TVM pre paid ticket card checking

[benbristow]

Bit of a thing that caught me out the other day.

Usually I buy my tickets from Hawkhead (Paisley Canal line) to Glasgow Central via either the ScotRail app (m-tickets), or via the ScotRail Website/Trainpal where I collect a paper ticket using a collection reference. I usually pay online using my Monzo Virtual card, which is a digital card that doesn't actually exist physically. When I collect my tickets at the machine at the station it makes me put a card in for validation, and literally any card seems to work.

I've never used Chiltern Railways but Topcashback seem to be offering cashback through them (even though it's a measly few pence on my cheap tickets) so I thought I'd give them a go out of curiosity - as you can buy tickets from any TOC. Bought my ticket no problem using my virtual card.

When I got to the station however I went through the whole card check rigmarole and the machine complained it wasn't the card used to purchase the tickets. Never had this problem before.

The conductor was sympathetic and said to just ask at the other end (Glasgow Central) but as it was a Saturday night around 7/8pm no-one was there. Ended up being sneaky and using the lift on the platform side that skips the barriers completely (I'd bought a ticket so I don't feel bad about this).

Are there any other TOCs that seem to maintain this policy? It seems utterly bizarre to me.

 

[Watershed]

Bit of a thing that caught me out the other day.

Usually I buy my tickets from Hawkhead (Paisley Canal line) to Glasgow Central via either the ScotRail app (m-tickets), or via the ScotRail Website/Trainpal where I collect a paper ticket using a collection reference. I usually pay online using my Monzo Virtual card, which is a digital card that doesn't actually exist physically. When I collect my tickets at the machine at the station it makes me put a card in for validation, and literally any card seems to work.

I've never used Chiltern Railways but Topcashback seem to be offering cashback through them (even though it's a measly few pence on my cheap tickets) so I thought I'd give them a go out of curiosity - as you can buy tickets from any TOC. Bought my ticket no problem using my virtual card.

When I got to the station however I went through the whole card check rigmarole and the machine complained it wasn't the card used to purchase the tickets. Never had this problem before.

The conductor was sympathetic and said to just ask at the other end (Glasgow Central) but as it was a Saturday night around 7/8pm no-one was there. Ended up being sneaky and using the lift on the platform side that skips the barriers completely (I'd bought a ticket so I don't feel bad about this).

Are there any other TOCs that seem to maintain this policy? It seems utterly bizarre to me.

It's down to the retailer. Some retailers set purchases to any card collection, others set them to be fixed to the card used for purchasing. Sometimes it varies depending on how much they 'trust' your account.

 

[XAM2175]

When I got to the station however I went through the whole card check rigmarole and the machine complained it wasn't the card used to purchase the tickets. Never had this problem before.

Ooh, but others have! Here's one from yesterday:

Issue of ToD with Chase Debit Card purchased with Scotrail

Recently, Scotrail has started to have 4.25% cashback from a cashback site, which I suggested to some friends use. However, one of my friends used Chase Debit Card which is an online-based, and the physical debit card does not carry a card number or expiry information (just as a physical medium...

www.railforums.co.uk

And a discussion from earlier this month:

Which ticketing website allows any card when collecting from TVM?

Following a less than optimal (although by no means traumatic) experience with purchasing tickets from the Avanti website (see https://railforums.co.uk/threads/use-different-card-to-pick-up-avanti-tickets.233921/), I'm wondering which ticketing website I can use which doesn't require the card...

www.railforums.co.uk

And another one from earlier this month:

Use different card to pick up Avanti tickets?

Hi all, Long time lurker and enjoyer of discussions on these forums, finally have a question of my own. I booked tickets from the Avanti website for a journey starting (with an Avanti train) at Euston, with tickets to be picked up from the machine. However, I now can't find the card I used for...

www.railforums.co.uk

And one from May, for good measure:

Unable to collect tickets when using Chase bank card

Currently you cannot collects tickets bought online for collection if you used a Chase bank card. As I understand it, this is because it has two card numbers (one for online and one for in person purchases). Is there any way of avoiding this issue? Before anyone mentions e-tickets, this flow...

www.railforums.co.uk

 

[benbristow]

Strange with the first one you quoted which was ScotRail, never had any trouble booking tickets with them myself (although the cashback tracking is quite unreliable, only worked once and that was for a season ticket).

Sounds like Watershed was correct saying "Sometimes it varies depending on how much they 'trust' your account" as I live in Scotland so use them very often.