A year on from being released to the public, the Half Fare Plus (Halbtax Plus) Travelcard is being streamlined, Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) has confirmed. The upgrade follows the news that the new public transport pass has become a hit among passengers, having been used over 170.000 times in the first year alone.

Half Fare Plus Travelcard in Switzerland

Not to be confused with the Half Fare Travelcard (Halbtax Abo), Half Fare Plus allows passengers to get a discount on public transport services in Switzerland by paying a deposit. They can then use this pot to purchase tickets for Swiss rail, bus, tram and boat services.

For instance, if an adult deposits 800 francs into Half Fare Plus, they will be given 1.000 francs worth of credit for public transport. The more you deposit into the account, the more bonus credit you are given; those who pay 1.500 are given 2.000 francs in credit, and those who pay 2.100 are given 3.000 francs. These deals are even more lucrative for those under 25, who have to pay less to get the same benefits.

The deal itself is targeted at people who expect to take the train on a regular basis (to work or on holiday, for example) but wouldn’t benefit from buying a far more expensive GA, which for an adult in second class costs 3.995 francs a year. It seems to be catching on too: SBB revealed to the Tages-Anzeiger that the offer has been used 170.000 times since its launch and up to the start of November 2024 - by comparison, 3,3 million Halbtax Abos and 431.000 GAs are in circulation at the moment.

New hit transport pass from SBB still has teething issues

Despite its success, Half Fare Plus still faces some teething issues, especially around topping up the subscription. Currently, you are only able to top up your plan if your credit falls below 30 francs, but remains above zero.

This led to frustration among some passengers, with many having to book unnecessary journeys across the country to bring their total down to below 30 francs but above zero. In addition, if someone wished to end their subscription, the remaining balance could only be paid out in the form of a coupon.

Half Fare Plus Travelcard being upgraded and streamlined

Luckily, according to Alliance SwissPass spokesperson Michaela Ruoss, part of this problem is now being fixed. Likely from SBB’s latest timetable change on December 15, 2024, anyone should be able to top up their Half Fare Plus subscription if all their funds are used up, or they are using their “bonus” credit. This can be done online or at any staffed ticket office, with the top-up amount being usable from the next day.

In this scenario, users will still benefit from the “bonus” credit from their previous deal. For instance, say someone has 30 francs of bonus credit remaining, but tops up their subscription. If they buy a ticket for 60 Swiss francs, 30 francs are taken from their remaining credit, and another 30 from the new subscription.

However, SBB also confirmed that the change will mean that the Half Fare Plus subscription will no longer be automatically renewed every year. Instead, users must choose to renew or top up their pass.

Thumb image credit: Michael Derrer Fuchs / Shutterstock.com