The railway wants to abolish an anachronism. During the first quarter of 2020, it should be possible for a large proportion of passengers to pay in the on-board restaurant with the debit card. So far, the use of such giro cards is not possible there, the train accepted in addition to cash only credit cards.
Customers keep asking if they could pay with a giro card - the aged card type is still popular in Germany. The new payment method for the railways should be made possible by the introduction of mobile cash registers, which should replace the stationary ones in the long term.
The new system is currently being tested on the route between Munich and Bremen, and trial operation is expected to be extended in December. Again and again it comes to the test to problems with the mobile network. "The quality of the data connection stands or falls with the illumination of the railway lines with mobile communications by the telecommunications companies," says a railway spokeswoman. In principle, a payment by debit card is also possible without a receipt.
Refrigerator, coffee machine or cash register - often something is broken
The Bordgastronomie of the railroad has long struggled with logistical problems. So it happens again and again that food or drinks are missing. Even technical defects regularly put guests and staff to patience. The freezers on board fail, the coffee machines fail, the water supply goes on strike, beer dispensers do not work.
The current cash register systems are also occasionally canceled, and the on-board restaurateurs have to keep a cash register in these cases - by hand. Customers will then get a yellow slip with the invoice amount instead of a normal receipt.
For a long time, the railway has been working to make its gastronomy more reliable, but also more digital. "It can not be that films are streamed behind and one of the block with the block orders," said food chef Alexander Thies two years ago the SPIEGEL.
Cash registers can now automatically reorder goods. As a result, it hopes less sales. Also, the returns are to be reduced: Part of the goods, the train must throw away, because he could not be sold within the shelf life.
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