General Terms and Conditions for Online Sales in FahrPlaner Niedersachsen/Bremen

1. general scope of application

These General Terms and Conditions, hereinafter referred to as “GTC”, apply to the use of the e-payment service “Handy-Ticket im FahrPlaner Niedersachsen/Bremen”, hereinafter referred to as “Handy-Ticket”, as well as to the use of the “Online-Ticket im Niedersachsentarif”, hereinafter referred to as “Online-Ticket”. The provisions governing the purchase of online and/or cell phone tickets for local public transport in the following fare zones or for the following fare products are regulated:

Exclusively cell phone tickets:
- Verkehrsverbundes Bremen/Niedersachsen (VBN)
- Verkehrsverbund Süd-Niedersachsen (VSN)
Mobile and online tickets:
- Niedersachsentarif

VBN GmbH, Am Wall 165-167, 28195 Bremen is the authorized agent for ticket sales and ticket billing between the customer and the transport companies. Invoicing for the “mobile and online ticket” sales service is carried out by VBN GmbH on behalf of and for the account of the transport companies providing the service in the respective tariff or transport area. The contractual partner of the transportation contract is the transport company whose means of transport are used. In all other respects, the fare regulations and conditions of carriage of the respective fare and the transport companies providing the service apply in their current version.

The VBN has entered into a sales partnership with the transport associations and transport communities connected to the mobile or online ticket and NITAG for the sale of mobile and online tickets via a joint system. In the following, the term “online sales” is used collectively. Provisions relating to all partners are listed below under “the VBN and its partners”.

2. Changes

VBN and its partners reserve the right to make changes or additions to the GTC or other documents and processes relating to online sales at any time. Registered customers will be asked to read and agree to any changes to the GTC during the purchase process. Changes to the GTC shall be deemed approved if the customer does not object in writing or by the agreed electronic means. The VBN will draw the customer's attention to this consequence when making the notification. The customer must send the objection to the VBN within six weeks of notification of the changes. The VBN is entitled to assert its rights in accordance with Section 12 in the event of an objection.

3. Special provisions for the online sales service

The following requirements are necessary for the purchase of tickets/tickets, hereinafter referred to as “tickets”, in the internet-based online sales service for each ticket type:

Downloading and installing the FahrPlaner App for iOS or Android operating systems on a mobile device for the mobile ticket
Use of a conventional PC/laptop with the ability to open and print PDF documents and the like with Internet access to purchase an online ticket
Creation of a customer account in the FahrPlaner app for the use of the Deutschland-Ticket

It is not possible to purchase or save cell phone tickets on conventional PCs, including laptops and the like.

Purchased online tickets are made available as a PDF document after purchase. This PDF document can either be printed out in A4 format and presented at the ticket inspection or alternatively shown on a mobile device. The customer is responsible for the legibility of the barcode during ticket inspection.

A limited range of tickets can be offered in the internet-based online sales service. The range of tickets offered may be adjusted at any time without prior notice. There is no entitlement to the issue of tickets in online sales. The VBN and its partners cannot guarantee uninterrupted online sales at all times.

The FahrPlaner App enables customers to purchase cashless electronic tickets after downloading and installing them. Tickets purchased directly in the app, including Deutschland-Tickets, are sent immediately to the customer's mobile device. If a Deutschland-Ticket is not purchased directly in the FahrPlaner app, but is ordered from a subscription service provider by means of a subscription application, the Deutschland-Ticket will be provided with a delay after the subscription application has been positively checked and the Deutschland-Ticket has been provided by the subscription service provider. The VBN and its partners would like to point out that the tickets are transmitted via the mobile network of the mobile service provider or an alternative Internet connection of the customer and that the customer is primarily responsible for a proper, trouble-free and prompt transmission. Delays in transmission may therefore occur in particular in the event of disruptions or unavailability of the mobile network or internet connection. The customer must purchase the ticket before boarding a vehicle of the transport company providing the service/starting the journey and, for the aforementioned reasons, must ensure that the valid ticket has been received before starting the journey. If a purchase is detected after the start of the journey during the ticket inspection, the ticket is not valid.

