eTickets
Got a question about eTickets?
Most non-season tickets are available as an eTicket including Advance tickets, Singles and Returns.
Travelcards, Boundary Zone tickets and journeys involving London Underground aren't available as eTickets.
Scan the QR code on the reader at the gate, or allow one of our colleagues to scan the ticket upon request.
• on The Key
• as paper for collection at a station
• as paper posted out to you
We're only able to install barcode readers on our gatelines, and so eTickets aren't available for journeys to or from stations without gates.
All gated stations on our network have barcode readers.
eTickets are currently only available to be bought online — it's not possible to print or collect eTickets at our stations.
Where available, the option to use an eTicket will be shown as a ticket collection option during the purchase process. Once bought, the eTicket will be sent to you by email.
The QR code will need to scanned on a gateline reader to enter or exit the station. You may need to turn up the brightness of your phone screen to make it easier to scan.
You can also access your eTickets directly through your online account, from where you can print or download them.
If you paid using Paypal, your eTickets may be delivered to your Paypal email address. If you're still struggling to access your tickets, please contact us at Customer Services.
Make sure your phone has enough charge to be able to show your ticket otherwise you may need to purchase a new ticket before boarding the train. We're refurbishing our fleets to come with plugs and charging sockets, so this may help.
If this is a general issue, eTickets can be printed at home, to be shown to our colleagues or used at gatelines.
Yes, eTickets can be added to your Apple Wallet (iOS) or Google Wallet (Android).
Yes, Railcard discounts are available on eTickets, just as for paper or on The Key, within the Railcard's terms and conditions.
As ever, please remember to have your Railcard to hand, alongside your discounted eTicket, for ticket inspections, as otherwise you may be issued with a Penalty Fare Notice.
Both eTickets and The Key are forms of digital ticket.
An eTicket is issued as a QR code and sent to you by email, which can then either be printed onto paper or displayed on your phone to scan at a barcode reader at the station.
The Key is our contactless smartcard which can store multiple tickets for travel.
Tickets can be purchased online, ticket office or ticket vending machine and used by tapping the Key on the card reader on the gates. The ticket types available to buy as eTickets and for use on a Key card vary, but will be clearly displayed when purchasing online.
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