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Is it better to have a digital or plastic Railcard?

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.



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You do not need a photo if you have ordered a 'Plastic' Network Railcard.

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If you have selected 'Digital' under 'Choose the type of Railcard you would like', you will be asked to provide a passport style photo.

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Your head and shoulders should be in close-up, with your face clearly visible and filling approximately 70% of the frame (in the same way it would for a passport or driving licence). The image must be in sharp focus. Please make sure that your face is not obscured by hats or hair.

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Once your online payment has been successful you will receive an email confirmation and acknowledgement of your application number (this confirmation cannot be used to buy discounted tickets). If you have ordered a plastic Railcard, please allow 5 working days for delivery.

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If you bought it at a station, provided you can produce the completed Receipt portion of your original application form, then you can apply for your lost or damaged Railcard to be replaced at any staffed station ticket office.

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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.

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You can get your Railcard in a digital format to be stored in the National Rail Railcard app on your phone or tablet, or as a physical card. You can use your Railcard to buy tickets online, at a ticket office, from a ticket machine, and over the phone.

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You cannot swap a plastic Railcard to a digital Railcard. However, when the time comes to renew your Railcard you can do this online and choose to have a digital Railcard. Click here for the step by step guide on how to renew your Railcard.

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If you are renewing your Season ticket you can use your existing Photocard. Please note any form of railcard (including 16-25 Railcards) cannot be used as a Photocard.

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To view your Railcard in the app, you'll need to first log in to your account with the same email address you purchased with. After logging in, navigate to the Account tab and tap on Your Railcards to bring up the list of Railcards you've purchased. Then tap on Download Railcard to download it to your device.

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Yes. Although your Railcard will live in your Trainline App, it can still be used with tickets bought elsewhere.

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