Cheapest Gold Card

Barry Doe highlighted the cheapest Gold Card on the rail network as Lichfield Trent Valley to Lichfield City - see http://stibasa.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/cheapest-gold-cards.html. Unfortunately, as he reports in Rail 765, London Midland Trains realised that this not often sold ticket had hardly risen in price for 19 years and they promptly put it up from £108 to £144! It is still the cheapest, but see the link for why you might consider the Isle of Wight (Ryde) card at £168 if you're likely to be using South West Trains.

Cheapest Gold Cards

According to fares supremo Barry Doe, in Rail Magazine issues 761 and 763, the cheapest Gold Card - £108 at current prices - will be Lichfield Trent Valley to/from City. The former cheapest Gold Card was Ryde St Johns Road to/from Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight. This now costs £164, but, if bought at a South West Trains station, it (and I assume any South West Trains Gold Card) entitles the holder to 6 free South West trains tickets in the year. This may save you more than the £56 difference in price from the Lichfield one.

The discounts obtainable with a Gold Card, which change from 2015, are explained here:http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/times_fares/ticket_types/46573.aspx

Get a loan to buy an annual travelcard on Oyster and save relative to monthy travelcards

https://www.commuterclub.co.uk/

This organisation is offering loans at 5.6% to enable people to buy an annual travelcard on Oyster, whilst paying out monthly. Not only are the monthly payments less than a monthly travelcard, but also you get a Gold Card with an annual travelcard and this gives substantial savings on off peak train fares for you and travelling companions. If your employer doesn't offer an interest free season ticket loan, this may be a good option for you.

(The cheapest annual season in the country used to be (and maybe still is) Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight, currently costing £164. Because Gold Card savings are more than with ordinary railcards, this could be cost effective for those who travel often enough.)

Gold card discounts now apply to Underground only Oyster PAYG, and Gold Cards go electronic

According to fares supremo Barry Doe (widely respected, but still a secondary source) annual season ticket holders whose ticket is valid for a station n the London and South East network area can have their Gold Card (which is included in the annual's price) coded onto their Oyster card, so avoiding the inconvenience of carrying round a piece of cardboard and remembering to claim the discount for the Gold Card.

Additionally, the discount of 34% is now extended to Underground only Oyster PAYG fares (similar ts and cs doubtlessly apply). The cheapest annual season ticket used to be Ryde St Johns Road to Ryde Esplanade on the Isle of Wight. It is currently £140 pa and might not take that long to pay for itself.