Struggling to Purchase Swiss Half Fare Card

Whuechepoa78

I’ve tried every credit card I have. And tried buying with a debit card as well.

Chase cards via visa.
And citi Mastercard.
I called Chase bank and they saw no transaction on their end.

I’ve tried different browsers.

I’ve tried paying CHF or USD. And I keep getting this same result.

Is there something really obvious I’m missing?

Danhiel

Hello Whuechepoa78

You will find more information in this discussion:

https://community.sbb.ch/d/41783-card-not-passing-3-d-secure-cant-purchase-anything

Kind regards
Danhiel

Nicole_B

Hello Whuechepoa78
According to this publicly available information, Citi should support 3DS via OTP and/or its own app.

Please make sure that 3DS is fully set up and that contact information such as current phone number & email address is stored correctly in the Citi User profile.
According to Shuvievai22’s feedback from the “Payment could not be finalised” discussion, the missing phone number was the reason 3DS could not function properly:

Cowdisease:
For Chase, I can’t find any publicly available information about how Chase delivers the 3DS verification code to the cardholder. It’s therefore not clear to me whether Chase really supports 3DS fully and correctly.
For other issuers such as BoA or AMEX, similar to Citi, such 3DS verification processes can also be found publicly:

The information in the following discussions may also be helpful:

Kind regards,
Nicole

Cowdisease

I have had a similar issue trying to purchase a Saver Day Pass on both the SBB website and SBB app using my credit cards. I have a Chase Visa Sapphire Preferred card that has had no issues making international purchases in the past. I called Chase Visa and they confirmed that 3D Secure is enabled on my card, and even allowed pre-authorization for the SBB website.

Here’s the kicker, several days ago, I was able to purchase Saver Day Passes for a different day via the SBB app using the Chase card (I did it through Google Pay). But a few days later, the app won’t allow purchases on the same card (or a different credit card). According to Chase’s Fraud department, this has been an ongoing issue for the past year, and SBB hasn’t been clear what is needed in order for their website/app to accept US credit cards.

Cowdisease

Nicole_B Thank you for the thorough answer. Based on what you posted, it seems that paying with a Chase Visa card is going to be a lost cause.

I also have an AMEX card, and when I added it to the payment methods in my SBB profile, it went through a SafeKey process, and after validating that, it successfully added my card. I would presume that means that using the card on the SBB website would work. However, when I went to purchase the Saver Day Passes with the saved card, I get this warning message.

The payment process was rejected by the financial institution. Please repeat the process with a different payment method.

I called AMEX customer support to see if there was an issue with my card. They confirmed that there are no problems with my card, and that it is able to make international transactions. Furthermore, they said that there were no declined transactions that they can see on their end.

This leads me to believe that DataTrans is rejecting my card before it even tries to make a transaction. My question is why? If AMEX has SafeKey, and I was successfully able to add it as a saved SBB payment method, why is it outright rejecting the card? Is my profile flagged because of these failed attempts to purchase SBB tickets? I’m at a loss and don’t know what to do. Can you help me with this matter?

Nicole_B

Hello Cowdisease

You are welcome 😊

Theoretically, if the card was successfully stored via the SafeKey process (3DS), it should also work for the purchase. However, storing the card is technically not identical to an actual purchase process.

I recommend the following:

Ensure your device’s date, time, and time zone are set to automatic
Check that your device is using automatic settings for date, time, and time zone. Manual or incorrect settings — especially if the time zone doesn’t match your actual location — can interfere with secure payment processes like 3D Secure.
Try a different device
If you’re currently using a desktop, try using a smartphone or tablet to complete the payment.
Clear your browser cache and cookies
This can remove outdated or conflicting data that may interfere with the payment process.
Disable browser extensions
Turn off any ad blockers, pop-up blockers, or other browser add-ons.
Avoid using a VPN
Some systems block or restrict traffic from VPNs, which might interfere with payment processing.
Temporarily disable firewall or antivirus software
Security software can sometimes block important parts of the 3D Secure or payment flow.
Check proxy or network restrictions
Corporate or school networks might block certain payment-related connections. Try disabling proxy settings if applicable.
Try to purchase the Saver Day Pass without the saved payment card (means of payment saved). Select Payment options > Credit card > Buy now > AMEX and enter the card information directly during the purchase process to trigger a new card authentication.

If you have so far only tried to buy the Saver Day Pass on SBB.ch:

Try to make a purchase in the SBB Mobile app (Tab Shop & Services > Saver Day Pass) with the saved payment card > if that is not possible > try to make a purchase in the app without the saved payment card and enter the card information during the purchase process to trigger a new card authentication.
Save your payment card in Google Pay / Apple Pay and use this payment option in SBB Mobile.

If it is not possible to make a purchase on SBB.ch and via the SBB Mobile app:

Is the purchase attempted using a single Saver Day Pass or several Saver Day Passes for several people?
Please note that saver offers such as Saver Day Passes, supersaver tickets etc. are limited by contingents per price level. If an attempt is made to purchase several tickets in one purchase process, the contingent in the current price level may no longer be available for the selected number of people.
You can try purchasing the Saver Day Pass separately for each person. It’s possible that the price level for the second person will increase. As a logged-in user (purchase with login), you have the option of refunding the Saver Day Pass directly in the app within 30 minutes. Please note that this is not possible for guest purchases. You can see how to refund tickets directly in the app in the video on this page: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/apps/sbb-mobile/functions/support.html
Notes:
it may take several working days for the amount to be actually credited back to your credit card account. The duration varies from card issuer to card issuer.
If the refund is not done in the app within 30 minutes, a refund will not be possible later for saver offers.

Kind regards,
Nicole

Cowdisease

Hi Nicole_B

I wanted to give you an update regarding my purchase attempts.

I followed most of your advice. I cleaned the cookies of my browser and tried to purchase the Saver Day Pass as a guest. It would still not accept either my Chase Visa or AMEX card.

I had previously used the mobile app and tried to pay using Google Pay and entering my credit card details directly, and again, my attempts were rejected.

I then tried my iPad and tried paying via the website as a guest. It STILL would not accept my AMEX or Chase Visa card. I then decided to try my Bank of America debit card. After answering a security code question, the purchase finally went through and I got my Saver Day Passes!

I’m glad I was to purchase the passes, but this experience was frustrating. I would like to offer advice regarding this. I understand that DataTrans is the system that handles payment verification, and the 3DS 2.0 system is required by law.

I would only ask that if a card from United States is rejected by this system, that better messaging is provided to explain why it was rejected. I made sure that my contact information tied to my cards were up-to-date, and when I called Chase Visa and AMEX to find out why my respective cards were rejected, they didn’t even have a record indicating that a rejection occurred. If a rejection happens where a transaction attempt doesn’t occur, there should be some messaging indicating what information is missing.

Thank you again for your help. Have a great day.

RomanoS

Hi @Cowdisease Me and Nicole sent you a Private message 🙂
Thanks for your help.
BR
Romano

Krist

SBB is pickier than most when it comes to “card not present” transactions, as you found out. But at the station your card should be fine, as there you can sign a slip (something nobody in Switzerland still does btw.). For the ticket vending machines having a PIN is required.