Purchasing a Bahncard
 

Can I purchase a Bahncard at Frankfurt airport? Or should I just purchase a Bahncard online before I leave the U.S. I will be flying to Germany on 26 May, should it should be enough time for DB to mail me my card if I have to buy online. Also, when I leave Germany I would like to give the card to my friend to use. I will assume that if I order online the card it will have my name on it, and then my friend will not be able to use it. Does DB ask for identification to see if the Bahncard and name on ticket the same?

Danke.

Unless I'm mistaken, the Bahncard has your name on it. They will always ask for ID when showing it so you won't be able to transfer it to a friend. I don't think that it is worth it to purchase it if you are only staying a short time in Germany.

Yes. You can buy it at the DB sales office at FRA. But you need a photo with your application. (There are automated photo booth machines at the airport for this purpose). You will then receive a temporary card (that looks like a train ticket) with your BahnCard information on it. It will not be possible for your friend to use it. As the permanent BahnCard has your photo on it.

Also, when you are at the DB counter purchasing the card, make sure you tell them to cancel it after the year is up. It is an automatic renewal system. So otherwise, you will get sent a new one with a bill for payment. Just have them handwrite your desire to not renew for another year and then sign it. They will then attach it with your application for processing.

BTW, how much train travel do you plan on doing? It might not be worth it.

Thank you, Anna F and Fanjet for the help .

As of 2014 or so, BahnCards do not carry the card's holder photo anymore, see here: https://www.bahn.de/p_en/view/bahnca...hncard50.shtml
According to this website you could even purchase a provisional BahnCard online and print it at home, so no need to worry about getting it mailed to your adress.

As mentioned before, basically a BahnCard is not transferable. If purchasing an online ticket the name of the ticket holder is printed on the ticket, and it should match the name of the card holder. Any misuse becomes obvious quickly. Tickets bought at the counter or at ticket machines do not have any names on it. If a passenger produces a valid ticket and a valid BahnCard on the train it is very rarely that conductors ask for additional verification or identification. The conclusion to draw is up to you...

How long are you going to Germany for? Have you considered a rail pass, as that may be a better value?

They did? The last BahnCard I purchased was in 2014. But it was the special WM BahnCard 25 (25 Euros for four months in the summer). And you had to pick who would win the World Cup for a chance to receive a BahnCard free for a year. And I picked Germany. So I got a free year's extension. But no photo ID was required for the new one. I do know that when I purchased a ticket from a DB fare machine, I just had to show my BahnCard (and ticket) to the conductor. However, when I would purchase a ticket online, I would have to show the ticket printout, my BahnCard, plus the credit card I used for the purchase (which the conductor would then insert into the hand-held reader). But I haven't purchased one since. As I find MeinFernBus and Polski Bus a better and cheaper alternative to DB.

And speaking of that promo in 2014. Maybe the OP should check to see if DB is running a similar promo for the EM this year in France. If they are, then it is probably a much better option.

They have

https://www.bahn.de/p_en/view/bahnca...25-50-100_LZ01

Nope, not any longer. No photo required. Maybe the BahnCard 100 has the photo still on it but to the 25 or 50.

I bought a Probe-Bahncard just a few weeks ago, and this is how the online process now works:

- You buy a "trial card" which is valid for three months
- Having bought the card you can immediately print out a temporary card which looks just like a train ticket and which is valid two months
- Your plastic card is sent by post

If you don't want to continue with the card after the three-months trial you have to write and cancel the contract (that's how things generally work in Germany.... whether it's your Bahncard, or a magazine subscription, or your membership of the pigeon fanciers' club, it's always an ongoing contract which you have to cancel a set number of days/weeks/months before the renewal date)

19 Euros for three months of 25% discount travel pays for itself with at least 76 Euros of train travel (before the discount). And given the fares DB charges, it should not be that hard.

Sorry, I haven't responded. My plans had changed, a few problems came up. Thank you to everyone for answering my questions. Plan 2 for me, will be Kolsch time in July, with a quick trip to Karlsruhe.