SBB app breakdown: pensioner loses 100 francs bonus – who is affected?

SBB app breakdown: pensioner loses 100 francs bonus – who is affected?

A technical error in the SBB app cost a pensioner from Spiez in the canton of Bern almost 100 francs in bonus credit. The affected Half-Fare Plus customer was using his subscription with a credit of 800 francs and a bonus of 200 francs when he suddenly noticed that the method of payment for ticket purchases had been changed without warning. Instead of using the bonus credit, the tickets were debited from his Postfinance account. The SBB app caused an error during an inconspicuous login that changed the payment without the user being informed. Nau reports that the credit must be used up within one year, otherwise the bonus will expire.

Although the pensioner tried to get a refund from SBB, he was told by customer service that this was not possible. Since the incident, only a few affected people have come forward and the SBB sees this case as an isolated case. This incident therefore raises questions: Are only a few customers really affected, or could there be a wider problem? The pensioner believes that other Half-Fare Plus users could also have suffered a loss in this or a similar way. There have been similar reports about the app in the past, which occurred as early as December 2024.

App errors and customer dissatisfaction

SBB has now confirmed technical problems with the Android version of its app. According to the company, a solution is being worked on and will be provided in a future version. The industry organization Alliance Swisspass also remains questioning who is responsible for the sudden change in payment method and does not rule out a connection with a recent update to the app. In fact, [SRF describes similar difficulties elsewhere and cites that the pensioner again had to accept that he would lose his bonus because Postfinance was used as a means of payment instead of the voucher.

Things get particularly piquant when you look at the experiences of other Half-Fare Plus users. Lukas Fierz, a former national councilor, also struggled with the app. He was unable to top up his credit due to similar regulations, as his current amount had to be completely used up before he could top up again. These initial difficulties with the SBB app seem to extend through various user experiences and make some customers smile, but others get annoyed.

Hope for improvement?

The Half-Fare Plus subscription has made a name for itself in recent years; around 70,000 people now trust it. But the regulations introduced, such as one-time use of credit, restrict flexibility more than many would like. Bluewin reports that many users are unsettled by the expiring credit and Allianz promises to work on improvements to better counteract such incidents in the future. However, it currently remains unclear when exactly the app's problems will finally be solved.