FAQs
You have questions about hvv Plus? Then you'll find all the answers here.
General questions
The hvv Deutschlandticket is valid countrywide on regional and local public transport services in 2nd class.
It is not valid on long-distance services (ICE, IC, EC) and for journeys in 1st class.
On the hvv, all buses, U-, S- and AKN-Bahn trains, regional trains and harbour ferries can be used.
The hvv Deutschlandticket is an all-year season ticket which you can cancel monthly. It is valid for one calendar month at a time and can be used without any time restrictions. It is extended on a monthly basis unless it is cancelled up to the 10th of the current month.
The hvv Deutschlandticket is only valid for one person. Children under 6 continue to travel free of charge. The hvv Deutschlandticket is only valid together with a photo ID.
If you buy an additional Weekend+ ticket for € 15, you can take other persons along.
This Weekend+ Ticket is valid for one calendar month at a time and is available in the App, at ticket machines or in any service centre.
You can find more information here: hvv - Fahrkarten allgemein
No, the ticket is not transferable.
Children under 6 travel free of charge on hvv services. For children aged 6 and older, we offer discounted tickets based on their place of residence, which can be used even before they start school.
Children should also always have some form of photo ID with them when they travel (e.g. a student card, personal identity card, child’s ID or a health insurance card).
No, the hvv Deutschlandticket is only valid in 2nd class. To travel in 1st class carriages on the hvv, you need to buy an additional upgrade ticket for 1st class. This costs 2.70 € for a single journey in hvv fare rings A-F or 49.00 € on the entire hvv network as a monthly upgrade.
The 1st class upgrade ticket bought on the hvv is only valid on hvv services. Additional options to use the 1st class may be available in the various regional public transport associations.
Bicycles can only be taken on board free of charge in the hvv on rapid transit trains (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, AKN) as well as on many bus lines Mon – Fri before 6 am, 9 am – 4 pm and from 6 pm, on weekends and public holidays all day, as well as at any time on the harbour ferries (Lines 61–75). There is a reasonably priced day bicycle ticket for 3.50 € (online 3.26 €) to take a bike on RB/RE trains in hvv fare rings A – F.
The day bicycle ticket you buy on the hvv is only valid to take a bike on board regional trains in hvv fare rings A-F.
There are different rules concerning taking your dog with you outside the hvv. There are no countrywide rules about taking along dogs on the hvv Deutschlandticket.
Yes, you can. The social discount of the City of Hamburg is also planned to apply to the hvv Deutschlandticket. If you qualify for the social discount, you can get the hvv Deutschlandticket for 19.00 €. The hvv Deutschlandticket with the social discount is only available using the online form at www.hvv-deutschlandticket.de or directly at a service centre.
The electronic verifiability on the hvv is guaranteed. In addition, it will be ensured that your right to travel will be accepted all over Germany.
What you need to do to change your personal data (name, address) depends on whether you have your Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App or on a chipcard:
Address
hvv switch app: Directly in the App menu under "To profile"/Personal data. It is not possible to change your email address.
Chipcard: Change it in your meinhvv client account. Alternatively, just notify your client contract partner by letter, fax or email by the 5th of the month.
Names
hvv switch app: Directly in the App menu under "To profile"/Personal data.
Chipcard: To change your name, please come in to one of our hvv service centres and bring official proof of the change (e.g. a marriage certificate, altered personal ID card) with you.
Buying the ticket
The hvv Deutschlandticket can be bought in the hvv switch App, online at www.hvv-deutschlandticket.de and in all our service centres.
Payment in the hvv switch App can be direct debit (SEPA), credit card, debit card and PayPal.
If you buy the hvv Deutschlandticket online or at a service centre (on a chipcard/hvv Card), payment will be via direct debit from your bank account. For this, you need to authorize a separate SEPA direct debit mandate.
If you do not have a smartphone, you can also get your hvv Deutschlandticket on a chipcard. This can be purchased easily as of 03/04/2023 online or in our service centres.
You can start flexibly and only pay pro rata for the days you actually have the ticket in the first month. If you buy the hvv Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App, you can travel from the start date of validity of the ticket – if you so wish, directly following purchase.
