If you are travelling by train on a ticket with a Railcard discount, you must travel with your valid Railcard. If you forget your Railcard you will either be required to buy a new ticket or you may on certain services be liable for a Penalty Fare.
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You will need to provide proof of your Railcard and either the original and additional tickets that you have purchased, or if you have not yet paid, details of the notice to pay or notice of Penalty Fare.
Railcards allow you to save up to 33% off most rail fares, including discounts on Advance Purchase tickets. There are eight different railcards available.
You don't need to live in Britain or be a UK citizen to be eligible. However, they can only be posted to UK addresses. Buy in person at a staffed railway station (each railcard is different, so it is best to check beforehand with Railcard Help to see if there are any documents that you will need to bring with you).
Most Railcards can be purchased online with the option to download as a digital Railcard to your smartphone or device with our Railcard App. Some 1-year Railcards can also be purchased at any National Rail staffed ticket office.
If you have purchased a digital 16-25 Railcard, it will be available to use straight away. A download code will be sent to your registered email address, along with instructions on how to download your Railcard. You cannot travel on discounted tickets until you have received your Railcard.
If you've lost your card or forgotten it you can login to your account. If you have already purchased a discounted ticket and you can't access your Railcard you'll need to speak to station staff before getting on the train to exchange your ticket, otherwise onboard you may have to purchase a full price ticket.
Digital Railcards are stored within the Railcard app on your smart phone or tablet, meaning there's no need to carry the physical card around with you. They can be stored on up to two devices and used quicker than plastic Railcards as they do not need to be sent in the post.
About National RailcardsWe offer 9 main National Railcards, which give you savings of 1/3 off train fares. Most are available to buy online or at stations. You must carry your Railcard with you on your journey to qualify for the discount.
With an Oyster card, you can get your Railcard discount loaded onto your Oyster card to save 1/3 on single off-peak pay as you go fares on London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services in London. You will need to have registered your Oyster in your name to do this.
You can use the majority of discount and loyalty cards offered by European rail carriers. Note - the list of cards available will only be shown when you enter European train stations in your ticket search, entering a UK station will only bring back UK relevant railcards.
An Interrail Pass is a good option if you are looking to travel across different countries. It allows you to travel on almost all trains in Europe with access to 40 railway and ferry companies in 33 countries. The rail pass is available to both European residents and non-Europeans who are legal residents.
You'll get a free Santander 16-25 Railcard which could save you 1/3 on rail travel in Great Britain letting you travel all over England, Scotland and Wales for less.