Lost, stolen or forgotten 16-25 Railcard

On this page

At a glance

• A replacement costs £10 — free if the card was stolen and you have a police crime reference number.
• Online cards can be replaced 10 or more days after purchase, once every 12 months.
• Forgot it (or your phone died)? You may have to pay the full fare or a Penalty Fare — but train companies normally let you claim the extra back once a year.
• Railcards can’t be refunded once issued.

Lost or damaged

A replacement costs £10.

• Bought online: replace it through “Manage my Railcard”. You can only do this 10 or more days after you bought it, and only once in any 12 months.
• Bought at a station: take the stamped “Receipt” part of your application form to a staffed station. Without it, a lost station card can’t be replaced.

Digital card on a lost phone? You can move a digital railcard to a new phone free of charge — see digital or plastic.

Stolen

A replacement is free if you have a police crime reference number (and ID, if you’re replacing it at a station).

Your card never arrived

Wait 10 days, then report it as lost. That’s free within 30 days of applying; after that it costs £10.

You forgot it, or your phone died

If you travel on a railcard-discounted ticket without your railcard (or with a digital card you can’t show because your battery is flat), you may have to:

• pay the full single fare, or buy a new ticket, or
• on some services, pay a Penalty Fare.

If someone else used your railcard to get their discount, they face the same.

Claiming the extra back

Train companies normally let you claim back the extra once a year, if you can show you held a valid railcard before the journey. Claim through the train company’s customer service. We didn’t find an admin fee figure for this, so we don’t quote one.

How much is a Penalty Fare?

Currently, in England, a Penalty Fare is £100 + the full single fare, reduced to £50 plus the fare if you pay within 21 days. In Wales it’s £20 or twice the full single fare, whichever is more. These figures come from a secondary source and may vary, so check with the train company.

Refunds

Railcards are non-refundable once issued, and the validity can’t be extended. Trainline’s own policy differs for cards bought from Trainline: usually refundable within 14 days if unused and not downloaded to the app.

Questions people ask

What happens if I forget my railcard?

You may have to pay the full fare, or a Penalty Fare on some services. Train companies normally let you claim the extra back once a year if you can show you held a valid railcard. A flat phone battery counts as forgetting it.

I’ve lost my railcard, or it was stolen. What now?

A replacement costs £10, or is free if it was stolen and you have a crime reference number. Online cards can be replaced once every 12 months, from 10 days after purchase.

Can I get a refund on my railcard?

Not once it’s been issued. Trainline’s own policy is different: cards bought there are usually refundable within 14 days if unused and not downloaded.

Sources

Checked 17 October 2026. We wrote this guide from these sources, in our own words:

1. 16-25 Railcard: lost or stolen (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
2. 16-25 Railcard terms and conditions (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
3. 16-25 Railcard: FAQs (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
4. 16-25 Railcard: renew or replace (official) (16-25railcard.co.uk)
5. Trainline: 16-25 Railcard (thetrainline.com)
6. Penalty fare (Wikipedia) (en.wikipedia.org)

We are an independent guide, not the official Railcard website. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.