If you want to buy your hvv Deutschlandticket online via a chipcard, you can only choose a start date at the earliest 14 days after the date of purchase. After you have ordered your hvv Deutschlandticket online, your chipcard will be sent to you by post.
What you need to do to change your method of payment depends on whether you have your Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App or on a chipcard:
hvv switch App
Adding and/or changing a method of payment:
- Click in the hvv switch App on the hvv Deutschlandticket on the home screen. This can be seen at the top.
- On the following page, click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner and select “Administrate subscription”.
- On the next page, scroll down a bit and choose the method of payment.
- On this page (“Change method of payment“) you can select another method of payment which has already been added.
OR
add a new one by clicking on the button “Add method of payment”.
Deleting a method of payment:
- In the hvv switch App, go to “Profile” and click on “Methods of payment”.
- Click on the three dots behind the method of payment you want to delete and then click on “delete method of payment”.
Important: You can only delete a method of payment if it is not being used at that moment for the hvv Deutschlandticket (in this case, you will receive a corresponding error message).
Chipcard
You can make changes to the chipcard in your meinhvv client account. Alternatively, if you want to change your bank details or the account holder, your client contract partner will need a new SEPA direct debit mandate with your original signature from you up to the 5th of the month before the change.
It is not possible to get a hvv Deutschlandticket without a payment medium on which the price can be drawn (e.g. a bank account or a credit card), since the ticket may only be issued all over Germany according to the stipulations from the Government as an all-year season ticket. However the hvv is offering new, reduced-price weekly and monthly tickets. These can be bought in hvv service centres, at ticket machines and of course also online and are valid on the entire hvv network. The weekly ticket costs 29.00 s and the monthly ticket 69.00 €. Both tickets are valid on the entire hvv network and cost less than the weekly and monthly tickets for Hamburg AB which were available up to now. To compare: a monthly season ticket for Hamburg AB previously cost 118.20 €, one for the entire hvv network even 262.00 €. The social discount of 30.00 € is also applicable to the new monthly ticket, so that you can then get full mobility on the entire hvv network for 39.00 € a month.
A ticket you have ordered can still be cancelled as long as its period of validity has not yet started, provided that it has not yet been paid for and generated. A ticket can be cancelled using the „Cancel” button on "Dein hvv Deutschlandticket" in the hvv switch App.
If you have ordered your ticket in the customer portal or in a hvv service centre, get in touch with or Customer Service at kundenservice@hochbahn.de. If it is no longer possible to cancel the ticket, you will need to cancel the subscription.
The hvv Deutschlandticket can be cancelled monthly up to the 10th of the current month. There will be a menu to do this in the hvv switch App. If you have your hvv Deutschlandticket on a chipcard, you can cancel it at online customer portal (meinhvv) or in a hvv service centre.
This option is not currently offered. The hvv Deutschlandticket can be cancelled monthly and ordered again at any time. Our tip: the easiest way to order and manage the hvv Deutschlandticket is via the hvv switch App.
The additional monthly upgrade ticket for 1st class (47.20 €) and the additional Weekend+ ticket for taking along other persons (15.00 €) will be available from May in the hvv switch App, the hvv App, in the Online Shop or at ticket machines and in the service centres. This is then valid on hvv services for the calendar month in which it is bought. It will not be automatically renewed and needs to be bought again if you need it.
School students can only order their tickets online. From age 16 upwards an entitlement form will be needed for this, which must be uploaded when you order.
A note for parents: if you want to order the ticket for your child, select “another person” for the personal details under “Subscription user” and enter your full details.
You can find the most important FAQs on buying tickets for school students here.
Find out all you need to know about how to order alternative tickets for school students: Schleswig-Holstein oder Niedersachsen (in the hvv area).
Reduced-price tickets
If you are entitled to the social discount on top of that, you can also hand in the application in the service centre later.
School passes can be ordered online and the entitlement form
uploaded. Up to 14 years of age, it is sufficient to show proof of your age. From 15 on, you will need to have a currently valid entitlement form.
The BonusTicket for apprentices/trainees can only be ordered with the proof of entitlement in a service centre.
