Digital ticket requirement: Why your battery is important now!

Digital ticket requirement: Why your battery is important now!

The number of travelers using digital tickets on their mobile phones is steadily increasing, while the sale of paper and plastic tickets is increasingly being restricted. Loud Travel reporter Important tickets such as the Deutschlandticket have been offered exclusively in digital form since January 1, 2024. Likewise, the introduction of the purely digital Bahncard 25 and Bahncard 50 in June 2023 heralded the end of physical cards.

With increasing digitalization, the question of accessibility and availability for all travelers arises. Travelers can get into trouble, especially if their smartphone is defective or the battery is empty. In these cases, you are quickly considered to be fare evading if you cannot show a valid ticket. Anyone who cannot do this is obliged to purchase a valid ticket before starting the journey, otherwise they may face a “control complaint” or a “subsequent fare charge” amounting to 60 euros.

Recommendations for travelers

To prevent problems during checks, we recommend charging your cell phone in good time and carrying a power bank or charging cable with you. Screenshots of tickets are officially invalid, but they can be helpful as proof among fellow travelers. Travelers who mistakenly travel without a valid ticket may subsequently present the ticket within one week and receive a refund, but must pay a processing fee of 7 euros.

The Pro Bahn passenger association criticizes the so-called “smartphone requirement” in public transport. The demand for digital solutions that are independent of the availability of a device is becoming louder TIME ONLINE always louder. Consumer advice centers warn that the exclusive digital sale of tickets and rail cards could create new barriers for travelers.

Criticism of digitalization

Ramona Pop from the Federal Association of Consumer Organizations emphasizes that digitalization should improve mobility without creating new hurdles. The demand paper, which was made public, focuses on the analog availability of savings prices and the protection of customer data. Older people in particular, who use the Internet less often, could be disadvantaged by the exclusively digital provision of tickets. Only about one in three people over 80 are online, and a Forsa survey shows that 65% of respondents think it is important to continue to be able to buy tickets at machines or counters.

Nevertheless, Deutsche Bahn announces that 90% of long-distance and 78% of local transport tickets are now sold digitally. Despite concerns about data protection and dependence on technology, digital tickets have become popular. The criticism of data collection by companies and the demand for a consumer advisory council are prompting dialogue about a balanced system of digital and analog ticket availability in the mobility landscape.