swiss pass card - name wrong

DH676

My family of 4 is setting up a Swiss Pass Card for each of us to use thru the Mobile app. We each want the mobile app access to buy tickets for our visit in July to Switzerland. We will be coming to Switzerland by way of Munich via train. I’d like to purchase those tickets asap for best pricing. Three of the 4 family member had completed the identity check for our swiss pass cards and purchased half fare cards in the last few weeks. We have customer numbers and our id’s showing in the mobile app. Today we completed my son’s identity check. He was the last person in our family to complete the process. He was verified and as I was purchasing his half fare card realized his name was not correctly input by SwissPass to his account. What do we need to do to correct this? Can this be cleared up with a phone call to Swiss Pass? Thank you for your help.

RolandP

Firstly, welcome to the SBB Community.

There is a lot of confusion at your end; let’s clear up things first.

In 2014, someone had the glorious idea to rename the tourist travel pass, formerly named Swiss Pass, to Swiss Travel Pass. Since then, the brand SwissPass has been used for resident products. Even 10 years later, tourists still want to purchase the SwissPass, while they actually mean the Swiss Travel Pass. And since the SwissPass for residents nowadays needs identity identification, while the Swiss Travel Pass does not, tourists follow the process of registering for a SwissPass instead of a Swiss Travel Pass and see themselves in a dead end as the identity check cannot be completed by them.

SwissPass = for residents, needs identification
Swiss Travel Pass = for tourists, does not need identification.

Same with the (Swiss) Half Fare Card:

Half Fare Card = for residents, needs identification
Swiss Half Fare Card = for tourists, does not need identification.

I assume, you are from overseas, and all you want is the Swiss Half Fare Card to purchase tickets at a reduced fare. So what you have to do,

At sbb.ch/en

go to sbb.ch > Login
create an account for one person; choose ‘no customer number’
go to: https://www.sbb.ch/en/tickets-offers/tickets/guests-abroad/swiss-half-fare-card.html
hit the buy button
add yourself and any other passenger you want, purchasing the Swiss Half Fare Card for
make sure you sign in with the earlier created account
purchase the cards

SBB Mobile app:

go and download the SBB Mobile app, sign in with the username/password you created before
the Swiss Half Cards appear under ‘Tickets & travel cards’
start purchasing tickets
add all passengers using the pen icon above the ticket offer
make sure you set the reduction type to ‘half fare (½)’ for all passengers having the half fare card
complete the purchase

As you can see, as a tourist, there is absolutely no need to go through the identification process. The latter is needed for residents, to use seaonal travel cards or the Half Fare Card for residents. As a result, they receive a red SwissPass card, a plastic card on which all travel cards are stored.

Can tourists register & identify for a SwissPass card, as the locals? Yes, they actually can, but it is absolutely not needed. It makes sense for returning customers visiting Switzerland multiple times a year. It comes with strings attached; therefore, for 99)% of all tourists coming to Switzerland, the Swiss Half Care Card or the Swiss Travel Pass is absolutely sufficient for them.

Does that make sense?

We have all described in an SBB tip, available here:
https://community.sbb.ch/blog/35831-swiss-half-fare-card-how-to-buy-and-details

Important: proof of identity using public transit
Whenever you use e-tickets, or the Swiss Half Care Card, or the Swiss Travel Pass, you must have your physical passport with you all the time and show it together with your ticket. A photo of the passport on your smartphone or a photo copy of the passport are not accepted; tickets used without a proof of identity require the purchase of a new ticket with the ticket conductor, while a hefty surcharge is applied.

It is even possible to use the SBB Mobile app as a guest without any registration at all. That is quick and easy; the downside: requesting a ticket cancellation / refund in the app is not possible, it has to be requested through a web form and a CHF 10 fee applies, since it is manual work by a staff.

Kind regards,
Roland

dlh676

This is so helpful and I wish I had found you sooner! Thank you so much! You are correct - we are from overseas. You are also correct - there was a lot of confusion on my end!! Since we have all successfully gone thru the identity checks and have our accounts completely set up already (with exception to my son that had incorrect name input on his account), does it make sense to start over for all of us and delete all the accounts? I have purchased half fare travelcards valid beginning July 20 and they are on all four of the accounts currently as well. I am happy to do whichever makes the most sense to you - you are very knowledgeable and helpful! I’m so grateful to you.

RolandP

Hello dlh676

Thank you for your kind words. We are all volunteering travel experts with in-dept knowledge about travel in Switzerland using public transit services. And, we love to give advice, consequently, we do it with great passion.

If it is just about correcting a wrong name, you could contact the SwissPass chat (see the box at the bottom of the page - they do speak English):

https://www.sbb.ch/en/help-and-contact/products-services/swisspass.html#anchor4

I am not sure if you are able to restart if the e-mail address has already been registered. You shall check it. I would first contact the SwissPass chat to see with one of my colleagues.

From what I knew, SwissPass cards are not sent overseas, however a fellow user here in the community, who is residing in the United States, has recently reported that the SwissPass card was even dispatched to his place. Thus, I conclude that my knowledge is no longer recent in that regard; I shall check with SBB.

If you get the card at your place, fine, then you are all set and you do not even have to carry an ID document other than the red plastic card when travelling on buses, trains, etc. as your photo appears on the SBB Mobile app.

Simply keep in mind that one has to purchase the tickets but they cannot be dispatched to other accounts; show the tickets from one device and the others show their half fare card. Or, everyone gets the tickets themselves.

Let us know if you have further queries.

Have a lovely day ahead.

Kind regards,
Roland