Experience with the ticket app FAIRTIQ

Letztes Update: 28. September 2023

For years I owned a GA and when someone asked me at a stop which ticket was the right one, I could hardly help because I hadn’t bought a ticket in Switzerland for years. Then Corona came along, I just sat at home and home office was suddenly no longer a problem. Accordingly, I no longer needed a GA and returned it. I haven’t bought a ticket since, at least not from a vending machine, because I now use the ticket app FAIRTIQ. Because I noticed in my environment that many people don’t know the app, you can read about my experience with FAIRTIQ here.

FAIRTIQ – the simplest ticket

This statement is emblazoned on FAIRTIQ’s website, and it’s actually true. After downloading the app, you create an account, grant the necessary permissions (location access), and set up an account by providing your information and a payment method. If you have a discount card, such as a Half-Fare Card, you can also deposit it. The easiest way to do this is with your SwissPass, then FAIRTIQ always knows which passports and cards you own and are currently valid. These are automatically included in the price calculation.

That hasn’t been much fun so far, but you only have to do it once and here’s the practical part: Before you board a public transport vehicle in the GA route network the next time, you simply swipe from left to right in the app and you’re already checked in. Once your trip is complete, swipe from right to left to check out. That’s all you have to do, you don ‘t even have to pick up a smartphone when changing trains.

If you have an Apple Watch, you can also check in and out on your wrist.

Accompanying persons must first be entered under “Co-travelers” with their first name, surname and date of birth, then you can select them on the start screen before the start of the journey. At the stop, the journey is terminated for all fellow passengers. You can check in a maximum of four accompanying persons per trip.

Study zone maps, stand in line at the ticket machine, select different vias and transfer locations, and type in final stops? With FAIRTIQ, that’s history, because FAIRTIQ always charges you the cheapest available ticket for the route you’re traveling.

How FAIRTIQ works

Let’s look at a concrete example:
A ticket for a short trip in Zurich costs CHF 2.30 with a half-fare card and is valid for half an hour. If you travel the same route back half an hour later, you would again buy a short-distance ticket for CHF 2.30 from the ticket machine. Makes together CHF 4.60

Now FAIRTIQ comes into play: FAIRTIQ only bills you at the end of the day and only charges CHF 3.10. How does FAIRTIQ get to CHF 3.10? Instead of two short-haul tickets, FAIRTIQ only charges you for one 1-2 zone ticket, which is valid for one hour.

If you were to continue traveling around Zurich on the same day, FAIRTIQ would eventually charge you for a day pass. So you don’t pay more than a day pass.

For a better overview you will always see “Standard price” and “Charged price”.

If you ever forget to check out after getting off the bus, the new “Smart Stop” function will step in. This should detect if you’re walking or transferring to private transportation and send you a push message asking if you want to check out. It works moderately well for me. Often when I change planes I am asked if I want to finish the trip and sometimes I am asked relatively late. However, the function has only been available since the end of May 2021 and is constantly being improved.

The start-up FAIRTIQ

FAIRTIQ launched in 2016, so this year marks its fifth anniversary. At the end of July 2021, FAIRTIQ could already record its 30 millionth trip. The Swiss start-up now employs over 70 people and is constantly looking for new employees.

The FAIRTIQ app is rated 4.7 on the App Store and 4 on Google Play.

FAIRTIQ is also available in Austria, Germany and Liechtenstein with certain transport associations. Tests in other countries are underway.
SBB and ÖBB have integrated FAIRTIQ’s technology into their own apps. At SBB, the function is called EasyRide and has been available directly in the SBB Mobile app since September 2018.

FAIRTIQ Bonus

If you travel with FAIRTIQ on at least five days within a calendar month, you will be refunded 5% of the ticket costs in the following month. However, you will receive the bonus only with certain transport companies and only on the amount that you have traveled in their respective network.

The following tariff associations are part of the bonus program:

• A-shaft
• AUTO AG Uri
• Frimobil
• Libero
• LIEmobil
• Mobilis
• Onde Verte
• Eastwind
• TV Train

The bonus credit is only valid for one month and will be automatically deducted from your next trips.

With the entire FAIRTIQ bonus, I would like to see more transparency so that I can see at any time how many discount-eligible trips I have already taken and what the current bonus is made up of. Right now, you simply get a push notification when you’ve ridden FAIRTIQ five times in a month, and another one the following month showing how much you’ve been credited.

FAIRTIQ and Reka

In addition to credit cards (Mastercard, Visa), TWINT and PostFinance, you can also use the Reka-Card as a means of payment in the app and save additional money. In selected Coop sales outlets, you can get Reka Money with a 3% discount on your Reka Card after showing your Coop Supercard. The Reka-Card costs CHF 6 per year.

However, Reka’s website is not even half as user-friendly as FAIRTIQ’s app. I even had to call and Reka then reset my account because I apparently registered for the wrong product. This happens a lot (great, then please change it, it would save you a lot of calls).

FAIRTIQ Disadvantages

• SBB Supersaver tickets are not available.
• Class changes and bike tickets are not available.
• ZVV 9 o’clock pass is not recorded correctly.

FAIRTIQ Future

At the moment FAIRTIQ works by default only on a daily basis. But much more interesting would be a weekly, monthly or even a yearly capping. Then you wouldn’t have to figure out if a monthly subscription or a GA is the best choice for you. Checking in and out would of course remain, so a GA is admittedly a no-brainer.

Trials along these lines are already underway. For example, the tariff association A-Welle is currently testing a monthly capping. If you exceed this cap, the difference will be credited to you as FAIRTIQ credit in the following month. So you no longer have to think about how many zones you need a subscription for. The app calculates all capping combinations monthly and always charges you the cheapest subscription.

Models in which a discounted public transport credit is purchased in advance (similar to Reka) will also be tested throughout Switzerland and in some fare associations with selected people from November onwards.

FAIRTIQ free ride

You can benefit from a free public transport journey with FAIRTIQ for up to CHF 3: Download the FAIRTIQ app and register. Enter the code MWWQ8NSP3 BEFORE your first ride.

FAQ

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