The price of train tickets can quickly rise, especially during school holidays or during long weekends, sometimes depriving many low-income households of travel. To remedy this, the SNCF has decided to offer payment schedules, reveals Le Parisien on Thursday August 25, 2022.
“From the 20th of each month, the first reason for refusal of payment is ‘insufficient funds'”, explains the CEO of SNCF Voyageurs, Christophe Fanichet, to the Ile-de-France daily. “Payment in instalments would, for example, allow these customers to still be able to buy their tickets.”
After the criticisms linked to the release of the SNCF Connect mobile application, the railway company wishes to take its time to introduce this new option. “They don’t want to take the risk of a bug. If they crash, it’s a disaster,” said an actor familiar with the matter.
The split payment would allow the SNCF to respond to the criticisms, more and more numerous, on the sometimes prohibitive prices of train tickets. The possibility of paying in instalments should be offered by mid-2023, perhaps even before. The railway company launched a call for tenders last spring and should begin the test phases by the end of the year.
The precise terms are not yet recorded, but the schedule “will be proposed for the largest order amounts, for example when booking for a family or a group”. Tickets below a certain amount, such as daily journeys by TER for example, will not a priori be affected.
However, it will be possible to buy your ticket in this way just before the departure of the train, by immediately making a first payment before paying the rest of the sum later. While waiting for this new option, it is already possible to buy train tickets at low prices, recalls RTL.
Until Monday August 29, the SNCF Avantage cards are on sale, at €25 instead of the usual €49. By acquiring the Avantage Jeune 12-27, Adulte 27-59 or Senior 60 et , card, you benefit for one year from a price cap and -30% on all TGV and Intercités tickets. A welcome boost for railway enthusiasts.
