Hello,
My husband and I would like to purchase train tickets in advance for five different trips in total (four different rail lines). We understand that we will need to pick up the tickets at the station using our booking number and the credit card we used to purchase the ticket. Our credit card does not have a PIN associated with it. Will not having a PIN be a problem when collecting the tickets?
Thank you.
Not having a PIN means you won't be able to use the machines, but you can take your booking reference to the ticket office at a station and get a human to do it. You can collect all your tickets for each of your journeys all in one go.
Unless things have changed recently, there will be no need for your PIN to pick up pre purchased train tickets.
The credit card is put into the ticket machine and the number is verified against that used at purchase time. You are not charged anything at the pickup because you have already paid for the ticket, so there is no transaction performed.
My experience as recently as last July-August aligns with Mark's comments.
Thank you!
My experience has been the same,
You’re not making a purchase at the machine, so no pin necessary. Others have reported that any credit card will work, but I’ve never tried that. It’s really the reservation number that’s key. I can’t imagine there’s a ton of fraud with people stealing someone’s reservation number just to take a specific train.
Adding to the chorus. You do not need your PIN, the card is just an ID check. Put it in, out again and type in the alphanumeric code.
In most cases you get multiple pieces of paper (credit card sized card). Check carefully you picked them all up. One will be a receipt, useless for travel.
Before buying, make sure you have contacted your bank and told them you are making a purcahse in the UK, otherwise they might block it as suspicious.
As mentioned a pin is not needed for collection, you've already paid.
As an experiment I deliberately tried using a different bank card when I collected from a ticket machine, it didn't like it, so used my original debit card, I think it depends on the machine.
A lot of train companies are offering an e-ticket, you can download the train tickets to an Apple or Google wallet in your device and use the scanners at the ticket gates.
A lot of train companies are offering an e-ticket
I have had problems with that. AFAIK you need the train company's App, there isn't a generic one.
Bigger problem, they only offer it on main lines. So if your trip includes a small local train for the last leg, hard luck, E-ticket on the App is not offered.
