FAQs

The first thing to do is report the item to us as missing.

While our station employees can help, it’ll be faster to give us a call on 0345 322 7021, or by filling in our lost property form.

Remember to include as much detail as possible, as it’ll help us make sure we have your item. 

If you lost your phone or mobile device, please provide the IMEI number. Every phone or mobile device has a unique 15-digit code, called the IMEI number. This lets us make sure we definitely have your device, so it can be returned to you – we can’t do anything without it. Your IMEI number can be found on the label on the box the device came in. Alternatively, you can contact your service provider, and they can let you know.

In general, it isn't possible to track all items of lost property. We serve 180 stations and manage 164 of them. We also have depots located across various parts of London, Kent, and East Sussex.

However, for certain exceptions like medication or important documents, we’ll see what we can do to locate and return them to you. Though, it’s not always guaranteed that we’ll be able to track items down.

Please note:

• Perishables will be disposed of upon recovery.
• Cash will be processed into one of our tills and replaced with a receipt – this can be taken to any Southeastern station to be recovered.
• Credit/Debit cards and cheque books will be kept for 24 hours, before being securely destroyed – you’ll need to contact your bank for a replacement.
• Driving licences will be kept for 24 hours, before being returned to the DVLA.
• Passports won’t be kept and will be returned directly to HM Passport Office.

It's easy and free! You can order a Key card online here. Fill out a short form to register for a Southeastern account and it will arrive at your home address within 4 working days. Alternatively, visit your local Southeastern ticket office to register and receive your new Key card immediately.

Once you’ve received your Key card, you can download our Southeastern app from the Apple Store or from Google Play to get started.

You can then buy Single, Return and Season Tickets and load them on to your Key by simply tapping your card onto the back of your phone. This means your ticket should be available within the next 15 minutes.

Please note that this function is only available on iPhone model 7 and above and Android phones with NFC functionality.

If you don’t want to use our app, simply login to your online account and buy tickets on our website. You then need to go to your nominated station and touch in at the yellow card reader on the gate or validator to load your ticket onto The Key.

If there is no gate or validator at your chosen station, use the yellow card reader on the Ticket Vending Machine to load your ticket. When buying tickets this way, you’ll need to allow 2 hours between purchasing your ticket online and loading it onto The Key.

You can also buy Smart tickets for your Key card at Southeastern ticket offices or at Ticket Vending Machines outside London.

Remember to keep your Key card separate from other contactless cards to prevent ‘card clash’ when touching the reader.

All types of Railcard allow you to purchase a train ticket at a reduced rate, saving you up to a 1/3 off your travel. For more information, and to find the right Railcard for you, visit our Railcards page.

Tickets can be bought online, through the Southeastern app, at Southeastern ticket office or Ticket Vending Machines outside London.

You can buy day singles, day returns and Season tickets, including Flexi Seasons, in advance on your Key card.

Travelcards are also available to purchase on the Key. This includes season tickets and one-day Travelcards.

If you’re claiming Delay Repay compensation online, it’s really easy. Once you’ve registered, our system will remember your information, so if you do claim again, it’s much quicker.

If you requested your compensation to be paid back to your bank account, this should be with you the day after your claim has been approved. But please allow up to 48 hours.

If you requested your compensation via PayPal this should be with you within one hour of your claim being approved. But please allow up to 48 hours.

You can also make a claim by post – just download a Delay Repay claim PDF form.

You have up to 28 days of your delay to make a claim.

For us to process your claim, you’ll need to provide your journey details and either:

• Your original Daily or Weekly ticket
• If claiming with an eTicket purchased from another Train Operating Company (not Southeastern), please could you provide proof of your eTicket booking confirmation email
• If you travelled using your Oyster or Contactless card, have you registered your Oyster or Contactless card with TfL? If not, please do so

We need to see your Oyster or Contactless journey statement to show the date and time of your journey, the stations you have travelled from/to, and the price paid for the journey.

An Oyster/Contactless journey statement looks like:

• Your Season Ticket number and photocard number if you have a monthly or longer Season Ticket
• Or your Key card number

Advance tickets are amendable, however an admin fee may apply. Advance tickets can only have their date and journey time changed, not the route or direction of travel. They can be amended right up to the time your journey is due to begin at a station, or up to the day before travel online.

If there is a difference between the price of your original Advance ticket and the cost of your new Advance ticket, you will need to pay the difference. If you change to a train on which a cheaper fare is available, the difference will not be refunded.

You can change your Advance tickets in a few easy ways:

• If you purchased your Advance tickets through your Southeastern account, you can log in and amend the date and time.
• If you purchased your Advance tickets online and you don’t have a Southeastern account, or it's the date of travel, you’ll need to visit a ticket office and ask for the changes to be made.
• If you purchased your Advance tickets at a Southeastern station, take your ticket back to a station and request your changes.

We're unable to amend Advance tickets that have been purchased via PayPal, due to technology limitations. We're sorry for any inconvenience caused.