One aspect of our work that we truly dislike is when our users receive fines from ticket inspectors.
Fortunately, this is an extremely rare occurrence. Our users reach out to us with concerns related to fines in less than 1 out of every 20,000 FAIRTIQ journeys. This is our mission to ensure that none of our users ever experience this unsettling situation. Allow us to share some expert tips and guidance to help you avoid any anxieties when you see an inspector approaching to check your tickets.
There are 3 categories of things you should be aware of:
- Wrong usage of FAIRTIQ
- Wrong travel settings in the FAIRTIQ app
- Technical difficulties
Wrong usage of FAIRTIQ
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What to be careful about? |
Why? |
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LATE START Always start FAIRTIQ BEFORE the effective departure of the vehicle. |
If the ticket is purchased after the departure of the vehicle (bus/train), the ticket is considered late and the inspectors are in their right to issue a fine. |
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EARLY STOP Always stop FAIRTIQ AFTER you have exited the vehicle or station. |
FAIRTIQ only has got your back between START and STOP. Inspectors are in their right to carry out several inspections during the same journey! |
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SMART STOP If you are using Smart Stop & you transfer vehicles, make sure your journey is active before its continuation. |
We built Smart Stop for your comfort. However, please have a quick look at your phone/FAIRTIQ app before continuing your journey. |
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COMPANION MODE If you are traveling with a companion, check that "+1" is marked on the screen. |
If your companions were not selected before STARTING FAIRTIQ, they do not have a valid ticket. |
Wrong travel settings in the FAIRTIQ app
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What to be careful about? |
Why? |
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WRONG PERSONAL INFORMATION Ensure that first name, last name, and date of birth in the FAIRTIQ app match your ID (& Swisspass for Switzerland) |
E-tickets are valid only if you can present a matching ID card. |
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WRONG TRAVEL SETTINGS Before starting FAIRTIQ, ensure that the travel settings are correct:
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Inspectors might issue a fine for wrong travel settings: for example if you cannot present the pass you mentionned. |
Technical difficulties
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What to be careful about? |
Why? |
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PHONE REQUIREMENTS Make sure that you have enough battery/mobile data for the trip. See Using FAIRTIQ: Requirements |
If you cannot present your ticket at the inspection, the inspector might issue a fine. |
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LOCATION DATA You must keep the location data setting of your smartphone active at all times during the journey. Note: on Android, some battery-saving mode deactivate location data. See Solving location issues on Android |
As you might know, FAIRTIQ uses your phone location data to ensure that the right journey is charged. If this data is cut, FAIRTIQ will interrupt your journey (after informing you via a notification). |
Thank you for reading through this article - you now are a FAIRTIQ-pro. Don't worry, there should be no reasons for you to get fined. And in case of any problem, don't hesitate to contact us via your app !