How PostBus sells its tickets

Like other transport companies, PostBus also receives money from the public sector for its regional passenger transport services – this is taxpayers’ money. This means that PostBus has the ongoing task of using the money economically. But PostBus does not base its work solely on available resources. The passengers are just as important. It’s not just about getting them to their destination safely and on time. PostBus also asks about its customers’ needs – before, during and after the journey. 

When selling tickets, both cost awareness and customer needs are crucial factors. More and more passengers are buying their tickets digitally, usually using their smartphones. This is why PostBus operates its expensive point-of-sale (POS) systems for fewer and fewer users. So what should be done, for example, when these POS systems have reached the end of their service life? 

False generalizations

If individual media reports and politicians are to be believed, PostBus will soon no longer be selling tickets in vehicles. This statement is wrong in the way it generalizes. It only applies to the Zurich Transport Network (ZVV) and the Canton of Graubünden, where ticket sales by drivers are gradually being discontinued. Alternatively, there are terminals in vehicles in Graubünden that can be used with various payment cards, including prepaid cards. This is why PostBus is implementing the requirements that apply to all bus companies in the ZVV area and in the Canton of Graubünden. 

In all other 21 out of 23 cantons that have a PostBus service, passengers can still buy tickets from the driver. As long as the cantons, as the purchasers of our services, don’t specify any other way, PostBus will continue to offer this service for the next few years. After the changeover in the ZVV and in the Graubünden region by mid-2025, customers will still be able to board at the front of the bus, buy their ticket and pay with cash on 81 percent of the 969 PostBus routes. This means that PostBus offers a service that hasn’t been available from many urban transport companies for a long time now.

Trend towards digital solutions

While some passengers want to stick with cash and ticket sales in the vehicle, more and more public transport customers are buying their tickets digitally via an app. They demand good digital services from the public transport sector, including from PostBus. Whether it’s bike space reservations or fare network travelpasses, they want to purchase as many different services as possible simply and intuitively via app. The use of digital ticket sales platforms increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Long-term strategy

Cash on the one hand, and a trend towards digital solutions on the other. PostBus operates between these two extremes when selling tickets and has opted for the following long-term strategy:

• The public transport sector wants to digitize ticket sales from 2035. This is the guideline that PostBus is following.
• Until further notice, tickets can still be purchased from the driver on most Postbuses.
• To make it easier to purchase tickets, PostBus is testing card payments. It is already possible to pay with TWINT on most routes.
• What happens to passengers who are still unable to buy their tickets digitally or who deliberately choose not to do so? PostBus is working with the transport sector to develop alternative payment options. These can be prepaid payment cards, single tickets on the SwissPass or multiple-trip tickets. There will still be vending machines and counters available.

It is important to PostBus that all passengers can buy their tickets easily – whether digitally or by other means. Passengers should enjoy a positive feeling when travelling in the Postbus.