Credit card fees when booking online

[Will Schwaeble]

I've read here previously that The Trainline now charges £1something
each time a ticket is purchased online using a credit card.

I have a Visa Credit Card - does this mean that each time I purchase a
train ticket online, I will be charged this additional fee? Do all of
the online rail ticketing agencies (and even rail stations) charge
extra? Is there a website which doesn't yet charge for buying train
tickets online?

[d***@my-deja.com]

Yes you will be charged.

Stations don't charge a fee AFAIK. I suppose there could be exceptions
but I never have been - nor when buying on the train.

I don't think other on line agencies charge. I've experience of Virgin
and Great Western, neither of whom do. I'm pretty sure Chiltern don't
either. They all sell any train ticket, not just their own.

[Neil Williams]

Post by d***@my-deja.com
Stations don't charge a fee AFAIK. I suppose there could be exceptions
but I never have been - nor when buying on the train.

One exception - Merseyrail. I wonder if they're allowed to do that
because of their relative independence from the national operation,
else I'm sure someone else would have tried it on by now.

Neil

[Ken Ward]

Post by d***@my-deja.com
Yes you will be charged.
Stations don't charge a fee AFAIK. I suppose there could be exceptions
but I never have been - nor when buying on the train.
I don't think other on line agencies charge. I've experience of Virgin
and Great Western, neither of whom do. I'm pretty sure Chiltern don't
either. They all sell any train ticket, not just their own.

My VISA statement shows NO surcharge for recent (4 virgin and 1 GW) but all
done by and sent from Trainline in Edinburgh. Booked via TOC websites.

Ken Ward, Bolton.

[Bob Wood]

Post by Ken Ward
My VISA statement shows NO surcharge for recent (4 virgin and 1 GW)
but all done by and sent from Trainline in Edinburgh. Booked via TOC
websites.

Presumably booked on TOC websites and not *the* thetrainline.co.uk site,
which definitely surcharges credit card bookings by £1.50 per
transaction now.

[David]

Post by d***@my-deja.com
Yes you will be charged.
Stations don't charge a fee AFAIK. I suppose there could be exceptions
but I never have been - nor when buying on the train.
I don't think other on line agencies charge. I've experience of Virgin
and Great Western, neither of whom do. I'm pretty sure Chiltern don't
either. They all sell any train ticket, not just their own.

If you buy a season ticket from the South West Trains web site, they
charge £3.


Dave

[Peter Smyth]

Post by Will Schwaeble
I've read here previously that The Trainline now charges £1something
each time a ticket is purchased online using a credit card.
I have a Visa Credit Card - does this mean that each time I purchase a
train ticket online, I will be charged this additional fee? Do all of
the online rail ticketing agencies (and even rail stations) charge
extra? Is there a website which doesn't yet charge for buying train
tickets online?

If you book through http://www.midlandmainline.com/ there are no fees for
credit or debit cards even though it is still run by the trainline. They
also don't try to flog you travel insurance.

Peter Smyth

[Bob Wood]

Post by Peter Smyth
If you book through http://www.midlandmainline.com/ there are no fees
for credit or debit cards even though it is still run by the
trainline. They also don't try to flog you travel insurance.

And if you use 'photo' as a discount code, you get a quid off each
transaction until the end of next month.

[Ken Ward]

Post by Bob Wood

Post by Peter Smyth
If you book through http://www.midlandmainline.com/ there are no fees
for credit or debit cards even though it is still run by the
trainline. They also don't try to flog you travel insurance.

And if you use 'photo' as a discount code, you get a quid off each
transaction until the end of next month.

Thats almost 17% off a Manchester to St. Pancras cheap advanced.

MML website still said £6 though??

Ken Ward, Bolton.

[Bob Wood]

Post by Ken Ward

Post by Bob Wood

Post by Peter Smyth
If you book through http://www.midlandmainline.com/ there are no
fees for credit or debit cards even though it is still run by the
trainline. They also don't try to flog you travel insurance.

And if you use 'photo' as a discount code, you get a quid off each
transaction until the end of next month.

Thats almost 17% off a Manchester to St. Pancras cheap advanced.
MML website still said £6 though??

It's per transaction and is deducted at the start of the payment stage.

[Ken Ward]

"Will Schwaeble" <***@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:***@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I've read here previously that The Trainline now charges £1something
each time a ticket is purchased online using a credit card.

I have a Visa Credit Card - does this mean that each time I purchase a
train ticket online, I will be charged this additional fee? Do all of
the online rail ticketing agencies (and even rail stations) charge
extra? Is there a website which doesn't yet charge for buying train
tickets online?

Trainline have (Last week) sold me 5 seperate tickets to my Visa a/c without
any surcharge.

Ken Ward, Bolton.

[HVB]

Post by Will Schwaeble
I've read here previously that The Trainline now charges £1something
each time a ticket is purchased online using a credit card.

I meant to mention this before...

These companies have a cheek asking for a surcharge on credit card
transactions.

They appear to have forgotten that the alternative funding option is
cash, which AIUI they are under a legal obligation to accept.

Handling cash is significantly more expensive than processing a credit
card transaction, even after they've paid the merchant fees. After
all, this is why credit cards are accepted in the first place. So by
using a credit card we're helping them keep their costs down.

I suspect they are hoping we'll be too apathetic to challenge the fee
charging - if that's the case, then at least we should direct our
custom to the services that don't impose a surcharge.

HVB

[Neil Williams]

Post by HVB
They appear to have forgotten that the alternative funding option is
cash, which AIUI they are under a legal obligation to accept.

No, they aren't. No debt exists to be settled, because you are
purchasing in advance of travel, so legal tender rules do not apply.

They are not legally required to do business with anyone at all.

Neil

[HVB]

Post by Neil Williams

Post by HVB
They appear to have forgotten that the alternative funding option is
cash, which AIUI they are under a legal obligation to accept.

No, they aren't. No debt exists to be settled, because you are
purchasing in advance of travel, so legal tender rules do not apply.
They are not legally required to do business with anyone at all.

I stand corrected, thanks!

I still think they have a cheek though. ;)

HVB

[Stevie D]

Post by HVB
I still think they have a cheek though. ;)

It's just another scam, designed to con passengers out of more money,
without the politically unacceptable act of raising fares.

Given that online retail is just about the cheapest way to sell
tickets - certainly much cheaper than staffed ticket offices or
on-train staff - one wonders why they are trying to discourage people
from using it.

The answer is that they are not. They are just hoping people will be
too apathetic to get off their backsides and go elsewhere.

[Ross]

On Tue, 07 Feb 2006 16:30:30 +0000, HVB wrote in

Post by HVB

Post by Will Schwaeble
I've read here previously that The Trainline now charges £1something
each time a ticket is purchased online using a credit card.

I meant to mention this before...
These companies have a cheek asking for a surcharge on credit card
transactions.

They've noticed the airlines doing it and are jumping on the
bandwagon.

Post by HVB
They appear to have forgotten that the alternative funding option is
cash, which AIUI they are under a legal obligation to accept.

Nope. Neil has explained why.

Post by HVB
Handling cash is significantly more expensive than processing a credit
card transaction, even after they've paid the merchant fees. After
all, this is why credit cards are accepted in the first place. So by
using a credit card we're helping them keep their costs down.

Yes indeedy. But that just increases their profits, and they've
quickly realised that when you say...

Post by HVB
I suspect they are hoping we'll be too apathetic to challenge the fee
charging

you are very right.