Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about the SBB Preview app.
Important: The SBB Preview app is the preview version of the SBB Mobile app. We use SBB Preview to test new and innovative functions and features which we would like to include in the SBB Mobile app in the future.
The new navigation bar is the core of the app and has six different areas (called ‘tabs’ from now on): ‘Plan’, ‘Trips’, ‘EasyRide’, ‘Tickets & Travelcards’, ‘Shop & Services’ and ‘Profile’.
Timetable functions – the ‘Plan’ tab.
In the standard timetable, you can search for a connection by entering the departure and destination stations using the keyboard.
The touch timetable is the personalised alternative to the standard timetable. The stops you travel to most often are automatically saved on the dynamic tiles. The touch timetable therefore adapts to suit your needs as they change. However, you can also create customised tiles according to your own needs, and personalise them with photos.
The map also provides guidance, taking you from your current location to your point of departure or your destination.
Search for the connection you want.
On the connection overview, save the connection by swiping from left to right.
The connection is automatically transferred to the ‘Trips’ tab.
You can now also save the connection by using the ‘Save trip’ button in the detailed view of the connection. This way, you can save several connections without always having to start the search again.
If you buy a ticket, the connection is automatically transferred to the ‘Trips’ tab.
On the next page you will find further useful information and video tutorials:
In the detailed view of the connection, you can share your journey with your contacts or save it in the calendar after clicking on the symbol with the three dots in the top right-hand corner.
The same function is also available for connections already saved in the ‘Trips’ tab.
Yes. To find out where on the platform e.g. the 1st class section of the train, the carriage for transporting bicycles, or the family compartment are located, proceed as follows:
Choose your connection from the timetable.
Click on the connection to open the detailed view.
Open the train formation by swiping to the left in the area of the route diagram.
Please note that the train formation for the current day will be displayed in the app and that this is not available for all modes of transport.
Buying tickets – the ‘Plan’ tab.
Once you have selected the connection you want, you can swipe on the connection from right to left to start the purchasing process.
Alternatively, you can also open the detailed view of the connection and start the purchase process by clicking on the ‘Tickets from CHF xx.xx’ button.
Up to the beginning of the journey or just before the train departs.
Please note that the purchasing process must be completed before departure. We recommend that you always buy your ticket before boarding.
You can buy the following tickets with SBB Preview:
Standard tickets for trips within Switzerland
All regional transport tickets for all regional networks in Switzerland
Supersaver tickets and Saver Day Passes
City-City tickets
Day Pass for the Half Fare Travelcard
Class upgrades & Supersaver Class Upgrades
Day Pass Children / Day Pass for dogs / Bike Day Pass
Reserving seats and bicycle spaces
Supersaver tickets.
If available, supersaver tickets are shown with a % symbol in the connection overview in the timetable enquiry. You can buy supersaver tickets up until one hour before the train departs. These tickets are no longer available after this point in time. Please note that supersaver tickets are limited to a specific train and are only valid for the selected connection.
You can currently also buy Saver Day Passes via a timetable enquiry. In future, they will also be available under the ‘Shop & Services’ tab. Saver Day Passes are only available when booking in advance: from 6 months in advance up to the day before travel. They cannot be purchased on the day of travel.
Once you have selected the connection you want, you can swipe on the connection from right to left to start the purchasing process. Alternatively, you can also open the detailed view of the connection and start the purchase process by clicking on the ‘Tickets from CHF xx.xx’ button.
Supersaver Class Upgrades are only valid in combination with a valid 2nd class ticket.
Seat reservations (if they are available for the route selected) can be found in the ticket options under ‘Additional offers’.
At present, you can only buy regional transport tickets by entering your desired route in the timetable. The quick-select function, which offers the best zone tickets based on your current position, will be implemented at a later date.
If you are logged in and your regional travelcard is referenced on the SwissPass, you will automatically be offered the correct zone upgrades. If your travelcard is not on the SwissPass, you can enter it manually in the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab.
In the ticket options, you can enter the details of your travelling companions and add them in ‘Edit passengers’. The system saves the passenger details entered. This means that you can easily buy tickets for these people again in the future.
You can easily add dogs and bikes to your order during the purchase process. The right ticket for your bike(s) and/or dog(s) will be added to the offer.
Tap on the pencil icon in the ‘Ticket options’ screen. Add the desired number of dogs and/or bicycles.
Yes, just add a dog and a bicycle. You can also buy tickets for multiple passengers, dogs and bicycles at the same time.
