Students travelling around London and the UK have several different discounts available, but they do not all apply to the same purchase.
The 18+ Student Oyster photocard discounts eligible London Travelcard season tickets. A 16-25 Railcard or another eligible National Railcard discounts many UK train fares and can also reduce eligible off-peak Oyster fares after station staff add it to your card.
TrainPal, Trip.com and cashback sites can then offer a cheaper way to buy a Railcard or National Rail ticket. They do not currently provide a discount on the £22 TfL Student Oyster application fee.
Student Oyster is separate from a Railcard
The 18+ Student Oyster photocard is a TfL concession for eligible students living in a London borough during term time. It currently provides 30% off adult-rate Travelcards and Bus & Tram Pass season tickets.
Applications are made through TfL and currently carry a £22 administration fee. TrainPal, Trip.com, Rakuten and TopCashback do not sell this photocard, so do not follow a third-party link claiming to discount the application.
Use our Student Oyster versus pay-as-you-go calculator before applying.
If you also have a 16-25 or 26-30 Railcard, TfL says you can ask staff to attach it to your 18+ Student Oyster photocard. This can provide one third off eligible off-peak pay-as-you-go fares and daily caps. It does not reduce the already-discounted Student Travelcard price.
Choose the right National Railcard
The 16-25 Railcard is available to people aged 16 to 25 and eligible mature students. It normally reduces eligible National Rail fares by one third.
Other students may qualify for a 26-30 Railcard, Disabled Persons Railcard, Two Together Railcard or another product. Each has its own eligibility, time restrictions and minimum fares.
Most standard one-year Railcards currently cost £35, while selected three-year versions cost £80. A Railcard is only a saving when the eligible ticket reductions are likely to exceed what you pay for the card.
Compare discounted Railcard offers
These routes were checked on 29 July 2026:
| Route | Saving currently shown | Important condition |
|---|---|---|
| TrainPal via MoneySavingExpert | Code MSE23 gives 23% off eligible digital Railcards | The one-year price is shown as £26.95 and the three-year price as £61.60 |
| TrainPal first ticket | Code MSE5OFF gives £5 off a first UK ticket costing at least £5.01 | A separate ticket promotion, not a Student Oyster discount |
| Trip.com app sales | Limited batches of discounted digital Railcards | Quantities and sale times can be very limited |
| Official Railcard website | Standard Railcard price and direct fulfilment | Useful as the baseline for every comparison |
The TrainPal Railcard offer excludes some card types. A discounted card can also be stored inside the retailer’s app and may require a qualifying ticket purchase through that retailer to activate it. Read the current fulfilment and activation terms before paying.
Check the current TrainPal codes at MoneySavingExpert and compare them with the official Railcard options.
Compare TrainPal and Trip.com for tickets
TrainPal and Trip.com are both third-party ticket retailers. The underlying regulated or Advance fare can be the same as the train operator’s price, but retailer promotions, split-ticket suggestions, booking fees and refund handling can differ.
Trip.com new-user train offer
New Trip.com users joining through our invitation can currently receive a Traincard giving 4% off eligible UK rail travel for 30 days. Use it only when the final price and ticket conditions beat the operator and other retailers.
Read the Trip.com 4% train discount guide.
TrainPal new-user offer
MoneySavingExpert currently lists £5 off a first UK train ticket costing at least £5.01 with code MSE5OFF. This can be more valuable than a percentage discount on a cheap first journey.
TrainPal can also show split tickets. A split-ticket itinerary is valid when the train calls at every station where one ticket ends and the next begins, even if you stay in the same seat. Check the itinerary carefully and keep every ticket available for inspection.
Can you add Rakuten or TopCashback?
Sometimes, but do not assume every code and cashback rate can be combined.
TopCashback currently separates its TrainPal rates by purchase and customer type. On 29 July 2026 it showed:
| TrainPal purchase | Cashback shown |
|---|---|
| New customer train ticket without a voucher | 6% |
| Existing customer train ticket without a voucher | 2% |
| New customer Railcard without a voucher | 23% |
| Existing customer Railcard without a voucher | 10% |
The words without a voucher are crucial. Using MSE23, MSE5OFF or another unapproved code may stop cashback tracking or cause it to be declined. Compare the guaranteed voucher saving with the pending cashback amount and choose the stronger route.
Check the live TrainPal rate at TopCashback before purchasing.
TopCashback also currently lists Trip.com train cashback separately from its hotel, flight and activity rates. Voucher conditions still apply, so read the train category rather than relying on the headline “up to” percentage.
Check the live Trip.com rate at TopCashback.
Rakuten’s retailer list and welcome campaigns change. Search inside Rakuten for TrainPal, Trip.com, Trainline or another ticket retailer before starting the booking. If the retailer is not listed for UK train purchases, the booking will not qualify simply because Rakuten has a welcome bonus.
Check the current Rakuten welcome bonus and tracking steps.
A safer order for combining train savings
Build the cheapest eligible booking
- Search the exact journey.
Keep the date, train, ticket flexibility and passenger details identical across retailers.
- Add your Railcard.
Compare the discounted fare first. Do not buy a full-price ticket and expect the Railcard to refund the difference later.
- Check the train operator.
Use its price and conditions as the baseline before opening a third-party promotion.
- Compare one retailer offer.
Test the TrainPal or Trip.com promotion and note the final payable amount, including any fee.
- Check one cashback site.
Only use it when its retailer category accepts your ticket and any code. Do not open another cashback link afterwards.
- Save the evidence.
Keep the offer screen, ticket confirmation and cashback visit record until the journey and any cashback are complete.
Link the Railcard to Oyster for off-peak London travel
Once you have an eligible Railcard, take it with your registered Oyster or 18+ Student Oyster photocard to a staffed Tube, London Overground or Elizabeth line station. Ask staff to add the Railcard entitlement.
The discount applies to eligible off-peak pay-as-you-go fares and caps. Carry the valid Railcard whenever you travel with the linked discount.
Read our full Oyster, contactless and Railcard guide.
See the current daily and Monday-to-Sunday caps before deciding whether pay as you go or a season ticket fits your journeys.