The hvv Deutschlandticket is also available at all our service centres.
Unfortunately it is not possible to get the hvv Deutschlandticket unless you have a bank account, since it is a condition stipulated for the ticket all over Germany that it should be issued as a subscription product. If you do not have a bank account of your own, the account of another person may be used.
There are however reduced-price weekly and monthly tickets on the hvv which you can get without needing to have a bank account. These are available in hvv service centres, at ticket machines and of course also online.
The social discount of 30 euros also applies to the monthly season ticket, so that you can then get full mobility on the entire hvv network for 39.00 € a month.
At the moment it is not yet possible to take the social discount of the City of Hamburg into account if you buy
the hvv Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App. In order to get a discounted hvv Deutschlandticket, you need to cancel
the subscription in the hvv switch App and order a new one online or in a hvv service centre. In any case you need
to show your proof of entitlement for the social discount in the service centre.
A retroactive refund for a ticket you have already used in the hvv switch App is unfortunately not possible.
The hvv Deutschlandticket is valid all over Germany and costs € 49 a month.
Senior citizens who are entitled to the social discount of the City of Hamburg in the amount of € 30 can order the ticket online and hand in their application for the discount in one of our service centres.
The monthly upgrade for 1st class on regional trains RB/RE is available at a uniform price of € 49.
School children / Apprentices/trainees / Students
The hvv offers various special tickets for all school students in regular primary or secondary education at a public school. The type of ticket offered, the price and the rules on its use depend on where you live:
Lower Saxony (in the hvv area)
If you have a valid hvv Deutschlandticket for school students and live in Hamburg, your ticket will automatically be switched over to a price of € 0 as of September 2024. You don’t need to do anything. From September on, no fare money will be debited. Your chipcard stays valid.
N.B.: for school students aged 16 or older, it may be necessary to show an entitlement form, which you can get from your school. If this is the case, we will let you know in plenty of time.
The hvv Deutschlandticket is personalized and is only valid in combination with some form of photo ID. School students should therefore also have a photo ID with them when they travel (e.g. a school student card, an identity card, a child’s ID, a health insurance card).
Participating universities and institutes of higher education introduced the hvv Deutschlandsemesterticket as of the Summer Semester 2024. That means that students are automatically eligible for the ticket as soon as they have paid their fees for the semester.
Many universities and institutes of higher education in Hamburg issue a hvv ticket to full-time students. This gives you the right to travel as often as you like in a defined area of validity during the semester given on the ticket.
You can find detailed information here: hvv - Students
If the company where you are doing your course (dual training course or voluntary service) or the City of Hamburg or your administrative district in the surrounding region (full-time course at a vocational training college) contributes to the costs, you can get the hvv Deutschlandticket for apprentices/trainees (BonusTicket) for only € 29 per calendar month.
About the hvv switch App
To run the hvv switch App you need at least iOS 14 or Android 8.0 and higher.
You can get your hvv Deutschlandticket, valid all over Germany, without having to fill in any forms in the hvv switch App – with just a few clicks. If you don’t yet have the hvv switch App, download it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Go through the registration procedure by entering your data and method of payment. You will need your email address to register. This must be confirmed within 7 days. You can find instructions on how to register here.
What you need to do to change your personal data (name, address) depends on whether you have your Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App or on a chipcard:
Address
hvv switch app: Directly in the App menu under "To profile"/Personal data. It is not possible to change your email address.
Chipcard: Change it in your meinhvv client account. Alternatively, just notify your client contract partner by letter, fax or email by the 5th of the month.
Names
hvv switch app: Directly in the App menu under "To profile"/Personal data.
Chipcard: To change your name, please come in to one of our hvv service centres and bring official proof of the change (e.g. a marriage certificate, altered personal ID card) with you.
If you have an hvv Deutschlandticket on a chip card, you can transfer your ticket to the hvv switch app. For this, a switch code and your customer number are required.
If you no longer have the switch code, you can cancel your hvv Deutschlandticket on the chip card and reorder it in the app.
Your ticket is valid from the start date you choose onwards. That means that you can use the ticket immediately after you buy it if you so wish.
