Issue 15: Purchasing snacks on board


The following answer was published in Issue 15 (Mar/Apr 2006) of e-motion magazine.

Question

Can I use my credit card to buy snacks and drinks on South West Trains services and if not, why not? It would be a much more convenient way to pay.

Answer

I understand that it would be more convenient to use your credit card, but at this stage it is not an option. We looked at equipping every steward with a hand-held machine that was chip-and-pin enabled, but it would not have been cost-effective because the amounts spent in each transaction are quite small.

At present, we are not considering introducing this service, but if the technology becomes less expensive we may look again at accepting credit cards.

Nick Frohawk, Rail Gourmet (operates South West Trains’ on-board catering)