When purchasing a mobile ticket via the FahrPlaner app, it must be possible to show the ticket on the display of the mobile device for inspection purposes. In this respect, the customer is responsible for the operational readiness of the mobile end device and for the display of the complete content of the ticket for inspection purposes by the control personnel. This also includes the necessary precautions against misuse. The mobile device must be carried at all times for the purpose of checking the electronic ticket during the journey and in areas where tickets are required and must be presented to the transport company's driving or inspection personnel on request. If proof of the cell phone ticket cannot be provided during an inspection due to failure of the mobile device, for example as a result of technical faults or an empty battery, this will be regarded as a journey without a valid cell phone ticket. In the event of non-availability or incorrect or incomplete transmission of the mobile ticket, the customer is obliged to purchase a valid ticket elsewhere before starting the journey. Only cell phone tickets displayed in the FahrPlaner app are valid. Screenshots, screen videos or similar of valid tickets do not entitle the customer to make use of transportation services.

Online tickets can also be purchased for the Niedersachsentarif. Purchased online tickets must either be printed out in DIN A4 format for checking or can alternatively be displayed as a PDF file on a mobile device. When displaying the online ticket as a PDF file on a mobile device, the traveler is responsible for the operational readiness of the mobile device. The customer is responsible for the legibility of the barcode during ticket inspection.

The FahrPlaner app is provided to the customer free of charge. However, the customer may incur additional costs due to the need to download the FahrPlaner app or the tickets purchased in it. The costs may vary depending on the mobile phone provider. The amount of the connection charges is determined by the customer's contract with the respective mobile phone provider.

Tickets purchased via the FahrPlaner app are always personalized, non-transferable and are only valid in conjunction with an official, valid photo ID for the person (holder) specified on the ticket. In the case of tickets for several people, such as the VBN-TagesTicket or the Niedersachsen-Ticket, the person entered on the ticket as the holder must always travel with the ticket.

Cell phone and online tickets cannot be returned, exchanged, refunded, revoked or canceled from the first day of validity.

The VBN and its partners use the IT service provider eos.uptrade GmbH, Schanzenstraße 70, 20357 Hamburg and the financial company LOGPAY Financial Services GmbH, Schwalbacher Straße 72, 65760 Eschborn, hereinafter referred to as the “financial company”, to process online sales. For this purpose, personal data required for contract processing will be transmitted to the aforementioned service providers.

4. Registration

In order to be able to use the e-payment service to purchase tickets for online sales, the customer must register with the VBN via the websites www.fahrplaner.de, www.niedersachsentarif.de or mobile via the FahrPlaner app, providing the following information truthfully and completely:

Salutation
Name and full address
Date of birth
e-mail address
Preferred payment method
Account details with IBAN (in the case of SEPA direct debit)
Credit card details (in the case of credit card payment methods)
Mobile phone number (optional)

The customer undertakes to change essential data for the contractual relationship (in particular name, address, payment method and e-mail address) immediately in his personal login area in the event of changes. If the customer does not comply with his obligation to provide information, the VBN and its partners as well as the financial company are entitled to charge the customer for any additional expenses incurred as a result. Alternatively, a mobile or online ticket can also be purchased without registration (does not apply to the Deutschland-Ticket).

5. Order and conclusion of contract

The contract is concluded with the VBN or, if the Deutschland-Ticket is purchased from a subscription service provider, with the respective subscription service provider. By submitting an order for the desired mobile ticket via the FahrPlaner app or by purchasing an online ticket, the customer submits a binding offer to conclude a purchase contract. In the case of online sales, the purchase contract is accepted by sending the electronic travel authorization as a mobile or online ticket. After conclusion of the contract (ticket dispatch), a confirmation is sent via the selected delivery channel (e.g. e-mail) as confirmation of purchase. In the case of payment by means of a post-paid procedure (e.g. direct debit or credit card procedure), the contract is concluded subject to a credit and data check. The purchase price is due immediately.

6. Payment procedure and notice of assignment

6.1 Notice of assignment
The collection of the payment claim for the purchased tickets is carried out by the financial company to which all payment claims, including the claim for reimbursement of any fees, have been sold and assigned (notice of assignment). The finance company is a third-party beneficiary of the following provisions and is also authorized to collect the claim in its own name and for its own account.

