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

[rmt4ever]

Thanks

 

[StIvesWife]

I doubt that any do

 

[Wallsendmag]

Normal tickets or a season ticket renewal?

 

[westv]

I have memories of using a cheque from my employer to buy a season ticket.
Last time was 2009.

 

[JBuchananGB]

Folk here might find it easier to answer a specific question, such as - my employer is willing to pay upfront for my annual season from A to B costing £x,000. They want to pay by means of company cheque. Is this possible? If so which station or train company office would deal with it?
Which train company operates the train on which travel is intended? Which train company operates the station at which the journey starts?

 

[Haywain]

There is no centrally maintained list if which train companies will accept business cheques, so it will be necessary to check locally. I would be surprised if any will accept cheques for much other than long-term season tickets.

 

[Wallsendmag]

Lner probably won't as I seem to remember we removed cheque from the TIS as a payment option

 

[Haywain]

Lner probably won't as I seem to remember we removed cheque from the TIS as a payment option

LNER definitely won't.

 

[pepperpot80]

I can find references to acceptance of company cheques by the following train operating companies. All imply that a company cheque can be accepted at any staffed ticket office, with conditions.

Generally the 'old rules' for accepting a company cheque still apply, with ticket offices accepting company cheques as payment for Annual Season Tickets for renewal of an existing Annual Season Ticket, and usually require
proof of identity, proof of address, and proof of employment (a company letter would suffice) to be provided for a new Annual Season Ticket.

Some of the TOCs give details of their exact requirements, others you may need to ask at the ticket office.

Greater Anglia: https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/tic...r-season-ticket/who-do-i-make-cheques-payable
c2c: https://www.c2c-online.co.uk/help_centre/tickets/can-i-pay-by-company-cheque/ and https://www.c2c-online.co.uk/help_c...ress-on-the-cheque-just-the-logo-of-the-bank/
LNWR: https://www.londonnorthwesternrailw...asked-questions/season-tickets-faqs#aci-fid56
Southern: https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/ticket-types-explained/season-tickets
Thameslink: https://www.thameslinkrailway.com/tickets/buy-tickets/ways-to-pay
Chiltern: https://www.chilternrailways.co.uk/season-tickets

 

[rmt4ever]

Before the National Railways website was ‘upgraded’ there was a page on this. I have found it on the archive thing.

Is this information still true? This is to purchase non season tickets. It looks like I can goto Marylebone to do it with Chiltern.

 

[Haywain]

Before the National Railways website was ‘upgraded’ there was a page on this. I have found it on the archive thing.

No, because there is no longer a centrally maintained list.

 

[rmt4ever]

No, because there is no longer a centrally maintained list.

That is helpful for the passengers

 

[Haywain]

Cheques are no longer listed as a method of payment so, as with foreign currency, every TOC can you what it feels appropriate. In both cases there should be no passenger expectation that they will be accepted.

 

[skyhigh]

I have found it on the archive thing.

That copy is 5 years old so I would expect things might have changed since then.

 

[MrJeeves]

That copy is 5 years old so I would expect things might have changed since then.

And it was even outdated at the time of archiving, with information about London Midland.

 

[Wallsendmag]

I would say your chances of getting a company cheque accepted for a non season ticket are next to zero

 

[island]

That is helpful for the passengers

Cheques are an archaic and insecure payment method that are barely used any more. If you went through an entire train and found more than one or two passengers who thought it was "unhelpful that there is no list of stations where you can buy tickets by cheque", I'd be most surprised.

Nevertheless, as mentioned in post 9, a minority of TOCs will accept payment by cheque, for annual season tickets only. If you wish to purchase other tickets, you'll need to use a more modern payment method.

 

[Richardr]

Not relevant to the company cheque situation, but for personal cheques the cheque guarantee card scheme (for many banks their debit card) ceased in 2001.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13961370

Since then (and for many well before then) virtually no retailers have accepted personal cheques.

Edit typo above - date should have read 2011 as Haywain points out below

 

[rmt4ever]

Cheques are an archaic and insecure payment method that are barely used any more. If you went through an entire train and found more than one or two passengers who thought it was "unhelpful that there is no list of stations where you can buy tickets by cheque", I'd be most surprised.

Nevertheless, as mentioned in post 9, a minority of TOCs will accept payment by cheque, for annual season tickets only. If you wish to purchase other tickets, you'll need to use a more modern payment method.

Actually the most recent version of that website, was in April this year, and lists various TOCs as accepting company cheques. So I doubt this has changed in such a short space of time.

Actually the most recent version of that website, was in March this year, and lists various TOCs as accepting company cheques. So I doubt this has changed in such a short space of time.

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.

 

[Taunton]

Cheques are an archaic and insecure payment method that are barely used any more. If you went through an entire train and found more than one or two passengers who thought it was "unhelpful that there is no list of stations where you can buy tickets by cheque", I'd be most surprised.

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.

 

[Haywain]

the cheque guarantee card scheme (for many banks their debit card) ceased in 2001.

Actually 2011 (a typo on your part, I suspect).

 

[Wallsendmag]

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.

Several TOCs have dedicated business sites that these tickets will be purchased through.

 

[CyrusWuff]

Actually the most recent version of that website, was in April this year, and lists various TOCs as accepting company cheques. So I doubt this has changed in such a short space of time.

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."

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.

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.

 

[43096]

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.

So a survey of one… Not exactly statistically significant!

 

[island]

as mentioned in post 9, a minority of TOCs will accept payment by cheque, for annual season tickets only. If you wish to purchase other tickets, you'll need to use a more modern payment method.

Actually the most recent version of that website, was in April this year, and lists various TOCs as accepting company cheques. So I doubt this has changed in such a short space of time.

That is exactly what I said, so I am quite unclear why you are "actually"ing me. Fewer than half of TOCs accept cheques, and that is "a minority".

 

[Taunton]

One wonders if there is special provision at ticket offices such as Waterloo to still provide season tickets for this approach, with ticket staff familiar with the process.

 

[westv]

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.

I always assumed it was common practice (where needed) throughout the country but, as you say, my own experience has only ever been in the south and travelling to London.
I think the tax free limit used to be £5k. Is this still the case?

edit: I see it doubled to £10k in 2014.

 

[Taunton]

edit: I see it doubled to £10k in 2014.

Doubtless when a first class annual season from Tonbridge to Charing Cross, for the Sir Humphreys who then walk round the corner into Whitehall, went over £5k.

 

[northwichcat]

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.

I always assumed it was common practice (where needed) throughout the country but, as you say, my own experience has only ever been in the south and travelling to London.

One of my previous employers up north offered it. However, it was the parent company who ran the scheme, so we did have sister companies in London and the south.

I didn't take up the scheme for two reasons:
1. It didn't feel like a role I would remain in for long term. I could do more than what the role allowed me to do, and it didn't seem there would be a promotion opportunity to a suitable role.
2. I often took spare annual leave just after a monthly season expired and avoided buying any monthly seasons that covered weeks I wouldn't be working. For example, if my season ticket ran out 11 working days before I went away for a week, I would buy two weeklies and one anytime return (or sometimes use a complimentary ticket I had from a Delay Repay claim).

 

[alholmes]

Actually the most recent version of that website, was in April this year, and lists various TOCs as accepting company cheques. So I doubt this has changed in such a short space of time.

I was intrigued by the entry on the list for EMR which showed different arrangements for Oakham station. But a quick check at Companies House shows that Oakham Station Travel Ltd was dissolved in May 2023, so the list is no longer fully up-to-date.