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Help when buying online
Need some assistance when purchasing online? We're here to help.
Please make sure you are checking the same email address that was used to buy your tickets. It is possible that your confirmation email may have ended up in your spam/junk folder.
If you still can’t find the email, log into your Southeastern account. Your order details can be found under ‘Manage my tickets/Refunds’ along with your collection reference (if applicable) and journey details.
Please also make sure you are using the most recent version of the Southeastern app, and don't need any app updates.
If you'd like a copy of your confirmation email, please contact Customer Services.
If you still can’t find the email, log into your Southeastern account. Your order details can be found under ‘Manage my tickets/Refunds’ along with your collection reference (if applicable) and journey details.
Please also make sure you are using the most recent version of the Southeastern app, and don't need any app updates.
If you'd like a copy of your confirmation email, please contact Customer Services.
If you see two payments for your order, it may mean that one was taken in error. It's likely that it's been refunded already, as it was a failed pending charge. Please allow up to five working days for the funds to return to you - although this can depend on your bank or card provider.
If you've still not received the money back, please contact your bank or card issuer, as they can look into reversing the transaction for you, or contact our Customer Services team.
If you've still not received the money back, please contact your bank or card issuer, as they can look into reversing the transaction for you, or contact our Customer Services team.
If you've bought the same ticket twice, you can refund the ticket through your online account. Log into your account, go to the 'Manage my tickets/Refunds' section and follow the instructions.
Please note, the general refund rules will still apply for the ticket type being refunded.
This can happen when there's a timeout in the verification and authorisation stage of the transaction. Please contact Customer Services to get this resolved.
If this keeps happening, please make sure you're following your bank's or card issuer's verification process - this could be through an app or with Verified by Visa, or other such process.
Please also make sure you are using the most recent version of the Southeastern app, and don't need any app updates.
If this keeps happening, please make sure you're following your bank's or card issuer's verification process - this could be through an app or with Verified by Visa, or other such process.
Please also make sure you are using the most recent version of the Southeastern app, and don't need any app updates.
If your transaction doesn't process straight away, then it's likely going through a verification process. Don't navigate away from the screen, and allow a few more minutes for it to go through.
You may also need to take further action to complete the verification process, such as Verified by Visa, or using your bank or card issuer's verification process within their app. Please check to see if this is what the system is waiting for.
If the issue persists, you may need to restart your device and go through the purchasing process again. Please ensure you are connected to the internet.
If you continue to experience issues please contact Customer Services to see if there have been any technical issues.
You may also need to take further action to complete the verification process, such as Verified by Visa, or using your bank or card issuer's verification process within their app. Please check to see if this is what the system is waiting for.
If the issue persists, you may need to restart your device and go through the purchasing process again. Please ensure you are connected to the internet.
If you continue to experience issues please contact Customer Services to see if there have been any technical issues.
If there are repeated problems with your card not being accepted, then protection measures will kick in to prevent any potential misuse. We can't be sure if it's you making a mistake (ie with the billing address or the CVC), or if your card's been compromised and is being fraudulently used. It's better to err on the side of caution, so we block the card from being used with us for 24 hours.
You can either wait and try again the next day, or you can try another payment option like a different card, Google/Apple Pay (in the Southeastern app), or PayPal.
You can either wait and try again the next day, or you can try another payment option like a different card, Google/Apple Pay (in the Southeastern app), or PayPal.
Firstly, please make sure you're logged into the account that the Railcard is associated with. If your Railcard is on the wrong account (such as if you're a parent buying for your child), then please contact Customer Services to get this resolved.
If you have a Digital Railcard within the Southeastern app, you can set it to be a "favourite", and it will automatically be applied to all valid orders you make within the app. Please check that the time of travel and type of ticket is appropriate for your Railcard if it's not being automatically applied.
If you bought a digital railcard through another retailer or have a paper railcard, then you can manually select your Railcard when entering the ticket search details. This option is located above 'Find times and tickets'.
If you have a Digital Railcard within the Southeastern app, you can set it to be a "favourite", and it will automatically be applied to all valid orders you make within the app. Please check that the time of travel and type of ticket is appropriate for your Railcard if it's not being automatically applied.
If you bought a digital railcard through another retailer or have a paper railcard, then you can manually select your Railcard when entering the ticket search details. This option is located above 'Find times and tickets'.
You can load your ticket onto your Key through the Southeastern app if your phone has NFC enabled. This is the same system that allows you to use your phone to pay for things through Apple Pay or Google Pay. Go to ‘My Tickets’ at the bottom of the Southeastern app, press ‘Load tickets’ under the Key tickets section - hold your Key to the back of your phone until it vibrates (you may need to move it around a bit) to load the ticket. Your ticket is usually available to load within 5 mins of purchase.