6.2 Payment procedure
In addition to the conditions described above, the following provisions apply to the payment of booked tickets. The customer is not entitled to participate in a specific payment method. All payment methods are only available to persons over the age of 18 who have full legal capacity.

The customer can choose between the following payment methods for orders in the online store:

Billing via the SEPA direct debit procedure
Billing via credit card (American Express, Mastercard, Visa)
Payment via PayPal
Payment via Apple Pay or Google Pay (depending on the operating system of the end device)
Recurring billing via the SEPA direct debit procedure or via credit card (American Express, MasterCard or Visa) when purchasing a Germany ticket

Other payment methods are excluded. Registration with personal data and details of the respective payment method is required for payment by SEPA direct debit or credit card.

6.3 Collection and objections to billing
The collection of the claim via SEPA direct debit is usually carried out by the financial company within the next five bank working days after the purchase of the ticket. The debiting of the account or credit card depends on the payment processing of the customer's payment service provider. The overview of the ticket purchases made contains individual proofs of purchase and can only be viewed and retrieved electronically via the Internet portal by the registered customer. Furthermore, the customer receives an order confirmation by e-mail immediately after the purchase to the e-mail address provided during the sales process. The customer is required to check the content of the order confirmations and, if there are any objections, to raise them immediately with VBN. Legal claims of the customer remain unaffected by this.

6.4 Payment by SEPA direct debit
If this payment method is selected, the customer's personal data (first name, surname, address in Germany, date of birth and email address) and bank account details within the European Union are required for the clear allocation of a payment for purchased tickets. The bank details are stored securely in the financial company's system so that the customer can use the SEPA direct debit procedure repeatedly without having to re-enter the bank details for each purchase. Payment by SEPA direct debit is only available to customers who have registered for “online sales”. By selecting this payment method, the customer authorizes the financial company to collect payments from his specified account by SEPA direct debit with his consent to these General Terms and Conditions. At the same time, he instructs his payment service provider to honor the direct debits drawn by LOGPAY on his account. The customer is advised that he/she may request reimbursement of the debited amount within eight weeks of the debit date. The conditions agreed with his payment service provider shall apply. In the event that the customer is not the account holder of the specified account, the customer shall ensure that the consent of the account holder for the SEPA direct debit has been obtained.

The customer undertakes to provide all account details required for participation in the SEPA direct debit procedure (in particular account holder, BIC and IBAN) and to enter them in the form provided for this purpose online or in the FahrPlaner app. In the SEPA Direct Debit Scheme, the customer receives an advance notification (prenotification) from the financial company about the collection date and amount. The customer receives the prenotification at least two days before the claim is collected. The prenotification shall be sent electronically with the order confirmation to the e-mail address provided.

The customer must ensure that the specified account has sufficient funds so that the SEPA direct debit can be collected. If a SEPA direct debit is returned by the payer without justification or if the collection of the claim from the payer's payment service provider fails for reasons for which the payer is responsible - in particular due to insufficient funds, incorrect or invalid account details or objection - the payer shall be obliged to ensure that sufficient funds are available or that the reason for the payment disruption is rectified so that, in addition to the outstanding amount, the third-party fees incurred by the payment service provider can be collected on the date specified in the reminder. The finance company is entitled to claim further damages for default.

By agreeing to these General Terms and Conditions, the customer waives the right to obtain a written SEPA direct debit mandate. The waiver shall be declared by the customer to the customer's payment service provider, the creditor's payment service provider and the creditor. The customer agrees to the waiver being passed on to the aforementioned parties.

If the customer is not the account holder, the customer is obliged to forward the mandate reference number to the account holder. The customer is not entitled to participate in the SEPA Direct Debit Scheme.

6.5 Payment by credit card
The billing of purchased tickets by credit card is only possible with American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Other credit cards are currently not accepted.

After completion of the order process, the customer's payment details are recorded, namely:

Surname and first name of the credit card holder
Credit card type (American Express, MasterCard or Visa)
Credit card number
Expiration date of the credit card
CVC code of the credit card

and transmitted to the financial company's server for debt collection.

