Railcard deals

Via code. Requires you to purchase any train ticket to activate the railcard

A railcard can put you on the right track for some decent savings, especially if you take the train often, as these cards get you one-third off most rail fares.

Railcards currently cost £35 for one-year or £80 for three years, but if you're new to either TrainPal* or Trip.com* third-party booking sites, you can use a code to get 25% off a digital railcard (one that's stored on your phone). That'll make it £26.25 for a one-year railcard, or £60 for three years. If you aren't new to either site, you can still get 10% off.

There are a couple of hoops to go through, as you may also need to buy any train ticket (no minimum spend) to activate the railcard, but we explain how it works below.

Note: The railcard can only be accessed via the TrainPal or Trip.com app (depending on which site you purchase from). You can't transfer it to the official Railcard app after purchasing.

To get 25% off a digital railcard...

• Via TrainPal*, use the code MSE25 (if buying through its app you'll also need to purchase a train ticket to activate the railcard as explained below – if buying through its website you won't need to do this)

• Via Trip.com*, use the code MSETRIPRC25 (you'll also need to buy any train ticket to activate the railcard as explained below)

Remember, you need to be a new customer of the site you purchase through.

How the 25% off code works

• Sign up for a free account at TrainPal* or Trip.com*. If you're given the option to enter the code while signing up, you can – pick the correct code above and enter it in the 'Promo code (optional)' box.

• Once signed in, select the Account/Member icon and then 'Promo Codes'. Or in the app, go to the 'Account' tab and tap 'Vouchers & Promo Code'.

• If you entered the code while signing up, your 25% off voucher will appear here. If you didn't, enter it in the 'Enter promo code' box ('Enter code' in the app) to add it to this section.

• Go to the TrainPal* or Trip.com* digital railcards page and choose the railcard you want. The discount should be automatically applied.

• Important: If buying through the TrainPal app or Trip.com apps, you'll need to activate your railcard by purchasing any train ticket through the site you bought your railcard from within 180 days. Railcards bought via the TrainPal or Trip.com website (not app) don't require this and will be automatically activated after purchase. Neither site charges a booking fee, and there's no minimum spend, so if you need to buy a ticket to activate your railcard, you could just buy the cheapest possible fare. If you don't activate your railcard (this only applies to those purchased through the TrainPal app or via Trip.com's app), you'll be issued an automatic refund.

The code can only be used to buy one of the following digital railcards: 16-17 Saver, 16-25 Railcard, 26-30 Railcard, Family & Friends' Railcard, Network Railcard, Senior Railcard and Two Together Railcard. The offer excludes the Disabled Person's Railcard and Veterans' Railcard. The offer's limited to one railcard per account.

The codes are valid until 11.59pm on Wednesday 31 December.

Maximise the discount by getting 5% off your first train ticket purchase

In addition to the railcard offer above, you can also get 5% off your first UK train ticket purchase – so you could use this discount when buying the train ticket needed to activate your railcard when bought via the TrainPal app or Trip.com site and app.

• For TrainPal, you can use the same code as above, MSE25

• For Trip.com, the 5% off code is MSETRIP5 and this can be stacked with the railcard code above

You don't have to purchase a railcard to use the 5% off code – it's open to anyone new to TrainPal/Trip.com making their first UK train ticket purchase until 11.59pm on Wednesday 31 December.

Existing TrainPal or Trip.com user? Get 10% off a digital railcard and 2% off your first train ticket

The below codes get a one-year railcard for £27 instead of £30, or £63 for three years instead of £70.

• For TrainPal*, enter the code MSE25

• For Trip.com*, enter the code MSETRIPRC10 for 10% off a digital railcard, and the code MSETRIP2 for 2% off your first train ticket purchase

See our Cheap train tickets guide for more ways to save on rail fares.

Get annual railcards half-price by converting Clubcard points

Get a 16-25, Family & Friends, Senior or Two Together Railcard via Tesco Clubcard* for £15 in Clubcard vouchers instead of the usual £30. You'll be sent a code that can be used at the Railcard* site.

You can use Clubcard vouchers for the Disabled Person's Railcard, but Tesco says a technical error means you can only exchange £18 of vouchers for this, and as the railcard costs £20, you would need to pay the £2 difference separately.

What discounts do the railcards get you?

