Train GraphicClick on the map to explore geographics
 
I need help
FAQ
Emergency
About .
 No recent travel & transport from BBC stories as at 22:15 01 May 2025
Read about the forum [here].
Register [here] - it's free.
What do I gain from registering? [here]		 03/05/25 - Walk to Pilning
10/05/25 - BRTA Westbury
10/05/25 - Model Railway Show, Calne
13/05/25 - Melksham TUG / AGM

On this day
1st May (1972)
Bristol Parkway station opens
Train RunningNo cancellations or delays
•
PollsOpen and recent polls
Open to 08/05 09:07 Steam Excursion - or diesel excursion with a featured steam section?
Open to 07/05 09:27 Should train, bus and coach operators be required to accept cash
•
Abbreviation pageAcronymns and abbreviations
•
Stn ComparatorStation Comparator
•
Rail newsNews Now - live rail news feed
•
Train companiesSelect from:
GWR
SWR
XC
Chiltern
TfL
TfW
WMR
Southern
• Site Style 1 2 3 4
Next departures • Bristol Temple Meads • Bath Spa • Chippenham • Swindon • Didcot Parkway • Reading • London Paddington • Melksham
Exeter St Davids • Taunton • Westbury • Trowbridge • Bristol Parkway • Cardiff Central • Oxford • Cheltenham Spa • Birmingham New Street
May 01, 2025, 22:27:11 *
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Forgotten your username or password? - get a reminder
Most recently liked subjects
[135] Low passenger numbers due to train unreliability
[87] Steam excursion - except there's much more diesel than steam!
[54] Brighton Belle - merged topics
[47] Cash payments for transport services
[45] "Save the Last Remaining British Rail Hovercraft from Destruct...
[41] Proposed Bristol Airport link
 
News: the Great Western Coffee Shop ... keeping you up to date with travel around the South West
 
   Home   Help Search Calendar Login Register  
Great Western Coffee Shop > All across the Great Western territory > Fare's Fair > Complete inflexibility at ticket offices
Pages: 1 2 [3]
« previous next »
  Print  
Author Topic: Complete inflexibility at ticket offices  (Read 18983 times)
Brucey
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2259


View Profile WWW
« Reply #30 on: August 23, 2011, 20:34:50 »
I tried my Clubcard then my Nectar card.  Neither released the tickets!
Logged
Phil
Global Moderator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 2062



View Profile
« Reply #31 on: August 24, 2011, 07:58:04 »
I'm compelled to admit that I have some experience in this kind of experimentation!

My employer orders my tickets for me, which I can then collect at the station on the day of travel. Although I don't actually pay for the tickets, the machines nevertheless demand that I swipe a card before entering the authorisation code (I seem to remember reading on here a long time ago that the equipment is based on ATM▸ (Automated Teller Machine, or 'at the moment', depending on context) technology and it was cheaper to buy machines designed to require a card to be swiped under all circumstances than redesign them for travel purposes).

Down the years I've tried every card in my wallet, and even one from the dashboard of my car in deseperation one  when I forgot my wallet altogether that day (luckily the chap manning the counter at the station recognised me and used my paper authority to dispense the tickets despite me not having any form of ID on me apart from my work pass).

I can confirm that only valid debit or credit cards work. Interestingly, maxed out cards do work (even though they're useless for all other purposes), and cards which have had the access to cash via ATMs bit removed also still work. American Express cards work (although not all shops accept them - B&Q don't for example, as I found out to my acute embarrassment recently)
Logged
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 19586



View Profile Email
« Reply #32 on: August 24, 2011, 21:33:56 »
My understanding is that any debit or credit card should work, if used in conjunction with a valid booking reference number.

It doesn't have to be the actual card which was used to purchase the ticket - that has already been debited for the cost, after all! However, it does have to be an identifiable bank card, which is then registered against the details entered by the person collecting the ticket(s).

This is required, purely to provide an audit trail - just in case someone claims that their pre-paid ticket(s) have been purloined by some person or persons unknown, using a Clubcard!  Roll Eyes
Logged
William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
JayMac
Data Manager
Hero Member
******
Posts: 19310



View Profile
« Reply #33 on: August 24, 2011, 21:38:48 »
Collected tickets bought solely with a RSH voucher today. Tried my old NatWest debit card from a closed account. Worked fine!
Logged
"Good news for regular users of Euston Station in London! One day they will die. Then they won't have to go to Euston Station ever again." - David Mitchell
Chris from Nailsea
Administrator
Hero Member
*****
Posts: 19586



View Profile Email
« Reply #34 on: August 24, 2011, 22:05:06 »
QED  Wink
Logged
William Huskisson MP▸ (Member of Parliament, or Mile Post (a method of measuring the railway in miles and chains from a starting point - usually London), depending on context) was the first person to be killed by a train while crossing the tracks, in 1830.  Many more have died in the same way since then.  Don't take a chance: Stop, Look, Listen.

"Level crossings are safe, unless they are used in an unsafe manner."  Discuss.
Do you have something you would like to add to this thread, or would you like to raise a new question at the Coffee Shop? Please [register] (it is free) if you have not done so before, or login (at the top of this page) if you already have an account - we would love to read what you have to say!

You can find out more about how this forum works [here] - that will link you to a copy of the forum agreement that you can read before you join, and tell you very much more about how we operate. We are an independent forum, provided and run by customers of Great Western Railway, for customers of Great Western Railway and we welcome railway professionals as members too, in either a personal or official capacity. Views expressed in posts are not necessarily the views of the operators of the forum.

As well as posting messages onto existing threads, and starting new subjects, members can communicate with each other through personal messages if they wish. And once members have made a certain number of posts, they will automatically be admitted to the "frequent posters club", where subjects not-for-public-domain are discussed; anything from the occasional rant to meetups we may be having ...

 
Pages: 1 2 [3]
  Print  
« previous next »
 
Jump to:  

Powered by MySQL Powered by PHP Powered by SMF 1.1.2 | SMF © 2006-2007, Simple Machines LLC Valid XHTML 1.0! Valid CSS!
This forum is provided by customers of Great Western Railway (formerly First Great Western), and the views expressed are those of the individual posters concerned. Visit www.gwr.com for the official Great Western Railway website. Please contact the administrators of this site if you feel that the content provided by one of our posters contravenes our posting rules via admin@railcustomer.info. Full legal statement (here).

Jump to top of page • Jump to Forum Home Page