Can a train company force me to do a minimum payment on card?

Dime_Bar

What train company was this on? It would be interesting to see if there has been anything official on this. The OP has said there is no machine\booking office at the station they board at so there should be no issue with buying the ticket on the train.

As for paying for small amounts on the card, I much prefer to pay on the card and I actually find it much easier balancing the books this way than using cash.

timbo58

TOCs could/would not make such a restriction for stations where they have any ticket issuing facilities.
If this is the case then the 1st opportunity to accept your fare will accept any normally acceptable means.

Stompa

callum9999 wrote: »

The only example I can come up with is Aldi.

AFAIK Aldi doesn't have a minimum spend limit on Debit Cards, though perhaps you're talking about credit cards (which I believe are accepted in Scottish & Welsh stores)?

Wywth

Andy_L wrote: »

The company can impose a minimum spend limit on card payments, or refuse to accept anything other than cash

Almost correct, except they are not even obliged to accept cash if they don't want to

Wywth

phillai wrote: »

What happens if they ask me to pay and I genuinely have no cash but I can pay on (any type of) card?

Can I say that I refuse to pay the minimum payment and ask for the T's and C's?

If you don't have the means to make the necessary payment, you should not be using the service

Wywth

Perhaps if people got into the habit of asking not what are my rights, but rather what are my responsibilities, we could do away with half the dross posted on these boards nowadays.

Russe11

27col wrote: »

It is a matter of some surprise to me that any train fair can be as little as £1.70. I would have thought that amount would have taken you about half way between two stations.

don't even buy a cup of tea on the does £1.70 these days... I don't think you can go anywhere from the station near me, not even one stop for less than £10 at peak times.

klint

macman wrote: »

Or you could just use auto top-up?

No! Auto top-up is not suitable for us casual Oyster users, because of TfL's stupid rules on how auto top-up works. The minimum top-up amount is £25 and it happens when your balance goes below £5. So for those of us who use Oyster once or twice a month (hardly spending a couple of quid), TfL are keeping money that should belong to me, and undeservedly earning interest on it. I would like auto top-up to take just £5 whenever the balance went below 0, but unfortunately they don't allow any variations to their £25 top-up rule.

giraffe69

No! Auto top-up is not suitable for us casual Oyster users, because of TfL's stupid rules on how auto top-up works. The minimum top-up amount is £25 and it happens when your balance goes below £5.

I think it is a top up of either £20 or £40 when it drops below £8(may have become £10 now). Personally I find that quite convenient. For the tiny bit of interest they might earn I am compensated by paying them with a card that gives me a tiny amount of cashback but frankly there are better things to worry about than 27p per year. The service is, I find, efficient and convenient. I never have to worry about having change or whether ticket machines work. I thin Oyster is one of the best ideas to come to transport for many years.

Stompa

klint wrote: »

No! Auto top-up is not suitable for us casual Oyster users, because of TfL's stupid rules on how auto top-up works.

I agree, for the occasional user it's not appropriate.