More trips, less you pay: with FAIRTIQ, discounts of up to 20%

Context

TL;DR

• Bonus active from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027
• Maximum discount of 20% on subsequent trips
• Monthly thresholds of 10, 50 and 100 francs
• Trips that start and end in Ticino qualify

Key facts

• Name → FAIRTIQ Bonus Ticino
• Promoters → ABL, AMSA, ARL, FART, FLP, SNL and TPL
• Discounts → 5%, 10% and 20%
• Check → Rewards > FAIRTIQ Switzerland Bonus
• Network → entire cantonal network available through FAIRTIQ
• Collaboration → since 2024

From October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, those who use FAIRTIQ to travel in Ticino can receive automatic discounts of up to 20% on subsequent trips. The initiative is called FAIRTIQ Bonus Ticino and is promoted by seven transport companies: Autolinee Bleniesi (ABL), Autolinea Mendrisiense (AMSA), Autolinee Regionali Luganesi (ARL), Ferrovie Autolinee Regionali Ticinesi (FART), Ferrovie Luganesi (FLP), Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) and Trasporti Pubblici Luganesi (TPL).

How participation works

No specific registration is required. For those who use FAIRTIQ, participation is automatic and free. The app works as usual: you start the trip before boarding and end it once you arrive. The price is calculated automatically, as is any discount provided by the bonus.

The threshold is measured against the amount spent through the app over the course of a month. When spending reaches 10 francs, a 5% discount takes effect on subsequent trips. At 50 francs, the discount rises to 10%; at 100 francs, it reaches 20%. The count resets to zero at the beginning of each month. The benefit therefore does not apply to trips already taken: it takes effect after the relevant threshold has been reached.

Which trips qualify

FAIRTIQ trips that start and end within Ticino are included. The initiative covers the entire cantonal network available through the app, not just the routes operated by the seven promoting companies. FFS and AutoPostale lines within the canton are also included.

For a cross-border commuter who uses public transport, the point of reference is therefore the network accessible via FAIRTIQ in Canton Ticino. Information on the mezzi pubblici Ticino network helps clarify the initiative's operational scope without mistaking it for merely the list of promoters. The companies have been collaborating with FAIRTIQ since 2024, and the six months of the bonus also provide a period in which to observe the effects of an incentive linked to the actual use of public transport on regional mobility.

Operational details

For a cross-border commuter traveling by public transport, the first practical check concerns the boundary of the individual journey. The bonus does not depend solely on whether the line is operated by one of the seven companies: the source also considers the entire cantonal network available through FAIRTIQ, including FFS and AutoPostale, but requires the journey to begin and end within Ticino. If the FAIRTIQ itinerary begins outside the canton, it does not meet the stated condition; a journey begun and concluded within the cantonal territory, however, follows the applicable criterion.

For the cross-border commuter reader, the scope of this news should be kept distinct: the source discusses FAIRTIQ journeys in Canton Ticino and not G permits, AVS, LPP, LAMal, tax rebates or withholding tax.

Variable spending, progressive threshold

The model is designed for people who use public transport with varying frequency. There is no need to purchase a pass or incur an upfront expense: the principle described is to pay only for the journeys actually taken, leaving the app to calculate the price automatically.

The practical result changes depending on when the threshold is reached. If spending reaches 50 francs, for example, the 10% applies to subsequent journeys, not to those that brought the spending to that level. At the beginning of the following month, the count starts again from zero and the progression must begin anew.

Those who travel occasionally may stop before reaching the first threshold; those who use public transport more often may move toward the next level. In both cases, how the app works does not change. Anyone wishing to supplement this reading with a comparison of the cost of a private vehicle can use costo auto pendolare, keeping that calculation separate from the FAIRTIQ mechanism.

Useful planning tools

To estimate your pension strategy, use the pension planner and the pillar 3 simulator.

Key points

To apply the bonus correctly, the procedure remains FAIRTIQ's standard one. No forms or separate registration are needed: participation is automatic and free for anyone who uses the app.

The operational sequence

1. Before boarding, open FAIRTIQ and start the journey. 2. Check that the journey you want to count starts within Ticino and is scheduled to end in the canton, a condition required for the bonus. 3. Once you arrive, end the journey in the app. 4. Let FAIRTIQ automatically calculate the price and any applicable discount. 5. Open the Rewards > FAIRTIQ Switzerland Bonus section to check the discount reached and your progress toward the next level.

The in-app check also serves to track the spending accumulated during the month. The first threshold is set at 10 francs, the intermediate one at 50 francs and the highest one at 100 francs. After each threshold, the discount applies only to subsequent journeys. For this reason, it is advisable to check the level reached before considering the price of the following trip.

The period to remember runs from October 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027. The monthly tally does not carry over progress from one month to the next: at the beginning of each month, it starts again from zero. The network considered is not limited to the seven promoting companies, but includes the connections available through FAIRTIQ throughout the canton, including the FFS and AutoPostale lines within Ticino.

To add a separate calculation tool to expense tracking, consult calcolatore fiscale.

Source: tio.ch