Bern, 4 December 2024: The A-Welle fare association, which operates across the canton of Aargau and in parts of neighbouring Solothurn, has decided to introduce a groundbreaking pricing model aimed at increasing ridership among occasional and frequent public transport users. Following the success of its monthly fare cap, A-Welle partnered with FAIRTIQ to develop and market-test several innovative fare models. Now it is set to become the first fare association in Switzerland to launch a new fare model that has already proved a hit in France and Germany.
Since 2020, the sale of season tickets has been declining as the popularity of single-use tickets has grown. 'premyo', the new month-based discount model introduced recently by the A-Welle fare association, allows passengers who do not want the financial commitment of a season ticket to still save money on their fares. The more passengers travel on the A-Welle fare network, the higher the discount on all their subsequent journeys during the same calendar month.
The 'premyo' discount rates are as follows:
- from CHF 10: 5% discount
- from CHF 30: 10% discount
- from CHF 60: 15% discount
- from CHF 100: 20% discount
- from CHF 150: 25% discount
The FAIRTIQ app automatically calculates the discount. It also sends the passenger a push notification when they reach the next discount level. At the beginning of each new calendar month, the discount counter is reset to zero and the total premyo discount from that month is automatically deducted from the following month's bill. Users can view what discount level they have reached at any time in the FAIRTIQ app: 'Menu > Promotions > A-Welle premyo'. The discount applies to all 1st and 2nd class journeys in A-Welle fare zones. Holders of a Swiss Half-Fare travelcard also enjoy discounts on the price they have actually paid for their ticket.
To benefit from premyo, all that passengers travelling on the A-Welle network need to do is download and open the FAIRTIQ app. FAIRTIQ's technology does the rest.
Double savings thanks to monthly fare cap
In addition to premyo discounts, frequent travellers on the A-Welle network benefit from A-Welle's monthly cap, which credits their monthly fare spend, including their premyo discounted fares, over a certain amount to their FAIRTIQ account. They can then use this credit to cover the cost of their fares during the subsequent month. The cap varies across fare zones. Take A-Welle zones 510 and 511, for example, where the fare cap is set at CHF 105. Say, the passenger accumulates fares of up to CHF 120 in September, CHF 15 will be credited to their account for October. A-Welle has also introduced a special monthly fare cap for the under-25s.
Market-testing with FAIRTIQ
Both of these fare innovations were made possible by close collaboration with FAIRTIQ. Together, they developed new digital discount models and market-tested them. The aim of the project was to come up with attractive fare products and modern digital solutions that would respond more flexible to changing customer needs and drive up ridership. The results of the market tests show that discounts based on the customer's total monthly spend lead to more regular public transport use. Buoyed by these positive findings, A-Welle decided to introduce the 'premyo' discount model on the FAIRTIQ app as of 1 December 2024.
FAIRTIQ technology is behind similar bonus programmes and capping models in France (Occitanie) and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia). In Switzerland, A-Welle's premyo and monthly cap fare models provide a forward-looking and digital solution for modern public transport pricing.
Additional information: https://fairtiq.com/en/awelle-premyo
About FAIRTIQ
With over 200 million trips completed, FAIRTIQ has established itself as the global leader and pioneer in postpaid ticketing and mobile pay-as-you-go (MPAYG) solutions. Serving more than 1 million active users each month, FAIRTIQ operates currently in eight countries—Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. The platform provides regional coverage in 25 areas and national coverage in four, making public transport more accessible and user-friendly. Leading public transport operators and authorities rely on the FAIRTIQ solution - for instance, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) integrates FAIRTIQ’s technology within its own app under the name EasyRide. FAIRTIQ’s rapid international expansion continues to attract new users worldwide.
How does FAIRTIQ work
Passengers download the app, start it with one swipe before entering the means of transport and receive a valid ticket without having to enter their destination. When changing trains or buses, the app automatically recognises the change and continues to monitor the journey. When the passenger arrives at the destination, they simply swipe to end the journey. If they forget, the app sends a notification or automatically ends the journey. The best available fare is then automatically calculated, and optimised on a daily basis.
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