When the credit card details are entered for the first time, they are checked. The data provided by the customer is transmitted to their payment service provider and an amount of EUR 1 is requested and authorized. The authorization expires automatically, usually within two weeks. The requested amount is not booked or debited.

The financial institution's system checks the credit card details provided by the customer for accuracy and any blocking notices issued by the respective credit card issuer. For this purpose, the customer's personal data is forwarded to the companies listed under “8. Data protection”. The customer hereby declares his consent. In the event that the customer is not the holder of the specified credit card, the customer assures by entering the data that he/she has the cardholder's consent for the charge. The customer must also ensure that the credit card provided is not blocked and has a sufficient limit. If the authorization fails for any reason, the customer will receive a corresponding error message.

The time at which the customer's account is debited is determined by the customer's credit card agreement with their payment service provider.

If the customer's payment service provider supports the “3D Secure procedure” (Verified by Visa / MasterCard® Secure-Code™), this is used to increase security against misuse for payment by credit card. If the customer's payment service provider does not support the 3D Secure procedure, this point will be skipped.

The contact for all questions regarding the 3D Secure procedure is the card-issuing bank.

If the customer unjustifiably initiates a charge back (return of the amount) or if the collection of the claim fails for reasons for which the customer is responsible, the customer is obliged to pay any third-party fees incurred in addition to the purchase price of the purchased ticket. The VBN and its partners as well as the finance company are entitled to claim further damages caused by delay.

The customer must notify the VBN and the financial company immediately of the loss, theft or other misuse of his credit card via the Internet portal or via the respective hotline and change the payment method.

The submitted claims resulting from the ticket orders appear to the customer in the credit card statement of his credit card issuer as a total amount in euros. The registered customer can view and call up detailed information on the composition of the total amount via the Internet portal.

The customer is not entitled to participate in the credit card procedure.

The finance company is the first point of contact for all credit card transactions of the customer (cardholder) in connection with online sales.

6.6 Payment via PayPal
To pay via PayPal, the customer selects PayPal as the payment method. They are then redirected to the PayPal website to enter the required data. As a non-registered customer, the payment is confirmed directly. As a registered customer, the customer enters into a billing agreement (“Billing Agreement”) with the financial company, under which their PayPal account is charged with the due amount. The purchase offer made by either a non-registered or a registered customer can only be accepted by VBN if the charge to the customer’s PayPal account is successfully executed. The customer will receive either a confirmation or a rejection.

6.7 Payment via Apple Pay
To use Apple Pay, the customer must have a valid payment method stored in their Apple Wallet. To pay via Apple Pay, the customer selects Apple Pay as the payment method in the FahrPlaner app or online shop. The customer must confirm the purchase to initiate the payment. Upon successful payment, the customer receives the ticket via the app or online shop; otherwise, an error message is displayed.

6.8 Payment via Google Pay
To use Google Pay, the customer must have a valid payment method stored in their Google Wallet. To pay via Google Pay, the customer selects Google Pay as the payment method in the FahrPlaner app or online shop. The customer must confirm the purchase to initiate the payment. Upon successful payment, the customer receives the ticket via the FahrPlaner app or online shop; otherwise, an error message is displayed.

7. Data Transmission and Liability for Hardware and Software Damage

Transactions that fail due to the improper use or installation of the customer’s software or hardware will be fully charged if the data transfer for the ticket purchase was successfully completed on the servers used by VBN and its partners and the tickets were dispatched. VBN accepts no liability for any damage to the customer’s hardware or software caused by the use of the FahrPlaner app or the online shop, unless such damage is caused by intentional or grossly negligent conduct on the part of its employees, the employees of its partners, or companies commissioned by VBN. VBN is not liable for damages arising from data transfer.

8. Data Protection

The personal data provided by the customer during registration and any subsequent changes, as well as the data stored during a purchase process, are processed in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by VBN GmbH, eos.uptrade GmbH, and LOGPAY Financial Services GmbH. Payment data is stored exclusively by the financial company.
Detailed information is available in the data protection policies under Articles 13 and 14 GDPR at the following websites:

eos.uptrade GmbH stores and processes the aforementioned data for general customer management as a processor under a data processing agreement in accordance with Article 28 GDPR.
The financial company has undertaken to process the customer's personal data in accordance with GDPR. Credit card data is securely stored in a PCI DSS-certified system.

