SBB App

Cyprus

Last year we purchased the Swiss Half Fare card for our holiday in Switzerland and it worked very well for us. We set up the half fare card in the app and when I queried that the prices of the tickets were the same with or without the half fare card set up, I learnt that this is the case and the app assumes that you have a half fare card.
This year, we will be returning to Switzerland staying in a different area and although we will be using the train service a little, financially I don’t think it will be viable to purchase the Swiss Half Fare card.
My question is, can we still use the app to book our tickets, even though we will not have the Swiss Half Fare Card set up this year? If the prices shown are still the half price fare, we will be in trouble when the ticket collector comes to check our tickets, so can you advise what we should do please. The app is so convenient for booking tickets and is a great app.

I hope this makes sense.

Many thanks
Diane

RolandP

Hello Cyprus

Welcome to the SBB Community!

You can surely use the SBB Mobile App without the half fare card. If you still have the app installed, simply make sure the option is no longer activated when purchasing a ticket. Check that by clicking the pen icon displayed next to your name above the list ticket offers. See here:

https://community.sbb.ch/d/26418-how-can-i-save-the-info-of-swiss-half-fare-card

The system will automatically reload the offers without half fare.
And yes, it would be an issue; passengers travelling with a ½ fare ticket without the ½ card do pay per passenger a surcharge of CHF 70 plus the other half of the ticket.

Whether it makes sense to purchase the Swiss Half Fare Card? If you plan to spend CHF 240 on tickets per person you are break even. Depending on your travel plans and the number of mountain excurses you are planning in, the card is worth its money, in particular when you travel in addition with children which can benefit from free trips thanks to the complimentary Swiss Family Card.

Kind regards,
Roland