Important: the countdown which runs directly following your purchase makes it clear, if a ticket inspector checks your ticket, whether you have bought the ticket in good time before entering the area in stations where you have to have a valid ticket.
You can recognize a modern debit card by the MasterCard or Visa logo on the card - older Maestro cards with the red and blue logo are not storable.
No. The countrywide price for the hvv Deutschlandticket is 49.00 €.
The 7% discount still applies for single, day and group tickets purchased in the App or online.
You can travel 2nd class on all local and regional bus and train services with your hvv Deutschlandticket. Further options in the hvv switch App such as car sharing, MOIA and Scooter can be booked additionally for a fee. Please note that you will need to get your driving licence validated in order to use the car sharing option.
Yes. As soon as your hvv Deutschlandticket Hs been loaded in the hvv switch it will be displayed at all times whether you are on- or offline.
No, that is not possible. The App needs to be online.
If a ticket you have just bought is not displayed, this may be because the booking procedure has not been completed or your new ticket could not be loaded due to a weak internet connection.
No. Use is only permitted to the person who registered in the hvv switch App.
At the moment it is not yet possible to take the social discount of the City of Hamburg into account if you buy the hvv Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App. In order to get a discounted hvv Deutschlandticket, you need to cancel the subscription in the hvv switch App and order a new one online at www.hvv-deutschlandticket.de or in a hvv service centre. In any case you need to show your proof of entitlement for the social discount in the service centre.
We are constantly developing our services in order to improve them and make them easier for you to use. To enable that, it is necessary at the moment to register via hvv switch.
To the hvv switch Customer Service. They are reachable Mon-Fri from 8 am to 6 pm at info@hvv-switch.de or by phone under (040) 3288 - 6363.
The bill for the following month will always be triggered as of the last working day but one (Mon.-Fri.) in the month using the method of payment you have registered in hvv switch. That way we make sure that the debit from your account, if you are using the SEPA direct debit method, does not happen before the first of the month.
If you have a mobility budget (this is offered by employers or companies which participate in the programme), you can activate this in the hvv switch App.
If you have a mobility budget (offered by participating employers or companies), you can of course use it in the hvv switch app.
If you don’t have a smartphone, order the hvv Deutschlandticket as a chipcard. You can do this online here or in one of our service centres. If you are interested in a Jobticket, please ask your employer whether they offer this option.
Yes, you can add the hvv Deutschlandticket as well as other tickets you can book via the hvv switch App to your wallet. When you buy the ticket, just activate the function "Add to ..." by clicking on it.
Apple Wallet function: the update function needs to be switched on in the ticket details in the Apple wallet app so that your hvv Deutschlandticket is automatically updated for the new month.
Android Wallet function: Yes, it will be automatically updated.
Ticket inspections
Yes, if you have a valid hvv Deutschlandticket it can be checked and accepted everywhere.
Please note: if you have just bought your ticket and are travelling on the temporary starter ticket, please use it on your mobile device when travelling outside the hvv area. Printed out tickets will not be accepted outside the hvv area.
If there are problems with a Deutschlandticket which was not purchased from the hvv, please get in touch with the public transport association which you bought the Deutschlandticket from.
hvv Plus: General
hvv Plus offers attractive additional benefits to clients who have a valid hvv Deutschlandticket and who have registered for hvv Plus. hvv Plus members get to receive great benefits and take part in sweepstakes from our partners.
hvv Plus is aimed at clients with a valid hvv Deutschlandticket or a valid hvv Deutschlandticket as a job ticket (ProfiTicket). This also includes a subsidized hvv Deutschlandticket (for people receiving the social discount, school students over 18, holders of a BonusTicket for apprentices/trainees over 18) as well as holders of a SemesterTicket Upgrade to the hvv Deutschlandticket. The minimum age to take part in hvv Plus is 18.
No, sorry, that is not possible.
No, sorry, that is not possible.
No, sorry, that is not possible.
Yes. You have to be 18 or over.
Yes you can, if it is a web ticket or you have it saved to a wallet.
Yes you can.
Yes you can, if you have your hvv Deutschlandticket as a digital ticket in the App or you have it saved to a wallet.
Yes you can, if you have your Klimaticket XL as a digital ticket in the App or saved to a wallet.
