Frequently Asked Questions?

Most frequently asked questions

• What do I do if my Railcard is lost or damaged?
  A:

  If you bought your Railcard online, please go to ‘Manage my Railcard’ on the website homepage to log in to your account and apply for a replacement. Once logged in, click on ‘Details’ under your active plastic Family & Friends Railcard, then click on ‘Replace Railcard (Lost or stolen)’. Select lost or damaged, then click continue and follow the instructions on the screen. You will also have to pay a £10 administration fee.

  Please note that you can only apply for a replacement Railcard 10 days after the date of original purchase and only one replacement may be issued in a 12-month period.

  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. You will also have to pay a £10 administration fee.

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• My Railcard has not arrived in the post. What can I do?
  A:

  You will need to wait 10 days, then go to ‘Manage my Railcard’ on the Family & Friends Railcard website homepage to log in to your account and apply for a replacement. Once logged in, click on ‘Details’ under your active Family & Friends Railcard, then click on ‘Replace Railcard (Lost or stolen)’. Select ‘lost’, then click continue and follow the instructions on the screen. Please check that your address is correct before you order.

  You will be sent a free replacement provided you do this within 30 days of your application date. If 30 days has passed from your date of purchase you can still request a replacement card, but you will have to pay a £10 replacement fee.

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• What do I do if my Railcard is stolen?
  A:

  To replace a stolen Railcard you bought online, please click ‘Manage my Railcard’ on the website homepage to log in to your account. Once logged in, click on ‘Details’ under your active plastic Family & Friends Railcard, then click on ‘Replace Railcard (Lost or stolen)’. Select ‘stolen’, then click continue and follow the instructions on the screen. You will have to provide a crime reference number, or a document given to you by the Police for a free replacement. You can also call our Helpline on 0345 3000 250.

  To replace a stolen Railcard you bought at a station, please go to a station with your crime reference number/documentation given to you by the police and some form of identification to be issued with a free replacement.

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• I bought my Railcard from a rail station and all of the information on it has faded. What can I do?
  A:

  Railcards issued at stations are printed on paper. On rare occasions, the way that the surface of the Railcard interacts with the plastic in some ticket wallets destabilises the print and makes it fade. If this has happened to your Railcard you can take it into a staffed rail station and they will replace it free of charge. Most stations will be able to check the validity of the Railcards by running it through the ticket–issuing machine to check when it was originally issued.

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• Can I claim a refund if I don't use my Railcard?
  A:

  No. Unfortunately, once a Railcard has been issued it is non-refundable.

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• What happens if I don't have my Railcard with me and I have to buy a new ticket or pay a Penalty Fare?
  A:

  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. However, a train company will normally allow you to claim back this extra expense on the first occasion in each year where this happens.

  Each train company will have their own process for doing this. 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. Where you have already paid for additional tickets you should contact the relevant train company’s customer services department; in the case of a notice to pay of notice of Penalty Fare, you should follow the instructions included on how to challenge or appeal the charge.

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