Buying ticket for someone else

mto

I need to buy a bus or train ticket for somebody for this Friday for a journey from Preston to Manchester. They have no money and no credit or debit cards.

If i try to buy online, they need to present the card the ticket was purchased with in order to pick it up - impossible because it's my card. Does anyone know of a way to get around this.

Thanks.

victor2

You can usually pick up the ticket from any station with a machine there. Is there a station nearer you that you can get to just to collect the ticket and hand it over to the passenger? My daughter recently picked up a ticket from a station with a machine because she had forgotten to pick the ticket up on her outbound journey and the station she was leaving from had no machine. Different case I know, but proved the point.

mto

Unfortunately I'm not in either Preston or Manchester to do this, and it's too late for me to post it.

I've looked everywhere and can't find a solution, but surely I'm not the only person to buy a ticket at short notice for somebody else.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Your not but it is possible to ring up the TOC concerned on their ticket buying line and ask them to release the ticket for 'ANY CARD USE' this will let them use their card and the ref number together

martinbuckley

Go and put the cash in their bank acct and then they can withdraw the cash and buy the ticket at the station.

mto

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Your not but it is possible to ring up the TOC concerned on their ticket buying line and ask them to release the ticket for 'ANY CARD USE' this will let them use their card and the ref number together

They don't have a credit or debit card.

mto

martinbuckley wrote: »

Go and put the cash in their bank acct and then they can withdraw the cash and buy the ticket at the station.

I think this is what i'll have to do, but I am concerned they will spend the money on something else rather than on the ticket to Manchester.

Stigy

Depending of what sort of ticket you are buying, you can go to any staffed Ticket Office and buy a ticket for your friend, who can visit their local ticket office who will print and issue the ticket(s). This can be done even if the Train Company that operates services on the line you intend to buy the tickets at, is different from that of your friend's local station. It's not an ideal way of doing things, but it's recognised by all or most TOCs I believe (Called a SILK arrangement). The downside is that you have to do this on the same day as your friend intends to travel.

Jeff_Bridges_hair

Stigy wrote: »

Depending of what sort of ticket you are buying, you can go to any staffed Ticket Office and buy a ticket for your friend, who can visit their local ticket office who will print and issue the ticket(s). This can be done even if the Train Company that operates services on the line you intend to buy the tickets at, is different from that of your friend's local station. It's not an ideal way of doing things, but it's recognised by all or most TOCs I believe (Called a SILK arrangement). The downside is that you have to do this on the same day as your friend intends to travel.

And this will be incurring a charge of £10.