keyGo

Add keyGo to your Key Smartcard for easy pay-as-you-go Standard Class travel across most of the Thameslink network.

Ticket overview

Skip the ticket queue and travel stress-free. With keyGo, you always pay the lowest walk-up fare*, and daily and weekly caps make sure you never pay more than a Weekly Season ticket.

You need to register and load keyGo on your Key Smartcard and then tap at the station’s yellow pads to travel – no paper tickets needed.

What is weekly capping?

Weekly capping means you’ll never pay more than the cost of a Weekly Season ticket, no matter how many trips you take in a week.

If you travel between the same two stations from Monday 04:30 to the next Monday 04:29, once your total fares reach the weekly cap, the rest of your travel that week is free.

If you don’t reach the cap, you only pay for what you use. It’s simple, flexible, and can help save you money and time.

Benefits of using keyGo

Easy travel: No need to purchase individual tickets. Just tap in and out, and keyGo will calculate the best fare for you. 
Weekly capping: Travel as much as you like in a week, and you’ll never pay more than the cost of a Weekly Season ticket. 
Automatic savings: No more guesswork! keyGo ensures you always get the best fare for your journeys, when compared against daily or weekly Season tickets.  
Railcard discounts: Unlike contactless bank cards, keyGo lets you link your Railcard directly to your account – automatically applying up to 1/3 off eligible fares every time you travel. That’s smart savings you can’t get with a tap-and-go bank card.
No queues: Skip ticket lines and travel flexibly with no need to decide on a ticket type upfront. 
Automatic Delay Repay: When using keyGo you can opt in to receive   Delay Repay notifications, making it easier to claim compensation when you're eligible. 
Usable on some dual operator journeys: Weekly capping can also be applied for travel on South Western Railway services between Dorking and Clapham Junction, and Great Western Railway services between Redhill and Dorking Deepdene.**

Things to remember 

No First Class fares: keyGo does not offer First Class fares. 
Missed touches may result in charges: Always remember to tap in and out for each journey to avoid missing charges. Missed touches may result in a £50 charge unless corrected online.
TfL services not included: keyGo is not valid on Transport for London (TfL) services. 
Separate smartcards required for Flexi-Season tickets: Flexi-Season tickets cannot be used on the same Key Smartcard as keyGo. A separate smartcard is required. 
Updated payment details: Keep your payment details up to date to avoid payment issues. 
Manual completion occasionally required: If you travel to or from an ungated station with no validators, you must manually complete your journey through your online account.  
Timing cut-off: You can make unlimited journeys within the Monday-to-Monday period (04:30 Monday – 04:29 Monday) but if travel crosses over the 04:30 railway day cut-off, you will be charged for two separate days of travel. 
Discounts: For discounts, link your Railcard online and keep it handy for inspections.

Additional restrictions

KeyGo works on most Thameslink routes, but not on all services. Please ensure your travel is within the valid areas before starting your journey.

How can I save further, and what discounts are available? 

Railcards: Link your Railcard to your keyGo account for up to 1/3 off eligible journeys.
Off-Peak savings: For regular travellers, keyGo ensures the most cost-effective fares, even if you travel frequently during quieter times.

How to set up and use keyGo

Setting up keyGo is quick and straightforward.

Start by registering through your online account with a primary email and linking your Key Smartcard. A £0.01 card check ensures your payment details are valid—this isn’t charged and clears within 3–5 days.
Load keyGo via the Thameslink app (ready in 15 minutes) or by tapping in at a station (after two hours).
Start travelling within 30 days, and you’re good to go!

See where keyGo is active on our network map

Frequently asked questions

When can I use this ticket type?

KeyGo can be used for pay-as-you-go travel across the Thameslink network on any journey, with weekly capping for regular travellers.

KeyGo works on most journeys across the Thameslink network when you use Southern, Thameslink or Great Northern trains. KeyGo can also be used on Great Western Railway services between Gatwick Airport and Dorking Deepdene and South Western Railway services between Dorking and London.

See where keyGo is active on our network map

What happens if payment for keyGo fails?

You will receive an email advising that we have been unable to take payment from the payment card registered to your keyGo account, and that your payment details require updating. Once your payment details are updated and we have been able to take payment, you can continue to use keyGo.

We will attempt to take payment three times after which your keyGo account will be blocked preventing further use. To clear the outstanding balance, please contact Customer Services. Once your balance is cleared you may re-register for keyGo.

Can I break my journey using keyGo?

Can I use a combination of keyGo and a paper ticket as my journey goes beyond the keyGo area?

If I forget to touch in or out on my journey, what should I do?

If you have not touched in or out, go online and complete your journey through your keyGo account. If you do not complete your journey, we will email you within 48 hours to inform you of the missing journey information. You can then log into your account and amend the incomplete journey, otherwise a £50 Incomplete Journey Charge (per journey) will be applied to your account.

Where possible, we will auto-fill your journeys based upon your regular journey patterns. If the auto-fill is incorrect you can amend this through your online account.

I have a season ticket on my Key Smartcard and regularly travel on East Midlands Trains to St Pancras, is this a problem if I add keyGo?

I have received an Incomplete Journey Charge notification, what is this?

If you have not touched in or out and have not proactively completed your journey online (available from the day after travel), we will email you an Incomplete Journey Charge notification. This will be sent to you within 48 hours of your journey. Once you receive this notification you must log into your account immediately to amend the incomplete journey.

An Incomplete Journey Charge notification is issued if we do not know where you touched in/out, as we cannot work out where you travelled to and from and what fare should have been charged. You must log into your account immediately to amend the incomplete journey, otherwise a £50 Incomplete Journey Charge per journey will be applied to your account.

How do I dispute an Incomplete Journey Charge?

If you have touched in at the start of your journey and touched out at the end, then you will not receive an Incomplete Journey Charge. We are confident the data we receive from recorded journey details will allow us to charge the correct fare for your journey, however there are times when things may go wrong. If this is the case, please contact customer services using the links below:

Southern Railway - Help and support

Thameslink - Help and support

Great Northern Railway - Help and support

I have received an Incomplete Journey Charge which has resulted in me owing money on my keyGo account, what happens now?

How do I close my keyGo account?

If there is money owing on your keyGo account, you will need to clear this by returning your balance to £0 before you can close your account
If you have a positive balance, we recommend that you request a refund of this through your online account before closure
If your keyGo balance is £0:
- Log into your online account
- Go to the Key Smartcard section from the main menu
- Select keyGo Account from the left-hand side
- Click 'cancel my account' at the bottom of the screen and follow the steps

Please note, it can take up to 6 working days for the account to fully close.

Don't have The Key Smartcard?

* KeyGo will automatically calculate the best value daily or weekly walk-up fare based on the journeys you have made each week (capping applies Monday to Sunday). The price paid will vary in line with normal walk-up ticket prices depending on time of day of travel, travel frequency, railcards, route travelled and operators used, ensuring you never pay more than you should. Other ticket options are available if you book in advance.

** Please note that capping values may vary, as there can be a price difference between an any-permitted ticket and a Thameslink-only ticket. You’re still guaranteed the best value, but you may want to consider using only one train service to secure the lowest fare for your travel.

Please note that keyGo cannot be used on the same Key Smartcard together with Flexi Season tickets. Find out more here.

Please read the keyGo terms and conditions

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