Railway card 25 and 50 now exclusively in digital format.
Millions of individuals in Germany possess Bahncards from the German Railways. Nonetheless, Bahncards will only be accessible online in the near future, leading to substantial ridicule.
Henceforth, there will be no more physical Bahncards. The German Railways will exclusively provide the online subscription version. As per their recent announcement, customers will no longer receive a chip card effective immediately. Nevertheless, existing Bahncards will continue to operate until their expiration dates.
This update only impacts the subscription variants 25 and 50, in which cardholders enjoy a reduced ticket price. The Bahncard subscription 100, which retains a physical card, remains unaltered.
Charitable organizations denounce this shift towards digitalization. "The German Railways are displaying how it should not be done," remarked Michael Stiefel, leader of the "Participation of Individuals with Poverty Experience" initiative at the Diakonie Germany. "They are implementing an ecologically-friendly idea without considering the societal repercussions."
Bahn responds to criticism
Digital privileges often create challenges for individuals in poverty: "Those who do not possess digital devices or are simply overwhelmed by digital applications will be unable to use this in the coming era," they claim. "This primarily affects individuals with limited finances and seniors." Not every person can utilize digital payment alternatives either.
The Consumer Center voiced similar reservations previously. It's "disappointing" that the railway company barricades customers without digital access from tariff benefits.
The railway firm dismisses the criticism. Consumers can still acquire the Bahncard in the future as a paper printout and carry it around. It can be purchased and paid for at the railway company's client centers. However, Bahncard holders will also need a digital client account. The German Railways share that they now sell approximately 90% of their long-distance tickets via virtual channels. A decade ago, this figure stood at 51%.
Read also:
- In response to criticisms from consumer organizations, German Railways has assured that customers can still obtain Bahncards as a paper printout and utilize them with a digital client account.
- The Consumer Protection advocate, Consumer Center, has expressed disappointment over the exclusion of customers without digital access from enjoying the Bahncard tariff benefits.
- Despite criticism from consumer organizations and the Consumer Center, German Railways' shift towards selling 90% of its long-distance tickets online highlights the increasing importance of digitalization in modern consumer centers.
