Yes, as long as you have at least one month’s validity remaining and the origin and destination stations of your ticket are Key Smartcard-enabled stations. You must also have purchased your ticket from one of our stations or from our website. Unfortunately it is not possible to transfer your Season ticket if it has been discounted.

To transfer your ticket:

• Check that your origin and destination is available on The Key Smartcard by checking the map
• Apply for The Key Smartcard online
• Visit any staffed Great Northern, Southern or Thameslink ticket office outside of the London Travelcard area. See our map
• We’ll then contact you when your Key Smartcard is ready to be collected, usually within 5 working days

No, you must buy a ticket for your Key Smartcard and collect it before you get on the train.

Yes, The Key Smartcard can hold up to 5 tickets at a time. However, when buying online only one ticket can be purchased per transaction (at no additional cost). Our system has a limit on how many tickets can be uploaded to The Key at a card reader from a single transaction. Additional tickets can be purchased after you’ve loaded a ticket on to your card at the card reader/validator. When buying from a ticket machine, you can buy multiple tickets.

As a parent or guardian of a child aged 5 to 15 years, you’ll need to provide the same information online as you do to register as an adult – name, address, date of birth and contact details. However, you’ll also need to provide a passport-style digital photograph of them for their smartcard.

To complete a child’s registration you must also verify the child’s age at any staffed Great Northern, Southern or Thameslink ticket office along with proof of identification, such as a passport or birth certificate.

Yes, for all train journeys you should touch in and out, or you may be liable to pay a penalty fare. This is particularly important for users of keyGo and to benefit from Auto Delay Repay. For repeated misuse, we reserve the right to disable your Key.

We’re here to help. For these and other queries, please get in touch with us.

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

Aside from travel within the London Travelcard area (with a valid travelcard ticket), your Key Smartcard is valid for travel with other train operators as follows (as long as you have a valid ticket):

• Virgin Trains East Coast – between London King’s Cross and Stevenage
• East Midlands Trains – between London St Pancras and Bedford
  Please note: Travelcards on The Key Smartcard do not operate the East Midlands Trains gates at St Pancras

If your Key stops working or it’s lost or stolen, we’ll block it and send a free replacement to your registered address. The best way to do this is by logging into your account to request this yourself. We’ll give you up to 3 free replacements over 12 months. Any subsequent replacements will need to be investigated and we may need to retain your Key Smartcard or charge for subsequent replacements.

If your train journey is delayed by 15 minutes or more, you can claim compensation under our Delay Repay scheme. With The Key Smartcard you can benefit from Auto Delay Repay. We can in many cases, tell when you may have been delayed and let you know when you’re owed compensation.

To claim compensation and for further information about Auto Delay Repay, please visit our Delay Repay page.

The easiest way to get a refund for a ticket you have purchased for your Key Smartcard is to complete the Key Smartcard refund form which can be found on the refund pages of our websites.