Which train companies allow me to buy tickets at a booking office using a company Cheque?

[londonbridge]

This thread prompted me to have a look, where I found the last time I wrote a cheque was pre covid, in 2019. Just about the only thing I was using them for was paying my local supporters association branch for tickets and/or travel for football. I haven’t written one since they started accepting BACS payments. The book currently in my cheque book holder was issued in 2014. There are five cheques left in it, the bank sent me a new book in 2021 which remains, and will most likely remain, completely unused.

 

[Deerfold]

Also I disagree that Cheques are barely used. I write about 5 or 6 business cheques a week. And maybe 4 or 5 personal ones a month.

On the other hand, I've a completely unused chequebook for the business I've been a director of for 10 years. We've received 2 cheques in that time - one from a client who we think was trying to slow down us taking payment (it was already late when the cheque was sent) - the other was an unexpected one from HMRC for an amount they requested back a fortnight later (transferred by BACS).

Personally, my last cheque was written in 2014, with an average of one a year between 2009 and then (and a little higher before that). My current chequebook was issued in 2007.

 

[jon81uk]

Not archaic, but most business companies have given them up and all payments are made electronically by BACS or equivalent. But it does make me wonder how season ticket loans are typically made to the railway nowadays..

For those unfamiliar with the process, it is mainly confined to London and environs. An annual season typically being about 10x a monthly, it is a worthwhile but high-priced saving, and a tax ruling was that the loan was not taxable (possibly because Inland Revenue HQ staff in Whitehall were significant users of the approach!), so employers would see it as a benefit. It is recovered one-twelfth each month from salary. I have spoken to accountants in the north who were completely unaware of such an approach.

My current employer just gives the money in payroll and then expects the receipt to be returned within a month to prove the ticket was purchased (I usually bought on the TfL website to add to my Oyster and submitted the email receipt).
Previous employer bought the ticket for me from their trainline business account and then I needed to collect from the cash office.

 

[rmt4ever]

Great news! I have found a current webpage of the c2c company which makes it clear that they are more than happy to accept company cheques.

 

[Haywain]

Great news! I have found a current webpage of the c2c company which makes it clear that they are more than happy to accept company cheques.

You were told about this in post #9.

 

[infobleep]

Alternatively nobody has updated the content for some time, likely since the withdrawal of cheque guarantee cards.

Chiltern definitely only accept company cheques for season tickets, however, and as noted against the EMR entry, they don't accept ones marked "Trading as" or "for and on behalf of."

Typically it's done in one of a few ways:

• Disbursement to the employee's bank account, with a requirement to provide the receipt for the ticket within a certain time frame.
• Using a Season Ticket Warrant, if the company has a warrant account.
• Through a Business Travel Office or Travel Management Company.
• By BACS transfer to the TOC, with the Finance Team confirming receipt and authorising a specific Ticket Office to issue the ticket.

In my case, I tended to buy it on my credit card and then provide the details. I would then pay off the credit card having been loaned the money.

I don't remember getting the tax off but perhaps I did from my salary.

I don't travel often enough how to justify a season ticket.

 

[Deerfold]

In my case, I tended to buy it on my credit card and then provide the details. I would then pay off the credit card having been loaned the money.

I don't remember getting the tax off but perhaps I did from my salary.

I don't travel often enough how to justify a season ticket.

The last time I bought one I'd managed to leave my debit and credit card a couple of hundred miles away and took £3,500 in cash (which I'd withdrawn from my bank (having been loaned it by work) with my passport and a few security questions) to buy my season ticket.

 

[westv]

I don't travel often enough how to justify a season ticket.

Same here. As I mentioned earlier my last season ticket purchase was 2009.
I had 7 years of Mon/Fri travelling to London using AP tickets but since Covid I'm now 100% WFH (apart from occasional trips to the London office).

 

[infobleep]

Same here. As I mentioned earlier my last season ticket purchase was 2009.
I had 7 years of Mon/Fri travelling to London using AP tickets but since Covid I'm now 100% WFH (apart from occasional trips to the London office).

I don't get the luxury of advanced purchase tickets for the journey I'd make. Even when I go to, 2 days a week in the office, I will mostly stick to the bus as its cheaper.

 

[westv]

I don't get the luxury of advanced purchase tickets for the journey I'd make. Even when I go to, 2 days a week in the office, I will mostly stick to the bus as its cheaper.

Google tells me a bus would take me 8 hours.

 

[sprunt]

I don't remember getting the tax off but perhaps I did from my salary.

You don't "get tax off" - the tax benefit is that normally if you get an interest free loan from your employer you would be charged tax on the value of the interest saved against getting a loan from a financial institution, but you aren't if it's a season ticket loan.

 

[infobleep]

You don't "get tax off" - the tax benefit is that normally if you get an interest free loan from your employer you would be charged tax on the value of the interest saved against getting a loan from a financial institution, but you aren't if it's a season ticket loan.

So if you had a £4,000 season ticket, for example, via a loan what would that equal in terms of what would come out of your salary?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

So if you had a £4,000 season ticket, for example, via a loan what would that equal in terms of what would come out of your salary?

Possibly a £400 per month deduction from net pay if over ten months and it's an interest free loan?

 

[sprunt]

When I took them out the repayment was over 12 months, but I imagine it varies from company to company.

 

[westv]

When I took them out the repayment was over 12 months, but I imagine it varies from company to company.

It was 10 or 12 months where I worked. The employee chose.

 

[infobleep]

So if you had a £4,000 season ticket, for example, via a loan what would that equal in terms of what would come out of your salary?

I think I understand now. There is no saving by your employer loaning you the money to buy a season ticket but they don't charge you additional tax on top for the privilege of them doing this.

Bit like me taking out an interest free loan to buy a computer and no additonal tax levied for using that process.