How to Add a BahnCard During Ticket Booking
🛫 Ultimate Guide to BahnCard 25, BahnCard 50 & BahnCard Business
Whether you’re travelling occasionally or frequently on Deutsche Bahn (DB) trains in Germany, BahnCards help you save on ticket fares. Below is a simple breakdown of the major BahnCard types and how they work.
IN THIS ARTICLE
BahnCard 25
What it is
The BahnCard 25 gives you a 25% discount on most DB tickets in your travel class—perfect for occasional travelers.
Key Benefits
- 25% discount on flexible fares and saver (Sparpreis) / super saver (Super-Sparpreis) fares. City-Ticket is excluded.
- Valid on ICE, IC/EC, regional trains, and many local transport networks.
- Usable as a digital card in the DB Navigator app
Pricing & Validity
- Valid for 12 months and renews automatically unless cancelled.
Best for
People who travel by train a few times a year and want cheaper tickets without frequent travel commitment.
BahnCard 50
What it is
The BahnCard 50 is ideal for frequent travelers. It offers greater savings on flexible fares and still discounts saver fares.
Key Benefits
- 50% discount on flexible fares (best for business or last-minute travel).
- 25% discount on saver and super saver fares (City-Ticket not included).
- Works on long-distance and many regional trains.
Validity
- Valid for 1 year and auto-renews unless you cancel.
Best for
Regular train travellers (e.g., weekly commuters or business travellers) who want strong savings on flexible tickets.
BahnCard Business (25 & 50)
These are specially designed for business travelers. You need a company travel account to purchase them.
✨ Common Features (Both Business 25 & 50)
- Valid for one year (terminates automatically) and can be chosen up to 180 days ahead.
- Valid for personal and business use.
- Discounts often apply to regional and local transport offers as well.
📊 Business: BahnCard Business 25
- 25% discount on flexible and on saver/super saver fares (City-Ticket excluded) in the chosen class.
- The first-class version offers the same discount in both first and second class.
- Price example: ~EUR 72.90 (2nd class).
👉 Ideal if your company wants cost-efficient rail travel for occasional business trips.
📊 Business: BahnCard Business 50
- 50% off flexible fares and 25% off saver/super saver fares in the chosen class.
- Works on ICE, IC/EC, Nightjet, and many regional/local trains.
- Example price: ~EUR 313 for 2nd class.
👉 Great for companies with frequent business travel and a need for flexibility.
How Discounts Work
| BahnCard | Flex Fares | Saver/Super Saver |
| BahnCard 25 | 25% | 25% |
| BahnCard 50 | 50% | 25% |
| Business 25 | 25% | 25% |
| Business 50 | 50% | 25% |
| (City ticket not included in discounts) |
🧠 Tips & Things to Know
- Digital cards: All BahnCards can be used digitally in the DB Navigator app.
- Auto-renewal: Regular BahnCards renew automatically each year—cancel in advance if you don’t want this.
- Business use: BahnCard Business requires company account setup; consult your travel manager.
- Compatibility: Discounts apply across long-distance and many regional/local networks.
Choose your card based on how often you travel and which fare types you need:
- Occasional travel? → BahnCard 25
- Frequent flexible travel? → BahnCard 50
- Company travel (with business account)? → BahnCard Business 25 or 50.
How to Add a BahnCard
1. Start a ticket search
o Go to the TICKETS tab.
o Enter the journey details (From, To, Date, Time).
o Select the number of travelers.
o Scroll down and click "Add railcards." ".
o You will see Traveler 1: Adult with an Add Railcard option.
2. Add a railcard
o Click Add railcard.
o A pop-up window titled "Choose your railcard" will open.
o From the list, select DBAHN (DB).
o This option is used for all BahnCard discounts (BahnCard 25 / 50 / 100).
3. Choose the BahnCard type
o Select the applicable BahnCard type based on what the passenger holds.
o Confirm the selection.
4. Verify the railcard
o The selected BahnCard will now appear under Traveler 1: Adult.
o Proceed with the search by clicking SEARCH.
Important notes ⚠️
- BahnCard discounts apply only to Deutsche Bahn (DB)-operated services.
- The passenger must carry a valid BahnCard during travel for inspection.
- If the wrong BahnCard is selected, click Remove and add the correct one again.