Add at least one bicycle. Offers matching the selected journey types (passengers, dog / bicycle) will then be displayed.
Bike space reservations are obligatory on certain days of travel and for certain train types. For journeys for which this requirement does not apply, you do not need a bicycle space reservation. In such cases, the app will not offer you this option. You can find all details regarding compulsory seat reservations at sbb.ch/en/bicycle.
Not yet, but we are working on making it possible to do both in the same purchase process very soon.
As soon as you add multiple passengers or a bicycle and/or a dog, the names of the offers change. You will most often encounter the following:
The standard offer includes tickets at the standard tariff (Point-to-Point Tickets, single tickets etc.) for all passengers as well as for bicycles or dogs for the selected route / in the selected zones.
With the City offer, you can also use local urban services at the start or the end of your journey.
Saver offers are the lowest priced offer. These include supersaver tickets for passengers. This offer is only provided if there are enough tickets left for the route selected.
The Day Pass offers allow travel groups to travel for the whole day within a given area of validity. Please note any individual provisions regarding the period of validity of the offers in the fare network (e.g. for 9 o’clock travelpasses).
Tap the arrow icon to the right of the tickets listed. This will take you to the ‘Ticket details’ screen, where you can see the individual prices.
Yes, as long as you purchased them using the same SwissPass login. There is an exception for some international tickets which can only be shown on SBB.ch. Your tickets are listed in the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab. iPhone users can also add all their purchased tickets directly to their Apple Wallets. These tickets will then appear automatically on the device’s home screen on the day that they are valid.
The following payment options are available to you when purchasing tickets with SBB Preview:
Monthly invoice (only available with a login).
Mastercard.
Visa.
American Express Switzerland.
Diners Club.
Twint.
Apple Pay.
PostFinance Card.
Reka-Card (only available with login).
Log in at sbb.ch/en/buying. All tickets are listed there under ‘Orders’. It is not necessary to update them there. You can display the desired ticket in PDF format and print it here. You will also receive the ticket purchased via SBB Preview by e-mail in the form of a PDF.
As a general principle, you must approve every ticket purchase by clicking on the ‘Confirm purchase’ button. For payments of less than CHF 40, you can deactivate this additional confirmation. To do so, change the settings in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Settings for ticket purchase’.
Yes. If your device has a fingerprint sensor or facial recognition, you can authorise ticket purchases with one of these two security elements. You can activate them in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Settings for ticket purchase’.
Promo-Codes.
Unfortunately promotional codes cannot be redeemed in the current version of SBB Preview.
Your travel companion – the ‘Trips’ tab.
Your saved trips and trips for which you have bought tickets are transferred to the ‘Trips’ tab. Here, relevant information will be provided to you throughout your journey. You can see the departure and arrival times, the departure platform, and you will receive information about disruptions during your journey – via push notification if necessary.
In the ‘Trips’ tab, you will find relevant information from door-to-door to help you along your entire journey.
You can see departure and arrival times as well as platform information. What’s more, you will receive information about any disruptions to your journey – via push notification if necessary.
The train formation and information about the different sectors given make it easier for you to quickly board the train at your preferred location.
To help you when boarding, changing and alighting, you are given directions via a map of marked walking routes.
Yes, you can use the ‘Commuting’ function. In the ‘Trips’ tab, you can switch between ‘Single Trips’ and ‘Commuting’ Enter one or more of your commuter routes by tapping on ‘Set up commuter route’.
You only have to set up your personal commuter routes once for the days and times that are relevant to you. This means you no longer need to search the timetable each day.
You can quickly see the operating situation for your commuter route in the current commuting period (platform changes, disruptions etc.).
If you don’t check your commuter route every morning, you can receive proactive notifications about disruption via push notifications.
You will be informed about any delays, platform changes or service interruptions that affect the commuter routes to which you are subscribed.
Yes. You can make adjustments under ‘Notifications’ in the ‘Profile’ tab.
Yes. Notifications can be paused. To enable this, open the relevant commuter route, tap on the round button with the three vertical dots and select ‘Pause notifications’.
Don’t forget to reactivate notifications if you would like to receive notifications again.
On Board Information.
The ‘On Board Information’ function is shown on SBB Preview during active journeys in a train with beacon technology and active Bluetooth detection.
Requirements:
You must have the SBB Preview app installed on your mobile phone.
You must enable Bluetooth for SBB Preview in the device settings.
