Starting this Sunday, the Bahncards 25 and 50 will only be issued digitally. Deutsche Bahn is thereby discontinuing the issuance of plastic cards for these subscription variants. Existing Bahncards will remain valid until their expiration date. The Bahncard 100 is excluded from this measure and will continue to be available as a plastic card.

Transition to Digital Bahncards Heavily Criticized by Consumer Advocates and Social Organizations

Deutsche Bahn defends its decision and points out that the Bahncard will continue to be available as a paper printout. This can be purchased and paid for at the company's customer centers. However, all Bahncard customers must have a digital customer account and an email address.

The railway emphasizes the ecological benefits of the changeover. According to their own statements, the abandonment of plastic cards could save around 30 tons of plastic annually. Additionally, the proportion of long-distance tickets sold through digital channels has increased from 51 percent to 90 percent over the past ten years.

The introduction of digital railcards is part of Deutsche Bahn's comprehensive digitization strategy, which promises efficiency gains alongside ecological aspects.