The Key Smartcard | Southern Railway

Q: What information do I need to register for a Key Smartcard, and how do I apply?

To get a Key Smartcard you will need to create an account with us and we will ask you for your name, address, date of birth and contact details.

The Key Smartcard overview

The Key Smartcard is a smarter alternative to paper tickets, making it quicker and easier to buy your tickets and benefit from Auto Delay Repay. You can buy or renew your Season tickets online and load directly to your Key Smartcard using our app. Other daily tickets like Anytime and Off-Peak tickets must be purchased and loaded at a ticket office.

Benefits of using Smartcard

Save time: It’s fast and hassle-free to renew your Season ticket with a Key Smartcard, helping you to avoid queues at stations.
Convenient digital options: Purchase or renew your Season ticket online or via our app. Once purchased, simply tap your Smartcard to your phone after 15 minutes or use station gates and validators after two hours to activate your ticket.
Auto Delay Repay: With a Smartcard, you can enable Auto Delay Repay to be automatically prompted for compensation if your train is delayed by 15+ minutes.
Pay-as-you-go flexibility: Enjoy the convenience of pay-as-you-go travel with keyGo. Load it onto your Key Smartcard to benefit from the best available day fares and automatic weekly fare capping.
Flexible Season ticket choices: Add any Season ticket type to your Key Smartcard, including Flexi-Season, Weekly, Monthly, Custom Season ticket, Travelcard, and Annual.
Seamless station integration: Smartcard readers are located at ticket gates or near station entrances/exits with freestanding validators. Look for the yellow disk to tap in and out. When travelling in the London area, use Oyster readers at valid locations.

Things to remember 

Season ticket discounts: Railcard discounts don’t apply to Season tickets (except the 16–17 Saver). Most Railcards can be added to keyGo, except group Railcards like Friends & Family or Two Together.
Flexi-Season and keyGo: These cannot be held on the same Smartcard. Use separate Smartcards to manage both.
Season tickets online only: Season tickets can only be purchased online for your Smartcard. Other tickets (Anytime and Off-Peak) must be added at a ticket office.
Terms and conditions: Please read the full terms and conditions for the Key Smartcard.

Get started with the Key Smartcard

Register: Create an account on our website or app and select ‘Get the Key Smartcard’ during registration. If you have an account already, simply access your account to sign up for a Key Smartcard. Your card will arrive by post within five working days.
Log in anytime: Once you’re signed up, it’s easy to access your account. Simply login at your convenience to update your details and check your journey history.
Opt into Auto Delay Repay: Sign up for Auto Delay Repay notifications and you will automatically be prompted to claim compensation if you are delayed for 15 minutes or more.

For more information, check out our video below.

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Frequently asked questions

Where can I travel with the Key Smartcard?

What types of tickets can I have on the Key Smartcard, and where can I buy them?

Ticket Type	Buy online	Buy at ticket offices	Buy at ticket machines (non Oyster machines only)
Annual Season tickets and Travelcard Season tickets* for London Zones 1-6	Yes	Yes	No
Monthly or Weekly Season ticket and Travelcard Season tickets* London Zones 1-6	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anytime Single and Return tickets	No	Yes	Yes
Flexi Season tickets	Yes	Yes	No
Off-Peak Single and Return tickets**	No	Yes	Yes

Collecting your tickets on your Key Smartcard

When you buy a ticket online you can collect this via our apps 15 mins after purchase or from your chosen station by tapping your Key Smartcard against a reader at a gateline or validator, two hours after purchase
When you buy a ticket from a ticket machine it must be one of our ticket machines located outside of the London area

Smartcard readers are located either at the ticket gates or near the entrance/exit for 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.

If you board a train without loading a ticket onto your Key Smartcard you will be travelling without a valid ticket and may be liable for a Penalty Fare

^{* Travelcard season tickets, include travel on London Underground, London Overground, London Buses, London Trams, Docklands Light Rail and National Rail services within London Zones 1-6}

^{**Super Off-Peak tickets are not currently available.}

What information do I need to register for a Key Smartcard, and how do I apply?

Can my child travel with a Key Smartcard and what do I need to apply?

If you are 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. Make sure when registering for a Child Key Smartcard, you enter your child’s details for an online account.

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

Please note, child Keycards do take longer to issue than adult cards due to the extra steps involved in the process as stated above. If your child is 16 or over, please apply for an adult card.

Once a child smartcard has expired, an adult smartcard will need to be applied for by the person named on the smartcard. Please contact customer services who can action this request on your behalf.

More information about your online account is available here

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*Must be over the age of 16

We will not pass on your personal information to any organisation outside of Southern.

*Must be over the age of 16

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