9. Date, Time, and Language

If a date and/or time is relevant for declarations or legal transactions, the server date and time displayed shall be decisive.
The language available for the conclusion of the contract is German.

10. Rights and Obligations of the Customer

The customer is entitled to use the internet-based sales services within the scope of the usage agreement for the FahrPlaner app for the duration of the contractual relationship.

Each registered customer receives password-protected access to their personal login area at www.fahrplaner.de or www.niedersachsentarif.de, where they can view and update their stored personal and payment data.

The customer is obliged to protect their login credentials (username and password) against unauthorized access and to keep the password confidential. The customer must notify the provider immediately if there is reason to suspect misuse of their credentials. The customer is fully responsible for all activities carried out under their account.

The customer must update any changes to their personal data (especially address, email address, and payment information) in their personal login area.

In the event of loss or theft of a mobile device used for online sales, the customer must immediately change their password in the personal login area to prevent misuse. The customer may also request a temporary account suspension by calling the VBN 24-hour service hotline at 0421 / 59 60 59. Until notification is received, the customer is liable for any resulting claims. Any purchases or services used via the registered account will be considered authorized until the time of suspension. Any additional costs incurred by VBN, its partners, or payment service providers due to the customer’s failure to comply with notification obligations will be charged to the customer.

If the customer account is deleted or suspended, the customer is no longer entitled to use the online sales service.

11. Termination

The customer may terminate the use of the online sales service at any time without giving reasons by sending an email to tickets@fahrplaner.de. These GTC remain valid until the termination is fully processed. Outstanding claims against the customer remain unaffected.
VBN reserves the right to block or delete the customer account and exclude the customer from further use of the online sales service if false information was provided during registration, if applicable laws, third-party rights, these GTC or other contractual terms were violated, or in other significant cases – particularly if a direct debit is unjustifiably returned by the customer or a payment fails due to reasons attributable to the customer.
The customer has the right to withdraw any previously given consents. Exercising this right means participation in the online sales service, especially ordering online or mobile tickets, is no longer possible.

12. Exclusion of Right of Withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to the purchase of tickets (contracts for the carriage of passengers – Section 312 (2) No. 5 of the German Civil Code).

13. Deletion of Customer Data Due to Inactivity

VBN is entitled to delete the customer's account and all associated data without prior notice after twelve months of inactivity (no login via web browser or use of services).

14. Statistical Evaluation

VBN may track information about the use of the shop. To this end, data is stored anonymously for statistical purposes, including personal data, access date and time, and the number of tickets sold. This includes statistics on daily visitor numbers and the number of completed or cancelled purchase processes. These statistics are used solely to measure activity and improve or adapt the shop to user needs. They do not contain personal data and are not used to collect personal data. No profiles are created of individual user behavior.

15. Customer Service Contact Information

Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen GmbH
Am Wall 165–167
28195 Bremen
Telefon: 0421 59 60 59
E-Mail: tickets@fahrplaner.de
Web: www.vbn.de

16. Legal Information on Dispute Resolution

Pursuant to Sections 36 and 37 of the German Consumer Dispute Resolution Act (VSBG), the Verkehrsverbund Bremen/Niedersachsen GmbH informs that it currently does not participate in any consumer dispute resolution procedures before a dispute resolution body.
Nevertheless, in accordance with EU Regulation No. 524/2013 on online dispute resolution, consumers may use the EU online dispute resolution platform, available at: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/
The email address to be used for dispute resolution is: tickets@fahrplaner.de

17. Final Provisions

If individual provisions of these GTC are or become invalid, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected. In place of any invalid provision, the statutory regulation shall apply. The same applies to any unforeseen omissions in these GTC.
German law shall apply exclusively.
Any collateral agreements, amendments, or additions must be made in writing to be valid, including any waiver of this written form requirement. For the purposes of these GTC, the written form may also be satisfied by email.

Effective as of: January 2025