A Railcard is a discount card that gives you up to 1/3 off your rail travel. It comes in either a digital format, which you have on your mobile phone or device, or a physical version.

Railcards are valid for either 1 year or 3 years. The average cost is £30 for 1 year and £70 for 3 years, with the Disabled Persons Railcard costing just £24 for 1 year and £54 for 3 years.

The 9 main types of Railcard available are:

• 16-17 Saver
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard
• Disabled Persons Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard
• Network Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Two Together Railcard
• Veterans Railcard

Most people will be eligible for 1 or more type of Railcard, depending on factors such as your age, and who you normally travel with.

There are specific requirements for the Disabled Persons Railcard, the Veterans Railcard, and for mature students who are eligible for a 16-25 Railcard.

Check the individual Railcard sites for full details:

• 16-17 Saver
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard
• Disabled Persons Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard
• Network Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Two Together Railcard
• Veterans Railcard

You can apply online for a digital or physical Railcard, or in person at a staffed station ticket office for a physical Railcard. You may buy a Railcard for yourself or another person.

For certain types of Railcards you will need to provide proof of identity – forms of ID accepted are:

• Passport
• Drivers Licence (excluding Northern Ireland)
• EEA National Identity Card

We're sorry that you've experienced problems while uploading a photograph. There could be several reasons for this - some of which are difficult to identify. We’ve compiled a list of trouble-shooting tips that you can try before contacting us:

• Make sure your image is 5 megabytes (5Mb) or less. If your image is bigger than 5Mb, you can try cropping and/or reducing the quality of your photograph, but be careful – the picture still needs to be clear enough to display on the Railcard
• Make sure your web browser is up to date. Our website supports most browsers (such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Safari and Mozilla Firefox), but some older versions are more likely to cause problems. You could also try using a different web browser or computer
• Enable Javascript on your web browser
• Once you have tried the above suggestions, close your web browser and retry the photo upload.

Can't find your download code or it's not working on the app?

• If you bought your Railcard on our website then you can request a new download code simply by signing in to your account and selecting 'Request new download code'
• If you bought a 16-17 Saver or Veterans Railcard you will need to use the following process:
  1. Login to your 16-17 Saver or Veterans Railcard
  2. Choose option to view Railcard
  3. Select 'Get new Download code'
• If you bought the Railcard from another retailer then please visit their website for instructions

If you have applied online for a digital Railcard, in most cases 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.

• Find out more about digital download codes, and what to do if you have a problem.

If you have applied online for a physical Railcard, please allow up to 10 days for delivery. If you paid for Special Delivery and placed your order before 15:45, your Railcard will be delivered within 2 days (Monday to Thursday) or 3 days (Friday to Sunday).

If you have applied in person at a staffed station ticket office, in most cases your physical Railcard will be available to use straight away.

If you are new to Railcard.co.uk you can register for your account here.

If you already have a Railcard you can sign in to your account here.

If you are having difficulty signing in, please try resetting your password. Remember that it may take several minutes for the password reset link to arrive in your inbox (don't forget to check your junk folder). If no email has turned up after 10 minutes, double-check your email address and request another link.

Once you have signed in to your account, you will be able to:

• Complete the purchase of a Railcard
• Add a Railcard to your account
• Request a download code for your digital Railcard
• Check the status of a Railcard
• Renew a Railcard
• Replace a lost or stolen physical Railcard
• Update your telephone number and address

If you have lost or damaged a physical Railcard that you bought online

You will need to sign in to your account and order a replacement online. You can only apply for a replacement Railcard 10 or more days after the date of the original online purchase.

You are entitled to apply for 1 replacement in the event of loss or damage. You will have to pay a £10 administration fee. We regret that any journeys you make while you are without your Railcard will have to be at full fare and any discount lost is not refundable.

If you have lost or damaged a physical Railcard that you bought at a station

You can go to any staffed station where you must give the completed receipt portion of your original application form to staff – we will not be able to issue any replacements for loss if you do not have the stamped receipt.

If your replacement is due to damage you will be required to surrender your old damaged Railcard. You will have to pay a £10 administration fee.

Don’t forget that you will also need to provide a new photo if you need to replace your Photocard too.
 

If your Railcard has been stolen

If you have been given a crime reference number or documents by the Police, then we will give you a free replacement.

To replace a stolen Railcard you bought online, please sign in to your account and follow the replacement process, you will need to quote your crime reference number.

To replace a stolen Railcard you bought at a station you need to go to a station with your crime reference number/documentation and some form of identification.

You can renew your digital Railcard within 30 days of its expiry.

• Sign in to your account
• Click 'Renew' next to the Railcard you wish to renew
• Check all the details are correct and update if required
• Pay, and you're done!

If we have your email address, we'll send you a reminder that your Railcard is due for renewal. But remember, it's your responsibility to check that your Railcard is in date before buying or using Railcard-discounted tickets.

If you didn't buy your Railcard online, you can still renew it online. You will need to create an account and purchase a new Railcard. You should wait until your station-bought Railcard has expired so you don't lose any validity.

You can use your Railcard for 1/3 off most fares and ticket types.

There may be some restrictions on when you can use your Railcard, and a minimum fare may apply at certain times.

To find out more about restrictions, check the terms and conditions for your Railcard:

• 16-17 Saver
• 16-25 Railcard
• 26-30 Railcard
• Disabled Persons Railcard
• Family & Friends Railcard
• Network Railcard
• Senior Railcard
• Two Together Railcard
• Veterans Railcard

Digital Railcards are stored locally on your device, so when you change phone, your Railcard is not automatically transferred to the new device.

In order to add the Railcard to your new phone, simply visit My account and request a new download code, then follow the instructions within the app.