Trainpal Question

paulstevo

Just purchased 3 year  Family and Friends Railcard via the Trainpal advice for £60.
Hopeful to get some use off this over the next few years.
Questions are I use the trainline app for a lot of local trips and the option to use railcard for even cheaper fares is available. Can I add the railcard to my trainline app. According to Trainline I can,however cannot seem to navigate to said option. Is this an option ?
Have compared same trains local on both apps and to be fair Trainpal comes in cheaper. 
Also when I tested application on railcard website it gave me an option to add another adult (which would of been my wife ). Trainpal is just myself with photo ID. 
Is it a case of anything I book lets say Liverpool to London its via the Trainpal App and will discount all my tickets for family as per Railcard within app.?
Just want to be sure it will all work and,it will operate (the family and friends railcard) problem free.
(just been reading some comments on forums and Trainpal doesnt really get good feedback,have signed up for this railcard upon reading this sites pinned  recommendation for railcard discount, may try to cancel as really dont want stress of cancelled tickets and poor customer service)
Cheers

Neil49

I don't use Trainline given that they add on a booking fee (I use TrainSplit) but surely all you do is book tickets as usual and simply select the option that you have a railcard to get the discounted rate.

If the ticket inspector checks on the train then you just show your tickets and your railcard separately. 

daveyjp

The only requirement is to present a valid Railcard when requested by railway staff.  I also use Trainsplit for longer trips, local TOC for other tickets.

However following endless problems with the digital railcard not being available when required I continue  to hold a physical card.

flaneurs_lobster

daveyjp said:

The only requirement is to present a valid Railcard when requested by railway staff.  I also use Trainsplit for longer trips, local TOC for other tickets.

However following endless problems with the digital railcard not being available when required I continue  to hold a physical card.

The Trainline website/app (and the rail company's sites who all use the same software) allow you to enter the fact that you hold a railcard when inputting details of each ticket to get the 1/3rd off discount. 

It's then up to the train staff to check that you are meeting the regs for the use of those tickets - in the case of the F&F card it's that at least 1 adult (named on the card account) and at least one child are travelling at the same time.

paulstevo

I have used the app at the weekend and forwared tickets to my wife and daughter with success I also took a photo of my railcard and sent it to her in case requested(which it was not). I did not tarvel with them albeit was only local trips.

flaneurs_lobster

paulstevo said:

I have used the app at the weekend and forwared tickets to my wife and daughter with success I also took a photo of my railcard and sent it to her in case requested(which it was not). I did not tarvel with them albeit was only local trips.

Just checking - up to two adults can be named when buying a F&F Railcard. At least one of these named adults must be travelling if the discount has been used for the journey. You can't add a second adult after the purchase nor pass the card to anyone else to use if they are not named.

So your wife is named on the card?

daveyjp

paulstevo said:

I have used the app at the weekend and forwared tickets to my wife and daughter with success I also took a photo of my railcard and sent it to her in case requested(which it was not). I did not tarvel with them albeit was only local trips.

Just so you are aware, whilst the Railcard wasn't checked this time a photo of a Railcard isn't valid.  It needs to be a physical plastic card or presented in the app.

Neil49

paulstevo said:

I have used the app at the weekend and forwared tickets to my wife and daughter with success I also took a photo of my railcard and sent it to her in case requested(which it was not). I did not tarvel with them albeit was only local trips.

You should have photos of both yourself and your wife on the railcard. From what you have said that is not the case. If their tickets had been checked they would have been fined for not having a valid railcard.

As mentioned above, you should either have a physical card or the app with both of your photographs on it. Your wife and daughter were lucky this time around. 

The_Groat_Counter

daveyjp said:

The only requirement is to present a valid Railcard when requested by railway staff.  I also use Trainsplit for longer trips, local TOC for other tickets.

However following endless problems with the digital railcard not being available when required I continue  to hold a physical card.

Which app did you have the Digital Railcard on (i.e. the one that gave you problems?).

The_Groat_Counter

daveyjp said:

paulstevo said:

I have used the app at the weekend and forwared tickets to my wife and daughter with success I also took a photo of my railcard and sent it to her in case requested(which it was not). I did not travel with them albeit was only local trips.

Just so you are aware, whilst the Railcard wasn't checked this time a photo of a Railcard isn't valid.  It needs to be a physical plastic card or presented in the app.

Or indeed an 'old-school' paper/card version of the Railcard, which is what you get if you buy a Railcard from a station ticket office.