No, you get hvv Plus free of charge.
Of course, we know that not all our clients have an internet access of their own. Unfortunately, however, there is no other way we can offer hvv Plus together with our partners for organisational reasons.
If you don’t have an internet access of your own, maybe you could get a friend to register you for hvv Plus. You will, of course, need your own email address for this. You can only call up the hvv Plus benefits online.
hvv Plus: Registering
Go to the hvv Plus website at hvv-deutschlandticket.de and set up an account for hvv Plus. You will need a valid hvv Deutschlandticket to register for hvv Plus.
You can only register for hvv Plus via the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. To register for hvv Plus, you will need a valid hvv Deutschlandticket and a valid email address. Please have your client details ready so that the validity of your hvv Deutschlandticket can be checked. You will find these on your chipcard or in your digital ticket in the App.
You will need a hvv switch account (it doesn’t cost anything) to register. If you don’t have one yet, you can set it up at the same time you register at hvv-deutschlandticket.de. You don’t need to have a hvv switch App for that.
Why do I need to have a hvv switch account to register for hvv Plus?
We care about the security of your personal data. That is why we retrieve it through our tried and tested hvv switch login process before we process it.
You don't need to have a hvv switch App to register for hvv Plus.
The hvv switch App is only necessary for certain functions, e.g. altering your data or changing your password.
No. You can only register via our hvv-deutschlandticket.de website.
If you have already registered in the hvv switch App you don’t need to set up a new account. You can use your hvv switch access details to log in to your hvv switch account first and then go on to register for hvv Plus.
Forgotten your password? Then go to “Password forgotten” in the hvv switch App and change the password there. Then you can go back to the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website to continue your registration for hvv Plus.
Your hvv Deutschlandticket needs to be valid when you register.
If you have just purchased your hvv Deutschlandticket online or in one of our service centres, it is of course valid from that point on. It may however take a few days, or in some cases up to a week, before your client details are stored in our computer systems and you can register for hvv Plus.
If you bought your hvv Deutschlandticket in the hvv switch App, you will as a rule be able to register for hvv Plus shortly afterwards. When you log in, you can use your hvv switch login details.
No. You have to have a valid hvv Deutschlandticket to register for hvv Plus.
You can register for hvv Plus via the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. You can set up your hvv Plus account there and get the benefits over that.
To register, you need a valid email address as well as the client number on your hvv Card.
You can register for hvv Plus via the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. Set up a hvv Plus account there, then you can get your coupons via that.
For this, you need a valid email address and the subscription number of your ProfiTicket or Klimaticket XL.
You can register for hvv Plus via the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. There, you can set up your hvv Plus account. For this, you need a valid email address and the subscription number of your hvv Deutschlandticket.
To register for für hvv Plus, go to our hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. There, you can set up your hvv Plus account and get the benefits via that.
Use your login details for the hvv switch App to register for hvv Plus.
You can’t register directly in the hvv switch App for hvv Plus.
Please check if you entered your data correctly and had a valid hvv Deutschlandticket at the time you did it.
Remember that it isn’t possible to register for hvv Plus before the validity of your hvv Deutschlandticket begins.
If you only purchased your hvv Deutschlandticket online or in one of our service centres a little while ago, it is of course valid from that point on, but it may however take a few days, or in some cases up to a week, before your client details are stored in our computer systems and are activated so that you can register for hvv Plus. Please try again later.
If it is more than a week since you bought your hvv Deutschlandticket and you still can’t register, please use the Contact form. We will need your complete client details to deal with your enquiry.
If you bought your hvv Deutschlandticket online or in a service centre only a short time ago and
got a starter ticket, it may take several days (max.one week) until your
client data are stored in the system and activated so that you can register.
Please try to register later.
Has more than a week passed since you bought the hvv Deutschlandticket and you still can't
register successfully? Then use the contact form (link to contact form), we will be happy
to help! Please let us know your complete client data so that we can deal with your enquiry.
Please check if you entered your data correctly and had a valid hvv Deutschlandticket at the time you did it.
Remember that it isn’t possible to register for hvv Plus before the validity of your hvv Deutschlandticket begins.
