Student Oyster

[londoner]

My new 18+ student oyster card arrived and there is a period of overlap where both my old and new one are valid. My travelcard expired so I wish to return the old one. I cant seem to find any instructions how to return and transfer remaining credit from it to a new one. I vaguely remember I just go to a station and "ask staff"? Is this correct and what exactly will they do? 

[MoreToJack]

Sadly with any kind of Photocard you can't have credit transfers performed at a station or Visitor Centre (nor, for reference, onto a card you already have).

Oyster online or over the phone is the only way to go; you'll need both Oyster numbers to hand. I suggest the latter for less faff; the team are very friendly and helpful.

[Chris M]

I would have thought that anything to do with photos was the ideal domain for staff who can see the photographs, rather than either online or by phone where they can't be easily verified?

[MoreToJack]

Come on Chris, you should know by now that the railway doesn't thrive on logic!

There is (was?) a way to bodge a credit transfer between one Photocard on the TOM (Ticket Office Machine) but it's not strictly by the book so you'd be relying on an old-school SAMF being willing to help. There are genuine technical limitations when it comes to Photocards (because you can't replace them on the spot, for instance) rather than just political "this is not a ticket office" ones.

If it's any consolation, now that Faster Universal Load is rolled out the credit transfer should be almost as fast as an instant one at a station, and of course you now don't have to travel there first.

[londoner]

Oct 7, 2017 12:22:21 GMT MoreToJack said:

Come on Chris, you should know by now that the railway doesn't thrive on logic!

There is (was?) a way to bodge a credit transfer between one Photocard on the TOM (Ticket Office Machine) but it's not strictly by the book so you'd be relying on an old-school SAMF being willing to help. There are genuine technical limitations when it comes to Photocards (because you can't replace them on the spot, for instance) rather than just political "this is not a ticket office" ones.

If it's any consolation, now that Faster Universal Load is rolled out the credit transfer should be almost as fast as an instant one at a station, and of course you now don't have to travel there first.

I'll have a look through the online pages and see what I can find, thanks. 

[MoreToJack]

Oct 7, 2017 20:57:08 GMT londoner said:

Oct 7, 2017 12:22:21 GMT MoreToJack said:

Come on Chris, you should know by now that the railway doesn't thrive on logic!

There is (was?) a way to bodge a credit transfer between one Photocard on the TOM (Ticket Office Machine) but it's not strictly by the book so you'd be relying on an old-school SAMF being willing to help. There are genuine technical limitations when it comes to Photocards (because you can't replace them on the spot, for instance) rather than just political "this is not a ticket office" ones.

If it's any consolation, now that Faster Universal Load is rolled out the credit transfer should be almost as fast as an instant one at a station, and of course you now don't have to travel there first.

I'll have a look through the online pages and see what I can find, thanks. 

Not sure you'll find anything specific - from memory you have to register both cards and then cancel the one you don't want ("request a refund", or similar), and there's an option to select a card to transfer it to.

As I say, you'll find it far quicker over the phone. There's definitely a free phone number somewhere...

[Deleted]

How does the new faster Oyster load work - does the system send your Ticket or PAYG Top up to every station gateline on which it is vald??

[MoreToJack]

Correct. Also every standalone reader ("PVal") and, as of this week, bus reader.