Product Code Database
BahnCard (German Bahn – Rail) is a discount subscription programme offered by Deutsche Bahn (DB), the Germany national railway company. Unlike airline loyalty programs, but similarly to the UK Railcard, the BahnCard entitles the passenger to a discount price and must be purchased prior to travel. The BahnCard is offered in a non-business and a business version called BahnCard Business. Non-business BahnCard contracts are automatically renewed each year, unless they are cancelled with sufficient notice. Three variants of BahnCard are sold by Deutsche Bahn: The BahnCard 25, the BahnCard 50, and the BahnCard 100. The first two variants allow passengers to get 25% and 50% discount respectively on standard long-distance rail fares, while the Mobility BahnCard 100 is a type of season ticket that allows free unlimited travel on most of the German railway network for a flat rate. The (non-business) BahnCard 25/50 are valid for one year and can only be purchased by subscription. If they are not canceled no later than six weeks before the expiry date, their term is automatically extended by another year. BahnCard Business 25/50 are also valid for one year but require no cancellation. Unlike the personal BahnCard, BahnCard Business can be combined with the discount that is granted to large-volume business customers.
In 2007 there were 4.01 million BahnCard holders in Germany (≈5% of Germany's population). More than half of the passenger revenue of DB Fernverkehr (long-distance) comes from tickets sold to BahnCard holders. Apart from entitling the holder to discounts, the BahnCard also functions as an ID card for the validation of online tickets and Mobile ticketing and for purchasing tickets from vending machines. BahnCard holders can also call a discounted hotline printed on the cards, and an optional travel insurance can be included.
In 1975 a Senior rail pass was introduced by the Bundesbahn, valid for men older than 65 years and women older than 60 years, and entitling them to a discount of 50% on long-distance train tickets. Later similar passes were introduced for minors and families, valid for journeys longer than (reduced to later). In the Deutsche Reichsbahn (DR), the East German rail company, which was later merged with the Bundesbahn, normal student ID cards entitled students to a discount of 50% on all journeys and 75% if the journey was between home and university.
The card allowed a two-dimensional pricing schedule, which consists of card price (a fixed cost), and ticket price (a variable cost). Once a passenger has bought a card, its price becomes a sunk cost and this makes the train more like the automobile, which is also characterised by high fixed costs. The decision whether to take a car or train for a particular journey depends mostly on the Marginal cost per kilometer, not on the total cost.
The effect of the BahnCard was to shift the marginal cost of the train journey below that of the car journey for many customers.
The BahnCard itself was introduced on 1 October 1992.
Initially the card was available for second class travel and 50% discount only, but at Christmas 1992, the BahnCard First for the first class was launched along with for the new product. By the end of the year, it was bought by 650,000 clients. A major advertising campaign was started by the (then called) Bundesbahn, where the card was marketed under the slogan travel for a year for half the price. The TV advertising campaign for the new product won several awards.
In July 1995, a BahnCard with credit card functionality was introduced in cooperation with Citibank.
This campaign, called "better BahnCard", was criticised by the newspaper Die Zeit in June 1996, which reported that customers were tricked into buying the credit card version against their will and that organisational errors lead to delays of several months and the delivery of incorrect cards. In June 1996 the magazine Focus reported that "CitiBank must improve BahnCards". Despite a high-profile marketing campaign, customers largely rejected the "better BahnCard"; only 390,000 were sold by May 1996 instead of the projected 1.5 million. Heilbronner Stimme,5 Juli 1996 The partnership with CitiBank was terminated on 31 March 1999.
In 1995, the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund was the first local public transport network outside Deutsche Bahn to join the BahnCard system. A 40% discount on all local train, tram and bus tickets was offered to BahnCard holders, and included in promotional tickets such as the Guten-Abend-Ticket. Long distance DB tickets with Frankfurt as a destination also allowed a single free connecting journey for non-BahnCard customers. In exchange, Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund customers were able to use Deutsche Bahn Interregio (regional) trains for free. Commuters who held season tickets of the Rhein-Main-Verkehrsverbund could now also use Intercity, Eurocity, and InterCityExpress trains in the Rhein-Main area for a small surcharge.ZUG (in German) (4). Deutsche Bahn: 10. 1995.
This reform proved highly unpopular with customers. After passenger protests and declining passenger numbers, the pricing model was modified again in August 2003. The original 50% discount Bahncard was reintroduced alongside the 25% Bahncard, however its price was increased from €120 to €200.
On 14 December 2003 the City ticket (see below) was launched in 44 cities in cooperation with the Verband Deutscher Verkehrsunternehmen (Union of German Transport Operators), Deutsche Bahn, and the individual local transport companies. On 12 December 2004, another 13 cities joined the scheme; on 11 December 2005 (coinciding with the new DB timetable) another 19, on 1 April 2007 another 16, and on 10 December 2007 yet 7 more. 100 million rail tickets with "City-ticket" function were sold by the beginning of 2008. Neue Rekorde bei der Bahn. In: mobil (magazine). April 2008, p. 55.
Between 2004 and 2008 the number of BahnCard holders grew by one million to 4.01 million,Deutsche Bahn. Menschen bewegen – Welten verbinden, Berlin 2008, p. 31 (in German) the highest in the history of the card.
In March 2024, DB announced to no longer issue BahnCard 25 and 50 as an actual plastic card from July 2024, making the use of its corresponding smartphone apps mandatory to access the virtual variant.
| +Bahncard prices per year in 2025 |
BahnCard 100 customers receive a free Bahncard 25 for another relative. Families can purchase more BahnCard 25 for household members for about 1/5 of the price. Minors can purchase the BahnCard 25 for €7.90 that is valid for one year. Since 2010 there has been a reduced Bahncard 25 for people aged 65 and over. It costs 40.90 euros, for 1st class 81.90 euros. For customers under 27, the reduced offer is called My BahnCard 25 and costs 39.90 euros in 2nd class or 81.90 euros in 1st class.
In 2006 there were 1.8 million BahnCard 50 in circulation, and BahnCard 50 passengers undertake an average of 50 train journeys a year, according to Deutsche Bahn.
The BahnCard 100 is aimed at business travellers and frequent travelers who make more than 30 long-distance journeys a year. The Bahncard 100 automatically qualifies the passenger for Deutsche Bahn's VIP program called bahn.comfort. Card holders enjoy a number of privileges like free baggage collection from home and access to VIP lounges at train stations.
The car sharing service offered by Deutsche Bahn can be used at discounted rates by card holders.
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