Confusion about the 49-euro ticket: does early cancellation cost 30 euros?

Created: 01/10/2023, 19:55

By: Oliver Schmitz

The 49-euro ticket is said to be available as a monthly subscription, but there are still unanswered questions about cancellation.

A possible fee caused confusion.

Cologne – After a long wait, the 49-euro ticket for buses and trains is due to be launched in spring 2023.

But in contrast to the 9-euro ticket, it cannot be purchased as a single ticket, but only as a continuous subscription.

Customers will only be able to cancel the so-called Deutschlandticket on a monthly basis.

The information on an official sales page of the transport company Transdev makes you sit up and take notice.

Because there it is stated that a termination of the new public transport subscription could cost something.

49-euro ticket: A service fee was planned for cancellation in the first year

It should actually be as easy as possible to subscribe to and cancel the 49-euro ticket.

(IDZRW montage) © Piero Nigro/Imago & Panthermedia/Imago

While the start date for the 49-euro ticket has not even been finalized, the new public transport subscription can actually already be pre-ordered.

Transdev, the second largest train and bus company in Germany, has secured the appropriate internet address "deutschlandticket.de" and has been offering the 49-euro ticket for sale since December 2022.

In principle, however, the 49-euro ticket can also be purchased from transport associations such as the KVB, the VRS or the Rheinbahn.

Information on the possible cancellation was also provided on the Transdev website, some of which caused outrage: "Please note that if you cancel in the first twelve months of your subscription, a service fee of €30.00 will be charged," is written there .

"It smells like a subscription trap for me," said Andreas Schröder from the Pro Bahn passenger association to 24RHEIN in mid-December.

In addition, there is a note that it should only be possible to cancel the 49-euro ticket by email.

Neither sounds easy and uncomplicated at all - but that's exactly what the new public transport subscription is supposed to be.

Transdev gives the all-clear to 24RHEIN.

Cancellation of 49-euro ticket will be free of charge - further options planned

According to a Transdev spokeswoman, the cancellation fee for the 49-euro ticket is no longer up-to-date.

"This information is based on an outdated draft of the tariff regulations," she said when asked by 24RHEIN.

Every form of design of the Germany ticket would be based on the “political guidelines and the resulting tariff regulations”.

"However, the cancellation fee has already been discarded, so we will remove this information from our website in a timely manner." Transdev will therefore not charge any additional cancellation fees for the 49-euro ticket and will be based on the uniform cancellation modalities for the Germany ticket.

Current news about the 49-euro ticket

There are still a few unanswered questions about the Deutschlandticket.

24RHEIN reports on all current events relating to the 49-euro ticket in the news ticker.

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The situation is similar with the termination options.

According to the Transdev spokeswoman, these would be "expanded in good time with the start of the Germany ticket".

The company will focus in particular on an "uncomplicated cancellation function from the web shop and the planned app". regularly”.

The conditions of Transdev should in all probability also apply to other transport companies such as VRR and VRS in NRW.