Great Western Coffee Shop

I understand that FGW's buffets are equipped with old fashioned airline style credit card machines.  Two questions:
1. is there any minimum spend?
2. are FGW's trolleys equipped with facilities to take credit/debit cards?

(Reason for asking is I know someone who is doing some research into credit/debit card acceptance and the fees and they wanted to know about on-train payments)

There's no minimum spend using a card at an FGW buffet but some debit cards will not be accepted. Solo/Electron for example and others that are 'Electronic Use Only'.

As far as I know, FGW's trolleys are cash only. Certainly not seen them with any with EPOS equipment at all. The only trolleys on the network that I know for sure accept debit/credit cards are those on CrossCountry services.

Most first class trollies have an EPOS and can take card payments.

Great.  Thanks for the responses.  Will pass this on.

You're right. I should've distinguished between HSS First Class trolleys and those found on West/Thames Valley services.

Yep HSS Trolleys are done by us (FGW) and West/LTV are done by Rail Gourmet

That's brilliant.  Thanks.

Any plans to update to include contactless payments?

Not that I know of, I doubt there will be any form of upgrade to Catering Systems in this franchise.

Chip & Pin would be a start  ;D

Hi There Everybody!

Just thought id say that From the 17th Of September 2012 (Today) Rail Gourmet have launched an EPOS card payment system on the Slimline trolleys on LTV routes and Cotswold services ! :)

Thank you for that latest information Busboy W1 and a very warm welcome to the Coffee Shop forum.  :)

South West Trains also take card payments but this is generally only Bournemouth Rail Gourmet crews AFAIK. Southern Trains on London Victoria - Brighton and GX services definitely do as well ;D

SWT's system I believe can take Electron/Solo or Online transactions only as it connects to the Bank via a Cellular GPRS Signal. The machines also have the ability to support contactless transactions. But I believe the Merchant Provider has to have the option enabled for the Terminal to offer it. Which in this case it doesn't :(

I saw an advert on the side of a trolley on a London-Oxford service advertising that contactless card payments where now available, but I didn't see the machine itself or anyone pay by card.

Probably a nationwide Rail Gourmet thing then?

I was speaking to a Bournemouth Steward (South West Trains) who said that all Bournemouth Staff can take cards, but that it was being expanded to Salisbury and Waterloo as well.

I've noticed that Southern can also take cards, But I haven't ever paid by card on either Southern or SWT. I have paid with card in the FGW HSS Buffet Cars without issue.

I know that Virgin have GPRS Card Payments in their buffet cars onboard shops. Unfortunately, When I tried to pay for something with my card. The poor lass had never used the card machine. Luckily for her (and myself as I was hungry and first class offering on a Sunday isn't great) I used to fit credit/debit card machines in a previous life (and provide support for them in my current life) so know how they all work etc. I bet she felt rather intimidated by someone a good 5 years younger showing her how it works and what receipt to keep etc (But it's not rocket science) ;D