Loading a PAYG Oyster card with National Rail vouchers

[Allan]

I got some National Rail vouchers a little while ago, as a result of
DelayRepay (East Coast). Since it's not easy to use the vouchers as I
generally book tickets online (and booking online with vouchers is not
easy), I wondered if I could use the National Rail vouchers to load my
PAYG Oyster Card. After a bit of digging round the web and some helpful
comments here (for which Thanks), I took the NR vouchers to Kings Cross
with my Oyster card, and at the KX LU ticket office, after a bit of
researching, the nice lady was able to take the NR vouchers and load my
Oyster card.

So, the result is that it seems possible to use National Rail vouchers
for loading a PAYG Oyster card, but only at National Rail stations that
have Oyster travel (so KX is one of them).

These were National Rail vouchers, not LU vouchers. Also, it says that
the NR vouchers are not exchangeable for cash; I read a posting
somewhere wondering what would happen if someone loaded the Oyster PAYG
with NR vouchers, then asked for a refund of the Oyster card credit, and
someone else suggested that the refund office could see that the credit
had come from NR vouchers, so probably couldn't provide cash refund for
it. When I checked the activity on my PAYG Oyster to make sure the
amount had loaded correctly (at the ticket machine in the booking area),
it just said there had been a credit, it didn't say by a NR vouchers,
but I imagine the Oyster card office can see far more information about
the card history than the humble owner.

Allan

[Mizter T]

[x-posted to uk.transport.london]

Post by Allan
I got some National Rail vouchers a little while ago, as a result of
DelayRepay (East Coast).  Since it's not easy to use the vouchers as I
generally book tickets online (and booking online with vouchers is not
easy), I wondered if I could use the National Rail vouchers to load my
PAYG Oyster Card.  After a bit of digging round the web and some helpful
comments here (for which Thanks), I took the NR vouchers to Kings Cross
with my Oyster card, and at the KX LU ticket office, after a bit of
researching, the nice lady was able to take the NR vouchers and load my
Oyster card.
So, the result is that it seems possible to use National Rail vouchers
for loading a PAYG Oyster card, but only at National Rail stations that
have Oyster travel (so KX is one of them).
These were National Rail vouchers, not LU vouchers.  Also, it says that
the NR vouchers are not exchangeable for cash;  I read a posting
somewhere wondering what would happen if someone loaded the Oyster PAYG
with NR vouchers, then asked for a refund of the Oyster card credit, and
someone else suggested that the refund office could see that the credit
had come from NR vouchers, so probably couldn't provide cash refund for
it.  When I checked the activity on my PAYG Oyster to make sure the
amount had loaded correctly (at the ticket machine in the booking area),
it just said there had been a credit, it didn't say by a NR vouchers,
but I imagine the Oyster card office can see far more information about
the card history than the humble owner.

Interesting stuff - I wasn't aware that (NR) Rail Travel Vouchers were
accepted at LU ticket offices.

[Allan]

Post by Mizter T
[x-posted to uk.transport.london]
Interesting stuff - I wasn't aware that (NR) Rail Travel Vouchers were
accepted at LU ticket offices.

NB: not all LU offices, AIUI: only those that have Oyster usage with
e.g. mainline over-ground (but I could be wrong!). I specifically
didn't try it at a plain tube stop.

[Mizter T]

Post by Allan

Post by Mizter T
[x-posted to uk.transport.london]
Interesting stuff - I wasn't aware that (NR) Rail Travel Vouchers were
accepted at LU ticket offices.

NB: not all LU offices, AIUI: only those that have Oyster usage with
e.g. mainline over-ground (but I could be wrong!).  I specifically
didn't try it at a plain tube stop.

I can understand LU ticket offices accepting it at stations where they
are the only ticket office, but the station is served by NR services -
e.g. West Ham, Seven Sisters, Kew Gardens, Harrowe & Wealdstone,
Greenford etc etc, but obviously at KXSP there are numerous 'National
Rail' ticket offices also available 'topside', though whether any of
these are (a) capable and (b) in practice able to accept RTVs and load
the value as pay-as-you-go credit onto an Oyster card is another
question (IIRC the FCC ticket office at St Pancras 'does' Oyster, and
perhaps the FCC ticket office at KX suburban also does it too).

[n***@yahoo.co.uk]

Post by Mizter T

Post by Allan

Post by Mizter T
[x-posted to uk.transport.london]
Interesting stuff - I wasn't aware that (NR) Rail Travel Vouchers were
accepted at LU ticket offices.

NB: not all LU offices, AIUI: only those that have Oyster usage with
e.g. mainline over-ground (but I could be wrong!).  I specifically
didn't try it at a plain tube stop.

I can understand LU ticket offices accepting it at stations where they
are the only ticket office, but the station is served by NR services -
e.g. West Ham, Seven Sisters, Kew Gardens, Harrowe & Wealdstone,
Greenford etc etc, but obviously at KXSP there are numerous 'National
Rail' ticket offices also available 'topside', though whether any of
these are (a) capable and (b) in practice able to accept RTVs and load
the value as pay-as-you-go credit onto an Oyster card is another
question (IIRC the FCC ticket office at St Pancras 'does' Oyster, and
perhaps the FCC ticket office at KX suburban also does it too).

Interestngly when I asked the NR counter at marylebone if they topped
up oyster the chap asked why ( there are 4 LUL machines and a LUL
ticket office a few meters away)

As soon as i told him I had a voucher he happily topped up my PAYG
oyster with it

HTH Phil

[Kevin Ashley]

Post by Allan
So, the result is that it seems possible to use National Rail vouchers
for loading a PAYG Oyster card, but only at National Rail stations that
have Oyster travel (so KX is one of them).

Interesting. Someone mentioned this was possible last year, and I
was enthusiastic about it for much the same reason as you (buy most
tickets online, and I haven't worked out how to use vouchers for that
at all.) But I tried at Kings Cross, above ground and below
ground, and both said it wasn't possible. The only station I managed
to use them at was Highbury, which fit the criteria as a station
with a single ticket office which sold both NR and LU tickets.
(Finsbury Park, for example, also said it wasn't possible and
there are separate ticket offices there.)

I'll have to try Kings Cross again.

[Allan]

Post by Kevin Ashley

Post by Allan
So, the result is that it seems possible to use National Rail vouchers
for loading a PAYG Oyster card, but only at National Rail stations
that have Oyster travel (so KX is one of them).

Interesting. Someone mentioned this was possible last year, and I
was enthusiastic about it for much the same reason as you (buy most
tickets online, and I haven't worked out how to use vouchers for that
at all.) But I tried at Kings Cross, above ground and below
ground, and both said it wasn't possible. The only station I managed
to use them at was Highbury, which fit the criteria as a station
with a single ticket office which sold both NR and LU tickets.
(Finsbury Park, for example, also said it wasn't possible and
there are separate ticket offices there.)
I'll have to try Kings Cross again.

I went to the KX overground office and was advised to go to the
underground office. The nice lady who ended up handling my query at the
underground office had to go and refer to some reference book or other,
and check with a colleague, but she did it ok. On the receipt that I
have for the credit, it says: "Method of payment: Warrant"