Not able to purchase travel pass

Pooja Khandelwal

Hi, I keep receiving this error message An error occurred while processing your query. whenever I try to purchase swiss half fare travel pass. I used different devices, browsers and even in incognito window. Is the website currently down? Is there any other website that i can use to purchase that?
Thank you

RolandP

Hello Pooja Khandelwal

The ticket purchase is limited until 2 AM Swiss local time due to maintenance.

Otherwise:

Try to enter all names in full capital. And, your credit card must support 3D secure ID to successfully purchase from SBB.

Kind regards,
Roland

Peterchen

I just ran into this exact issue. Is it mentioned somewhere in the checkout that your VISA card has to support 3D secure? Is it mentioned somewhere that you have to enter your name all caps? I spent hours to figure this out. Not impressed at all with the SBB shop.

RolandP

Hello Peterchen

First of all, hello 🙂

SBB sells hundreds of thousands of e-tickets every day. And in 99% of cases it works perfectly.

It is simply impossible to offer a shop that works from every place in the world, and with all devices and all browsers. Maybe the problem is with your device? Have you already tried the SBB Mobile App?

3D secure ID is a common security standard for European webshops; thus it does not need to be mentioned separately.

There is no obligation to buy tickets in advance, you can also buy tickets at the ticket machine or in the travel centre at the station, except for saver offers.

Kind regards,
Roland

RolandP

Hello Peterchen

First of all, hello 🙂

SBB sells hundreds of thousands of e-tickets every day. And in 99% of cases it works perfectly.

3D secure ID is a common security standard for European webshops; thus it does not need to be mentioned separately.

There is no obligation to buy tickets in advance, you can also buy tickets at the ticket machine or in the travel centre at the station, except for saver offers.

Kind regards,
Roland

Danhiel

Peterchen If it is not possible to buy a ticket on sbb.ch, you can try with other vendors, for example trainline.com or raileurope.com, but these vendors add sometimes a booking fee.

Peterchen

RolandP
SBB sells hundreds of thousands of e-tickets every day. And in 99% of cases it works perfectly.

This might be true, on the SBB webshop the payment requires a 3D secure enabled Credit Card where as the mobile app does NOT. And certain tickets cannot be bought through the app. That’s where things don’t work. At all.

RoyalFleet

I have the same issue. It is erroring on adding to basket. I have tried over a couple of days, browsers and even different accounts (as I was trying to buy one for my wife too). I have also tried the purchase journey in German and this hasn’t helped.

It is erroring when trying to add the pass to the basket so won’t be anything, in this case, to do with the Visa 3d as it is before that in the sales process.

I am pretty sure this is an issue on the website, but cannot see anywhere you can raise a query via chat or email. You have to call which I don’t really want to do from abroad and in German.

Edit - Trainline is not an option as it simply redirects to sbb.ch

RolandP

Hello RoyalFleet

Can you please check, in addition, if the device’s time setting is set to automatic, in its system settings?

Kind regards,
Roland

RoyalFleet

Eureka!! I have solved it.

On Stage 2 of the process - Travel Data
Click Process Passengers | Reductions
Change the name to ALL CAPITALS
Then you can add to the basket with no error

No idea why this is needed but it seems to work,

RolandP

Hello Peterchen

The Switzerland Travel Center is the official travel agency for Switzerland tourists, and run by SBB and Switzerland Tourism.

You can purchase the Swiss Half Fare Card there as well. The only disadvantage in doing so, it will not appear on your SBB Mobile app yet is available as PDF.

https://switzerlandtravelcentre.com/en/che/ticket/swiss-half-fare-card

Best wishes,
Roland

Peterchen

RolandP thanks, but this does not solve the issue you have on your website. For me and other customers in the future. I have a ticket open with sbb, I hope they will adress this.

RolandP

Hello Peterchen

We have heard you. As I said, the issue persists for a petite percentage of customers when purchasing from foreign countries. For the those, SBB has to find a solution. The vast majority of tourists can purchase the tickets, so can the locals.

From what I understood, you were unable to purchase the Swiss Half Fare Card. Therefore, I provided you a work-around by mentioning STC.

Kind regards,
Roland