5.1 million BahnCards are issued every year – made of plastic. According to DB information, 60 percent of BahnCard customers already use the digital form of the cards in the DB Navigator app.
In the future, Deutsche Bahn wants to only issue the BahnCards intended for frequent travelers digitally and forego the plastic version. Initially, starting with the timetable change this Sunday, plastic test BahnCards 25 and 50 will no longer be issued. The changeover of the annual products is planned for the second half of 2024, but customer feedback should be taken into account for the specific design of the digitalization process, a DB spokeswoman told the German Press Agency.
From now on there is no longer a plastic version available for the trial BahnCards 25 and 50, which are each valid for three months. In our experience, the target group is “very digitally savvy” and the duration is also short before a successor card made of plastic would be necessary. “That is why we have decided to no longer offer an analogue alternative here,” said the spokeswoman.
According to DB information, 5.1 million BahnCards are issued every year. “A digital BahnCard saves a lot of plastic,” said the marketing director at DB Fernverkehr, Stefanie Berk. In addition, unlike in physical form, the card cannot be forgotten or lost once it has been uploaded to the DB Navigator smartphone app.
With a BahnCard, passengers receive a 25 or 50 percent discount when purchasing tickets, depending on the option, while a BahnCard 100 allows free travel on all trains. According to DB, 60 percent of BahnCard customers are already using the digital form of the cards in the DB Navigator app.
Source: Stern
