The future level of the sales commission at the Deutschlandticket is once again disputed. According to consistent reports from the industry, committees of the Coordinating Council, as well as shareholder and trade association meetings, are discussing an increase in the flat rate per subscription sold from the current €2.87 to €3.15. No decision had been made by the time of publication.
The Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR) opposes a uniform increase. VRR spokesperson Oliver Wittke argues that a flat-rate increase would favour large sales platforms, while regional partners with higher costs would lose out. VRR is therefore advocating a tiered commission that reflects different sales channels and market shares. The association also stresses that the sales commission must be transparent and competitively neutral.
The Association of German Transport Companies (VDV) points to the existing rules. According to the association, the structure of sales incentives is dealt with through contractual arrangements surrounding the nationwide revenue allocation agreement and in compliance with competition and procurement law. The association says the aim remains a practical, legally sound framework for all sales partners.
The debate concerns the distribution of scarce funding for local public transport. Examples in reports show that even small changes to the flat rate add up to tens of millions of euros when applied to millions of subscriptions. The question of how much of the compensatory funding provided by the Federation and the Länder is tied up in sales and customer service, and how much remains for operations and infrastructure, is consequently contentious. Regardless, changes to the sales commission do not directly affect the end price of the Deutschlandticket, although they do affect the finances of the companies involved.
The Coordinating Council steers policy issues relating to the Deutschlandticket and serves as a forum for consultation and coordination between the federal and state governments, the transport industry and transport associations. In recent months, several companies have pointed to rising costs in sales and customer service, for example for IT interfaces, fraud prevention and goodwill processes. Critics of a higher flat rate counter that efficiency gains in digital subscription sales should also lead to lower unit costs.
Until a decision is made, it remains unclear whether there will continue to be a uniform commission per subscription or whether rates will vary according to channel, service or quality criteria. What is clear is that the financial impact on transport associations and operators cannot be reliably assessed until the Coordinating Council and the relevant shareholder and trade association committees have made their decisions.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).