Overview
- Deutsche Bahn announced the redesign on Tuesday and said the new rules will take effect in August with a start date of 1 August 2026 for customers.
- The company will replace fixed point thresholds with dynamic pricing so required points will vary by connection, when the ticket is booked, and how full the train is.
- Baseline free rides will be cheaper in the best cases, with second-class starting at 750 points and first-class at 1,250 points under the new system.
- Flexible, no‑seat‑binding vouchers will cost notably more: a single Flex 2nd-class ride rises to 2,500 points (3,500 for 1st class) and return Flex vouchers jump to 4,000 points (2nd) and 6,000 points (1st).
- The change favors early, short-distance and off-peak bookers and makes spontaneous or highly flexible travel pricier, and critics warn that the 750-point baseline may only match existing low cash fares so many customers could see less real value from their points.