In short, no. But short-term fund expiry dates have commuters up in arms. The revamp of the website and introduction of the mobile app brought a sense of relief to the efficiency-hungry rail users who could finally manage their ticket purchases online.
But the relief was short-lived – as was the efficiency. When a pay-as-you-go value is loaded via the website or app, the purchase needs to be activated within seven days of the transaction by tagging into a station or bus. Gautrain has confirmed that this is due to technical reasons.
When a customer loads funds online, the transaction populates a file called an action list. An action list is sent out every 10 minutes to all fare gates and bus validators. When the card is tapped on the gate or bus, the funds are removed from the action list and loaded on to the card. If the card isn’t used within seven days of the online reload, the transaction is removed from the action list in order to reduce the size of the list and keep fare gate processing times to a minimum.
When making an online purchase, customers are warned that cards need to be tapped in to activate the transaction. An email reminder is sent if the customer hasn’t activated the transaction within five days, and will continue to be sent each morning until the transaction expires. If the amount has expired, the customer can apply online for a refund. The refunds are processed within three to five days. Gautrain confirmed that, in the worst instance, it could take up to 14 days.
Other expiry dates to take note of:
A gold card has a lifespan of five years from date of purchase. If there is an unused balance on the card, customers can apply for a refund of that amount.
Funds loaded remain valid for a period of three years from date of last use.
Period products are only valid for the period for which they’re purchased (seven or 35 days) and any unused trips will expire and are non-refundable. Period products must also be activated within seven days of purchase.
Zia Taylor
