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Train ticket collection and delivery options

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Collection and delivery overview

When purchasing tickets online there are a number of options to choose from depending on the ticket you have booked and the journey you are making.

Collection options

  • Mobile app: You can buy, access and manage your train tickets all in one place
  • The Key Smartcard: You can buy tickets online and load them using our app, or at your station by tapping your Key Smartcard at the gate or validator
  • eTickets: Print your ticket at home, or access your ticket on your smartphone by downloading it into your digital wallet or access it using your email
  • Contactless at the gateline: You can buy and collect your ticket using keyGo, Oyster or Contactless with Pay As You Go
  • Ticket office: If you’d prefer to speak to someone about your train ticket, you can buy and collect at a ticket office
  • Ticket machine: As well as collecting tickets bought online, you can use our self-service ticket machines to buy tickets using cash or a credit/debit card
  • Postal delivery: If you buy your train tickets online you can choose various delivery service options to have your tickets delivered to you

Things to remember

  • It's free to collect your tickets on your Key Smartcard or at a ticket office or ticket machine where available
  • Collect tickets on your Key Smartcard at a reader or validator at the station 15 minutes after purchase
  • If you choose to have your tickets posted to you there will be a delivery charge depending on the ticket purchase value and delivery service, and they can only be posted to UK addresses
  • Season tickets longer than Weekly Seasons cannot be collected at a ticket machine (they are available to collect via our app, ticket offices, or postal delivery only)

If you board a train without collecting your ticket you may be liable for a Penalty fares

Collecting your tickets on your Key Smartcard

You can collect and activate your tickets on your Key Smartcard in multiple ways.

  • Tap your Key Smartcard to the back of your smartphone to load your tickets with our mobile app
  • Collect a ticket on your Key Smartcard from a ticket machine
  • Tap your Key Smartcard against a reader at a gateline or validator, 15 minutes after purchase
  • Activate day passes for Flexi Season tickets on our mobile app
  • Add keyGo to your Key Smartcard for Pay-As-You-Go fares

Where to collect your tickets

Smartcard readers are located either at the ticket gates or near the entrance/exit for stations with freestanding validators. They are easy to spot with a yellow disk. When travelling in the London area, use the Oyster reader at valid locations.

Certain fares, like Day Travelcards, Advance and Super Off Peak, are not available for the Key Smartcard.

Frequently asked questions

Postal delivery options

We want to get your tickets to you are quickly as possible. That’s why we encourage customers to use one of our free delivery methods. However we do make a small charge if you choose to have tickets posted to you although we offer free signed for 1st class delivery for all purchases over £100.

1st Class Mail (£1.65)

Tickets purchased by 16:00 will be processed and dispatched within 24 hours of booking using Royal Mail First Class post. Please allow five working days for delivery.

Please note we are unable to guarantee delivery of any unsigned for first class post, and would suggest using a ticket machine at the station as it’s quicker, easier and free of charge.

Applicable to UK addresses only.

Don’t forget you can get your tickets for free if you purchase them on the Key smartcard or collect from a ticket vending machine at a station.

Royal Mail Signed For™ 1st Class (£3.35)

We now offer this service free for bookings over £100

For bookings less than £100 you can select this delivery option for a cost of £3.35, it offers:

  • Proof of postage
  • Signature on delivery
  • Online confirmation of delivery

Please note, we are unable to guarantee next day delivery, if this is a requirement then we recommend you use the Next Day Special Delivery option.

Don’t forget you can get your tickets for free if you purchase them on the Key smartcard or collect from a ticket vending machine at a station.

Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed™ (£8.35)

  • Guaranteed delivery by 9am or 1pm next working day
  • Online tracking and signature on delivery included

Don’t forget you can get your tickets for free if you purchase them on the Key smartcard or collect from a ticket vending machine at a station.

Remote areas and Islands of Scotland will take longer to reach. Orders placed on Saturday or Sunday are despatched on Monday and delivered on Tuesday. Orders placed on a Bank Holiday are despatched on Tuesday and delivered on Wednesday.

At the station ticket office or ticket machine

Using a ticket office

Larger Thameslink stations have staffed ticket offices where you can book ahead or buy tickets for immediate travel. You can pay by cash, debit card, credit card or National Rail vouchers. 

Unfortunately we can no longer accept personal cheques at our ticket offices. We can accept company cheques if you’re buying an annual season ticket. (By company cheque, we mean those from a PLC, limited company, partnership, registered charity, school or local authority. We can’t accept an individual’s cheque stating ‘trading as’).

To use a company cheque you must have a company headed letter to accompany the cheque, and bring two original forms of ID. One of these must be a driving licence, passport or other photo ID. The other must be a recent utility bill or another document that verifies your address.

Find a ticket office

Using a ticket machine

At our self-service ticket vending machines you can:

  • Buy tickets
  • Collect tickets purchased online
  • Renew monthly season tickets
  • Buy car parking tickets
  • Top up your Oyster card (at London stations)
  • Buy smart tickets for your key smartcard (outside London)

You can pay for your tickets using cash or a credit or debit card. 

We offer a wide range of tickets from our self-service ticket machines to offer the best value fare for your journey.

If you need help using our machines or finding the right ticket, ask a member of staff for assistance where possible.

Self-service ticket machine price guarantee

In the unlikely event you buy a ticket from one of our self-service machines, and realise it was not the right ticket, please speak to our staff at the ticket office or our Customer Services team, ideally before travel, otherwise as soon as possible. You may be entitled to a refund for the difference in fare.

Buying tickets

You can buy Thameslink tickets online and collect them from the ticket machine before you travel. You can also buy them from a ticket machine or ticket office at the station.

Buy Thameslink tickets online