16-25:A third off fares if you're aged 16 and over and under 26.
Family & Friends: A third off adult and 60% off child fares, a minimum of one adult and one child, and a maximum of up to four adults and four children (age 5-15) can travel using one card.
Senior: Those aged 60 and over get a third off rail fares.
Two Together:A third off rail fares for two named adults when they travel together.

Check the railcard site for restrictions and to ensure you're eligible before exchanging your vouchers. See our Tesco Clubcard boosting guide for other ways to use your points.

If you or someone you know has a gold card season ticket

If your train season ticket is an annual gold card (or comes with one), you can get extra discounts you don’t get with a standard season ticket. One of the biggest perks is being able to buy a railcard for just £10 (up to 66% off the normal price) for yourself or someone else.

This discount only works for those in the south of England, but if that’s you, it can be a winner. Railcards usually give a third off most fares – see full info on what each railcard gets you.

How do I get a gold card?

To do this, you'll need to have an annual gold card – this will either be your actual season ticket or come with it. You should have been given one automatically if you’ve bought a year's season ticket or Travelcard (not weekly or monthly) from one of 600+ stations on this annual gold card area map, and at least one of the stations on your ticket falls within the same area.

This won’t work in much of the UK, but the gold card area includes a large part of the south of England.

Which railcards can I get for £10?

You can choose from most of the major national railcards – 16-25, Family & Friends, Two Together, Senior, Network Railcard for London and the south of England (all normally £30) and Disabled Person's Railcard (normally £20). These cards get you a third off most journeys – see all railcard types.

You can get one annual railcard for £10 at any time during the validity of your annual gold card.

Don't have a gold card? You can still get a £10 railcard

The person buying the railcard doesn’t have to be the person who ends up using it.

So if a friend or family member who commutes has a gold card, just ask them to buy the £10 railcard for you if they don't need it, and they can follow the steps below. Check the Railcard* website to make sure you're eligible beforehand, and provide the gold card holder with any photos or evidence of eligibility required.

You can only buy the £10 railcard from a station

If you bought your annual season ticket from a train station, you'll need to purchase your railcard from that particular station. If you bought it online, then you can go to your nearest station. The only exception is if you're getting a Disabled Person's Railcard – see 'More info' below.

Let the staff member know you want to purchase a £10 railcard with your gold card and fill in the application they give you. Some railcards such as 16-25 and Senior require photos and evidence of eligibility so have that with you, and you'll need to show your gold card.

If you're buying a railcard for someone else, Railcard says the person you're buying the railcard for doesn't need to be present.

Another way to get a discount on railcards

• If you have a Tesco Clubcard with enough points, you could use your Clubcard vouchers to get a one-year railcard for £15 in vouchers. See National Railcards for £15 in Tesco points.

Or £54 for three years. Get a third off rail fares including peak times

If you have a disability that makes travelling by train difficult, you may qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard (see 'Are you eligible?' below).

It costs £20 for one year, or £54 for three years (equivalent to £18 per year), and gets you one-third off most train travel. That means if you spend over £60 on eligible rail fares in a year (or £55 if you have a three year card), then it's worth getting one as the savings beat the cost of the card.

Unlike most other railcards, there are no time restrictions for when the Disabled Person's Railcard can be used, although it won't work on season tickets. What's more, if you travel with another adult, they'll also get one-third off. The accompanying adult does not have to have a disability, but does need to travel the whole duration of the journey with the card holder to qualify.  

Are you eligible?

You should qualify for a Disabled Person's Railcard if...

• You are registered as deaf or use a hearing aid.

• You are registered as having a visual impairment.

• You receive personal independence payments (PIP) or adult disability payments (ADP).

• You receive disability living allowance (DLA) at either the higher or lower rate for the mobility component, or the higher or middle rate for the care component.

• You have epilepsy and have repeated attacks, even though you receive drug treatment, or are currently prohibited from driving because of epilepsy.

• You receive attendance allowance, severe disablement allowance, or pension age disability payment.

• You receive war pensioner's mobility supplement.

• You receive war or service disablement pension for 80% or more disability.

• You buy or lease a vehicle through the motability scheme.

You'll need to provide evidence of your eligibility when applying – see the Disabled Person's Railcard site for a list of accepted proof.

The railcard can't be bought at station ticket offices, but you can pick up an application form which you'll need to complete and post – or you can apply for either a physical or digital card online.

Can children get this railcard?

If your child (aged 5-15) has one of the eligible disabilities, you can apply for a Disabled Person's Railcard on their behalf. They won't get discounted child fares, but the card will allow one adult travelling with them to get one-third off.