Status: 13.01.2024, 19:01 PM
By: Karolin Schäfer
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If you use a Bahncard, you should pay attention now. Deutsche Bahn is announcing a change that will soon affect numerous users of the discount cards.
Munich – Commuters and frequent drivers of local and long-distance public transport may not have been quite as pleased last year. Deutsche Bahn also increased its costs with the timetable change in December, which also made the Bahncard 25 more expensive, which now costs three euros more annually and thus 62.90 euros. But there is another change. Just recently, there were new rules for train cancellations and delays.
Bahncard goes digital: This is changing for travellers
If you have a Bahncard, you will receive a discount on every train journey booked, writes Merkur.de. With the Bahncard 25 it is 25 percent, with the Bahncard 50, on the other hand, 50 percent, and with the Bahncard 100, passengers travel without a ticket. Previously, every purchase was accompanied by a plastic card and proof in digital form, which was stored in the DB Navigator smartphone app.
But the plastic card is now over. As of now, there are no more trial BahnCards 25 and 50 made of plastic. These are valid for three months. In the future, standard Bahncards will no longer be issued as plastic cards. There is no exact deadline yet. However, Deutsche Bahn expects this to happen in the second half of 2024. The future of the Deutschlandticket, on the other hand, is uncertain.
But what will change for rail passengers? As a result of the change, users will have access to the digital Bahncard anytime and anywhere. Everything can be accessed with just a few clicks, especially since many people save their tickets on their mobile phones anyway. So you don't have to dig the Bahncard out of your wallet.
Bahncard will only be available digitally in the future: For whom this will be a problem
"In the DB Navigator, you not only have your BahnCard at a glance, but also your BahnBonus points and tickets," says the company. At the same time, the digital card cannot be forgotten or lost once it has been uploaded to the app. The digital changeover affects all Bahncards, with the exception of the Bahncard 100.
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In the future, Deutsche Bahn wants to issue the Bahncards, which are intended for frequent travellers, only digitally and do without the plastic version. © Martin Schutt/dpa
With the changeover, Deutsche Bahn also wants to do something for the environment and save "a lot of plastic", said Deutsche Bahn manager Stefanie Berk. According to the company, 5.1 million Bahncards are issued annually. 60 percent of them are already using the digital alternative. The majority of users should not have any problems with the changeover. However, many people are currently still relying on the plastic card. If you don't have a smartphone, the end of the physical card could be a problem.
Most recently, a Deutsche Bahn commercial caused reactions on the Internet. Train announcements also lead to confusion among travellers again and again. (kas/dpa)