July 21, 2026, 10:06 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Berlin plans to gradually modernize ticket sales in public transportation. The Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) intends to replace its sales technology, in use for more than 30 years, with digital solutions. In the future, new devices are expected to simplify ticket purchases while digitally managing travel authorization. The shift follows a change in passenger purchasing behavior. At the same time, there is criticism of the plans because not all users may benefit equally from the new system.
Ticket Purchase and Control in One Device
According to BVG sales director Michael Beer on LinkedIn, the supervisory board has approved the realignment of sales. In the future, so-called validators will be used. Beer describes them as “a small device with a big impact.” The devices not only facilitate ticket purchases but also digitally store travel authorization, which can be checked during later inspections.
For ticket purchases, passengers hold their contactless bank card to the reader. The travel authorization is then stored in a cloud and linked either to the payment method used or to a personal user account.
This eliminates the need for paper tickets, cash, or traditional printouts. The new devices are not merely replacing the existing machines but are part of a new sales system.
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Fewer Traditional Tickets Are Sold
According to the BVG, tickets are now mostly purchased digitally or through subscriptions such as the Deutschlandticket. BVG spokeswoman Franziska Ellrich told the “Berliner Zeitung” that the sale of traditional tickets has significantly declined, especially in trams.
In the first half of 2026, an average of only about six tickets per vehicle per day were sold there. Therefore, the new approximately 50-meter-long Urbanliner trams no longer have ticket machines.
It is not yet clear from Beer’s post which types of tickets will be available at the new validators and which payment options besides bank cards will be supported.
Criticism of BVG’s Plans
The BVG has not yet announced a date for the complete transition. However, Transport Senator Ute Bonde told the “Berliner Zeitung” that in Berlin, “there will be no more ticket machines in a few years.”
The passenger association IGEB views this development critically. It warns of disadvantages for people without bank cards or smartphones and points to the new Urbanliner trams without machines. The association also demands that analog ticket sales not be left solely to private kiosks. Additionally, the planned validator system must ensure that passengers are automatically charged the lowest fare.