Do you have valid digital hvv Deutschlandticket as a ProfiTicket or a SemesterTicket Upgrade in the App but still can’t register? In this case use the Contact form, we will be happy to help you!
You can only enter the access data once. For that reason, make sure that your invitation card has not already been used to register for hvv Plus.
If you need new access data, please speak to your employer.
hvv Plus: Client account
You can subscribe to the Newsletter directly at the same time as you register for hvv Plus by agreeing to receive the Newsletter (consent to receive advertising material) and then clicking on the link in the email we will send you to confirm this.
A tip: if you don’t get the email with the link, try checking your spam folder.
Of course, you also subscribe to the Newsletter at any time via the hvv-deutschlandticket.de website. To do this, just click on “hvv Plus” in the menu, scroll down to Subscribe to Newsletter and click on the button.
If you have already registered for hvv Plus, you can also subscribe to the Newsletter in your hvv Plus account at hvv-deutschlandticket.de.
You can either unsubscribe directly in your hvv Plus account at hvv-deutschlandticket.de or click on the button “unsubscribe from Newsletter” which you will find in each Newsletter.
To do this, use the Contact form and select the item "hvv Plus registration and account".
To do this, use the Contact form and select the item "hvv Plus registration and account".
Altering your personal details can only be done at the moment via the hvv switch App.
If you don’t yet have it, download the hvv switch App and log in. You can then make the alterations you wish in your profile.
To set up a new e-mail address, please contact hvv switch customer service.
Please use the "Forgot password" function on the login page. Simply enter the e-mail address you used to register for hvv switch and we will send you an e-mail. In this e-mail you will find a link that you can use to create a new password.
hvv Plus: Benefits
hvv Plus benefits are redeemed at our partners. You need to show your personalized coupon for the benefit in question and your valid hvv Deutschlandticket to them (to prove your identity) for this. You can find the details of how to do this directly under Benefits from our partners.
No. The benefits you get via the hvv Plus programme are personalized for you and not transferable. You are not permitted to give them to third persons to use.
At the moment it is not possible to load the benefits into a wallet.
The different partners have different rules about redeeming their benefits. You can find out if a particular benefit can be redeemed once or several times on the Our partners pages describing the details of the offers.
Junge Die Bäckerei. here
Contact inkultur: service@inkultur.de
Contact KAIFU-LODGE: info@kaifu-lodge.de
Contact Hamburg CARD: +49 40 300 51 701 (Mon - Fri: 9:00 - 17:00, Saturday, Sunday and public holiday closed)
Contact Semmel Concerts: besucherservice@semmel.de
Contakt Voi: support@voiapp.io
Contakt MOIA: info@moia.io
Contakt S-Bahn: s-bahn.hamburg@deutschebahn.com
Contakt Budni: here
Contakt Alster-Touristik: info@alstertouristik.de
Contakt Lokl: service@lokl.hamburg
You can find the period of validity of each benefit on the coupons.
Unfortunately not. It is not possible at the moment to redeem the coupons digitally in the outlets. That is why it has to be printed out.
You need to be registered and logged in before the coupons an be displayed.
As long as your hvv Deutschlandticket is valid, yes, you can use them.
If, however, the coupons are valid for longer than your hvv Deutschlandticket, their validity expires together with that of the hvv Deutschlandticket.
hvv Plus: The 0.5l Mepal drinking bottles
The first 30,000 hvv Plus members to give their consent to recieving advertising material will be sent a email with a coupon (which an only be redeemed once) which they an redeem at our partner BUDNI as long as its validity lasts. You also need to show your valid hvv Deutschlandticket at the cash till along with the coupon.
Data protection is a priority for us. The coupon for the complimentary Take a Break midi Mepal Lunchbox will be sent to you by email. And we are not allowed to send you the email without your consent to receiving advertising material.
Giving your consent to receiving advertising material is a prerequisite for being eligible for a complimentary lunchbox.
Sending out the coupons may take up to two days. If you haven’t received an email with a coupon by that time, I’m afraid that means that you are not among the 30,000 hvv Plus members who have given their consent. Don’t forget to also look in your spam folder.