You must be on a train with beacon technology. The following types of train are currently equipped with beacon technology:
SBB InterCity.
SBB InterRegio.
SBB EuroCity.
If you are on a train with beacon technology and have enabled Bluetooth detection for SBB Preview on your device, this will be indicated to you in SBB Preview via the ‘Live’ icon in the ‘Trips’ tab. In the list view in the ‘Single Trips’ area, the train that has been detected is listed at the top together with the destination.
Map view with your current position and the overall route of the train.
Customer information about the train: the train’s next stop, arrival times, disruptions to the train’s service.
Possibility to share your position on the train with another person, making it even easier to meet up on the train.
Information on shops and services, including opening hours at the nearest arrival station (if available on SBB.ch).
Environmental calculator for the entire route of the train.
Explanation of the function.
Option to deactivate the function.
Yes, either directly at the bottom of the function or alternatively in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Other settings’.
Bluetooth detection takes place only on the train. The data will not be registered, stored or further used. As soon as you leave the train, you also lose the information about the train.
Automatic ticketing – the ‘EasyRide’ tab.
You can find all your purchased tickets in the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab. To do so, switch to the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab and select the ‘Valid’ tab there. Your EasyRide ticket will be displayed in the list of valid tickets once you have checked in. Tap the QR code icon on the far right to display the ticket for inspection.
Validity, ticket inspection and refunds – the ‘Tickets and Travelcards’ tab.
Tickets purchased using SBB Preview are valid for the calendar day that was selected at the time of purchase for each journey made.
If you are not planning to return on the same day or by 5am the following day, please buy a single ticket for both journeys. Please note that regional transport tickets are limited to certain times and that supersaver tickets and Supersaver Class Upgrades are only valid for the connection selected.
Yes, you can forward these tickets. However, they are personal and the name and date of birth must be entered correctly. The recipient of the ticket must then be able to show a valid form of personal ID (passport, identity card, driving licence, Half Fare/GA Travelcard) along with the ticket and the details on the two must match.
In the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab, you can see the travelcards referenced on your SwissPass under ‘Travelcards on your SwissPass’.
Manually add the desired travelcard to the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab using the ‘Enter Travelcard’ button.
No. Tickets bought with the app are personal and are not transferable. For this reason, you must present a valid form of personal ID (passport, ID card, driving licence Half Fare/GA Travelcard) during ticket inspection.
Tickets purchased via your smartphone are personal and non-transferable and are only valid in conjunction with a valid form of ID belonging to the person travelling (passport, identity card, driving licence). If you have a Half Fare/GA Travelcard, this is also a valid form of ID.
If you have a travelcard on the SwissPass and have bought a ticket that is linked to it, you can simply show the ticket in the app. The prerequisite for this is that you are logged in with the SwissPass login and were also logged in at the time of purchase. Once you’ve done this, there’s usually no need to show your SwissPass card.
Important: If you can’t get an online connection while your ticket is being checked, you must show your SwissPass or another official form of ID if requested to do so by the inspector.
Yes. Tickets purchased with SBB Preview (as well as with SBB Mobile and at SBB.ch) can be refunded.
Refund before the start of the period of validity.
You can have your tickets refunded before the start of the period of validity in the SBB Preview and SBB Mobile apps themselves, as well as in your profile on SBB.ch.
Procedure in SBB Preview.
Open the ticket to be refunded in the ‘Tickets & Travelcards’ tab. Then click on the 3 dots on the ticket screen and select ‘Refund ticket’. The ticket will then be refunded and the amount will be credited to the payment method used for payment.
Refund after the period of validity has started.
You can have your ticket refunded after the start of validity via the refund request form for a fee of CHF 10:
Go to the refund request form
Can I get a refund for saver offers (supersaver ticket, Saver Day Pass and Supersaver Class Upgrade)?
Yes. National saver products (supersaver tickets, Saver Day Passes, Supersaver Class Upgrades) which you purchase in the SBB Preview app, the SBB Mobile app or on SBB.ch while logged in can be refunded/exchanged free of charge within 30 minutes of the time of purchase.
Once those 30 minutes have elapsed, national saver products can be refunded/exchanged only in the following exceptional cases. A fee of CHF 10 is retained in each case.
The purchase of duplicate tickets (where travel date, route and passenger – full name and date of birth – are identical).
Ticket purchased for the wrong customer group (Day Pass without the Half Fare Travelcard or ‘full fare’ instead of ‘discounted’).