If collecting at a station, the ticket will be sent to the station that was selected during purchase. It defaults to the origin station of the ticket unless you change it. It will be ready to collect after 2 hours of purchase.
Hold your Key on the yellow card reader on the gate for a second or so to let the ticket download and activate. If there are no gates at the station, hold your Key against the yellow card reader on the ticket machine.
If that's not possible, then please see a Southeastern member of staff (either at the ticket office, at the Gateline or on train), who will be able to load the ticket onto your Key for you.
If collecting at a station, the ticket will be sent to the station that was selected during purchase. It defaults to the origin station of the ticket unless you change it. It will be ready to collect after 2 hours of purchase.
Hold your Key on the yellow card reader on the gate for a second or so to let the ticket download and activate. If there are no gates at the station, hold your Key against the yellow card reader on the ticket machine.
If that's not possible, then please see a Southeastern member of staff (either at the ticket office, at the Gateline or on train), who will be able to load the ticket onto your Key for you.
Try another gate reader, there might be a problem with that specific one.
Check that the ticket on your Key hasn't expired, or is valid for the route you're trying to take (such as valid for use on High Speed services or not), as the Key won't work at stations the ticket isn't valid at. You can check your ticket by using the Southeastern app. Go to ‘My Tickets’, choose the ‘Key tickets’ tab, select ‘View card contents’ and hold your Key to the back of your phone. Alternatively, you can hold your Key on the yellow reader of a ticket machine at the station to view it’s contents, or see a member of staff.
If you're still having issues using your Key on at a specific set of gates, please make sure to note the time, location and what the error message/code on the gateline screen says. When you contact Customer Services, please let them know the code as it may help speed up the resolution for you.
If your Key hasn’t worked at any station for sometime, there is a possibility there may be a problem with the card itself. Whilst Keys are much more durable and reliable than the orange paper tickets, unfortunately they do fail from time to time. You can simply request a new Key from your Southeastern account under "The Key Replacement". You will need to buy alternative tickets while your Key is replaced (may take up to 5 days in the post), but they can refunded if they cover the same validity as your smart ticket.
Check that the ticket on your Key hasn't expired, or is valid for the route you're trying to take (such as valid for use on High Speed services or not), as the Key won't work at stations the ticket isn't valid at. You can check your ticket by using the Southeastern app. Go to ‘My Tickets’, choose the ‘Key tickets’ tab, select ‘View card contents’ and hold your Key to the back of your phone. Alternatively, you can hold your Key on the yellow reader of a ticket machine at the station to view it’s contents, or see a member of staff.
If you're still having issues using your Key on at a specific set of gates, please make sure to note the time, location and what the error message/code on the gateline screen says. When you contact Customer Services, please let them know the code as it may help speed up the resolution for you.
If your Key hasn’t worked at any station for sometime, there is a possibility there may be a problem with the card itself. Whilst Keys are much more durable and reliable than the orange paper tickets, unfortunately they do fail from time to time. You can simply request a new Key from your Southeastern account under "The Key Replacement". You will need to buy alternative tickets while your Key is replaced (may take up to 5 days in the post), but they can refunded if they cover the same validity as your smart ticket.
This can sometimes happen when you search for a ticket, then revisit the website or app later and your previous selected ticket is still in the basket. In this case, we recommend clearing your whole basket and start your search again.
If this still doesn’t work, you may need to clear your browser's cache. How to do this will vary based on your browser and device.
If this still doesn’t work, you may need to clear your browser's cache. How to do this will vary based on your browser and device.
First, please make sure you are logged into your Southeastern account within the app, using the correct email address. Your eTickets can be found in the My Tickets section.
If not, its possible you bought the ticket as a Guest. Please check your confirmation email for instructions on how to associate the order with your account. It may take a few minutes, but the ticket should then appear in the app under the My Tickets section.
Please also make sure your app is up to date.
If not, its possible you bought the ticket as a Guest. Please check your confirmation email for instructions on how to associate the order with your account. It may take a few minutes, but the ticket should then appear in the app under the My Tickets section.
Please also make sure your app is up to date.
When comparing ticket prices between two different retailers, any change to the planned journey can affect the price. This could be the type of ticket, the time of travel, the train route, or ticket restrictions in the respective searches. Please make sure you are comparing the same ticket type, and that it's valid at the time and route you want to travel, to ensure you're getting the right price for your ticket, whilst not paying booking fees.
If the search parameters are the same, but you're still seeing differences, then it's likely that you're looking at Advance Singles. These have different price tiers, with a limited number of tickets for each. It's very possible for a tier to sell out in the time it takes to check between two different systems - particularly at the lower price tiers on popular services.
If the search parameters are the same, but you're still seeing differences, then it's likely that you're looking at Advance Singles. These have different price tiers, with a limited number of tickets for each. It's very possible for a tier to sell out in the time it takes to check between two different systems - particularly at the lower price tiers on popular services.