Purchase of tickets on SBB app errors

Goothottuemb18

I have been working for 3 days trying to purchase 4 saver day pass tickets for Dec 26 from Zurich Flughafen to Zermatt (depart ZRH at 11:46). I continuously get errors— “Purchase Authorization Failed— an unknown error has occurred” or “Ticket Purchase Failed— your payment did not go through.” I tried multiple credit cards and have called the credit card companies— none of them are blocked and they are accepting transactions from SBB on my card. I have updated my browser, tried different browsers, different devices, the app and the website, used all capital letters on my family members, changed the time settings on my device to Zurich time, tried to use my debit card, and of course put the transactions through at least 50 times. Every time I log in I get asked to enter the security code sent to me by email— so far have done that 10 times. What can I possibly do to get money to SBB? Is there a gift card I can purchase then use to pay for tickets?

Danhiel

Hello Goothottuemb18

You could try with Apple Pay or Google Pay in the app. If it doesn’t work, try with other resellers (e.g. Rail Europe or Trainline).

Otherwise, this problem was discussed here:

https://community.sbb.ch/d/36523-payment-could-not-be-finalized

Kind regards
Danhiel

RolandP

Hello Goothottuemb18

Sounds like you have not activated 3D secure ID.

Kind regards,
Roland

Nicole_B

Hello Goothottuemb18

Goothottuemb18 I was forwarded to my bank and entered details to complete the transaction on the bank side.

Do I understand correctly that the payment was approved by code via SMS, email or a bank access app? If so, this is the 3D Secure Verification.

Goothottuemb18 trying to purchase 4 saver day pass tickets for Dec 26 from Zurich Flughafen to Zermatt

Saver offers are limited to a certain number per price level. I suspect that the current price level is simply no longer available for 4 people, as the 26th of December at Christmas is a very popular travel date. You can try to make the purchase with a smaller number of passengers, but for the rest of the passengers, the price will quite certainly go up. Depending on the available contingent per price level, it may even be that several price levels occur until all 4 people have a saver offer.
Please note that saver offers are only refundable within the first 30 minutes after purchase and only if the purchase was made as a logged-in user. A refund at a later time is not possible, even if a flight is rescheduled to another day (for a supersaver ticket with a specific mode of transport, a refund at a later time is not possible, even if the flight on the same day is rescheduled to a different time).

Kind regards,
Nicole

Goothottuemb18

Danhiel I have tried Apple Pay many times, same result as the credit cards. Rail Europe doesn’t recognize that route, Trainline does, but at a significantly higher cost. Is there a phone number I can call to progress this transaction? I use my credit cards all over Europe and ONLY the SBB transactions are problematic year after year.

Goothottuemb18

RolandP I am not sure what 3D secure ID is— however, on a few of the many times I tried to process the transaction I was forwarded to my bank and entered details to complete the transaction on the bank side. However, still wouldn’t go through SBB. If there is something more I can do please let me know.

RolandP

Goothottuemb18

Your credit card must support 3D secure ID, otherwise the transaction fails. Talk to your bank, pls.

Kind regards,
Roland

Danhiel

Goothottuemb18

You could also try on bahn.de or in the DB Navigator app. They sell now also Saver Day Passes on behalf of SBB without booking fee. Choose Visp as destination instead of Zermatt.