Proven inability to travel (illness, accident or death).
Subsequent purchase of personal travelcards for at least 12 months (as per Tariff 600.9, paragraph 16.0). The name on the ticket bought with SBB Preview must match the one on the travelcard and the same ticket can only be shown once.
Tickets with incorrect personal details (surname, first name or date of birth, if an obvious error has been made). Tickets can only be refunded if customers can show that they purchased the right ticket afterwards.
Ticket on which an incorrect date has been entered in error: a refund is only available before the ticket travel date. It must be possible to prove that a new ticket was purchased.
For supersaver tickets, the following conditions apply in addition:
If you miss your booked connection or would like to travel at a different time, buy a ticket at the normal fare and get a refund for the supersaver tickets after your journey. To be reimbursed, you must present both the original supersaver ticket with confirmation from the sales staff or ticket inspector and the original standard fare ticket. Only tickets with completely identical routes can be refunded.
Login, payment methods, travel companions and other settings – the ‘Profile’ tab.
No. You have the option of buying tickets without registering. In order to do so, click on ‘Buy as guest’ when purchasing your ticket.
You can reset the password at swisspass.ch. To do so, you’ll need the e-mail address that you entered when registering. If you don’t receive an e-mail, make sure that you entered your e-mail address correctly and that the e-mail hasn’t gone to your spam folder. If you have also forgotten the e-mail address that you used to register, please open a new account.
You can edit your e-mail address in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Personal details’ and ‘Change login information’. To do this, click on ‘Change login e-mail’.
You can change your password in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Personal details’ and ‘Change login information’. Then click on ‘Change password’.
You can enter travelling companions in the ‘Profile’ tab under ‘Co-passenger’. Enter the name, date of birth and any travelcards held by the co-passenger that you would like to register.
Select ‘Payment method’ in the ‘Profile’ tab and tap on ‘Enter new payment method’. Next, enter the information required.
In the ‘Profile’ tab, under ‘Notifications’, set whether you want to receive notifications for saved trips.
In the ‘Profile’ tab, you can choose whether you want to see advertisements in the app.
In the ‘Profile’ tab, set up the simplified purchase settings.
Your options:
Carry out purchases under CHF 40 with no additional confirmation.
Set up Touch / Face ID.
Always add ticket to Wallet (iOS only).
Compatibility.
In order to check whether your iOS operating system is compatible with SBB Preview, you need to know the model of your Apple device.
All iPhones from iPhone 5s onwards as well as iPads (5th generation) and newer devices.
Please note that:
your device must have at least iOS 11.1 for use up to app version 11.28.0.
your device must have at least iOS 12 for use with app versions 12.0.0 to 12.10.2.
your device must have at least iOS 13 for use with app versions from 12.12.0.
We recommend that you automatically update the app to always benefit from the latest features and improvements. Set this preference in your device settings under ‘iTunes & App Store’.
iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5c as well as iPad mini, iPad 1, iPad 2, iPad 3 and iPad 4 are no longer supported.
To use SBB Preview to purchase tickets on your smartphone, the operating system installed must be Android 6.0 or higher.
We recommend that you automatically update the app so that you will always benefit from the latest features and improvements. Adjust this setting in the Play Store.
Operating systems older than Android 6.0 do not support the current security mechanisms for SBB Preview. Android 6.0 closed a range of gaps in security.
Since March 2018, ticket sales on SBB Preview (and SBB Mobile) for Windows have no longer been supported. This is because the operating system no longer meets international security standards for data from payment cards.
As the Windows platform is also no longer actively supported by Microsoft, there is no alternative app solution for Windows phone users.
You can easily buy tickets at SBB.ch.
Data security and authorisations.
Protecting your personal data and privacy is a major concern for us as public transport companies. We guarantee that your personal data will be processed in accordance with the applicable provisions of data protection law. You can find all the details on this in the SBB privacy policy.
In order for SBB Preview to be able to find the next stop, both in the timetable and on the map in the ‘Plan’ tab, GPS location services must be enabled for the app. If you want to purchase your ticket conveniently via EasyRide, location services must always be enabled so that the journey can be recorded.
Internet access.
The SBB Preview app needs to be able to access online timetable and ticket data in order to answer your queries. If you want the convenience of buying a ticket via EasyRide, you must always have a functioning internet connection during your journey.
Notifications.
If you wish to receive push notifications for saved trips, SBB Preview requires the authorisation to display notifications on Android and iOS systems.