets? Even if you've returned to Earlestown on the date your ticket expires, it would still be valid for another return journey on the same day if you wanted to make one.

 

[TheGarner]

Last time I checked Northern only had scan in and scan out facilities on the Harrogate line where they are trailing flexible season tickets, these aren't being sold on routes where scan in/scan out facilities haven't been installed. However, if the stations you use have ticket barriers (manual or automated) the smart card will be scanned when you enter and leave either the platform or station.



Why should 'final' even be an option for season tickets? Even if you've returned to Earlestown on the date your ticket expires, it would still be valid for another return journey on the same day if you wanted to make one.

I'm not sure to be honest, I do wonder if its just a generic UI thing and all tickets (regardless of type) have the same buttons. I suppose in an ideal world you would have that button disabled for season tickets just so staff can't make an error.