I'm hoping that they add the day passes to this soon. That said, I'm already dreading my mobile bill... It's just too easy to tap in 78 8. :)

It did not work for me unfortunately. Anyone knows what's wrong?

Hi Jessica,

What happened? What message did you send, what response did you get? I have used it and it worked as advertised.

I didn't say it explicity below, but I guess that you probably can only do this with a Swiss cell phone number.

thank you very much Zonker. I just did not get any confirmation after making twice the texts. As you have advised I will keep the text in case I was charged. 

Does it mean people will only tap 788 when they see the controller ;). Just thinking, doesn't it make it easier for ppl not to pay. Anyway for me it's great news and I just checked the iOS app and the option is there :). ThaNK you for sharing!! 

No, you have to purchase before getting on and the SMS tells you what date/time the purchase was made and how long you have.

Thanks for this Zonker. As I usually come to Geneva from Nyon by train, it's a real pain having to queue to get a TPG ticket and watch the connection you need go driving off. 

I have tried this twice on different days and it hasnt worked either time.  At least I didn't receive a text message back, anyway.  it leaves you in a dilemma as you have no idea whether or not you have been charged....! I'm on Orange CH in case anyone is having consistent problems..

I highly recommend to buy the "abonnement mensuel" TPG at 70chf. It works for all means of transport (bus, tram), during one month. 

I have been using it as well and works good. Yes it does make it tempting to just wait till you see controllers to purchase but since they do state you should have it purchased BEFORE getting on, that seems a gray area. Guess depends if you can argue you just got on or not. Eithe way very handy.

To those having issues, it actually didn't work for me at first then I realized I had sent an SMS code to Orange to block "premium" charges to my bill via SMS. I've had people try to pull scams on me by asking to make a local call from my mobile, and being nice enough letting them and then realizing they were trying to SMS some weird code to charge my account. So I had just blocked it all together. So I had to call Orange to have them unblock permium services again. So maybe this is your issue. First time I called Orange, being the geniuses they are, I was told it wasn't blocked. I had to call a second time and instead of even asking if it was blocked, I TOLD them to unblock it and it worked after that. So even if you are not sure just call them and check this.

by sms? not very spectacular if you ask me. in germany there is an whole app for that. charges monthly to your creditcard bill.  worked like a charm. i miss that here in switzerland.

Bella,

We're not saying that Switzerland is the first, or the best, or anything.

We're just saying that this payment method is available now, whereas it wasn't available before. And considering the awfulness of the TPGs existing ticket machines (both the old and the new), this is indeed a good thing.

But, about the app in Germany. Which app is it? Is it for *all* of Germany? I mean, can you buy a bus ticket for Berlin and then when you travel to Köln, buy a ticket there as well? That would indeed be awesome.

Furthermore, sending a text message doesn't require a Smartphone. Any mobile phone with SMS capabilities will do.

Yes this works well, i tried it when it first came out then i immedietly got a reply saying that i have SMS barring enabled, i then turned it off using my swisscom app and it worked.

Just take note that the SMS ticketing is only available for zone 10.

Thats is true about the SMS working without a smartphone. Good point. Switzerland does seem to always be a step behind the times though with things. Sometimes good, sometimes frustrating.

i just dont think its very innovative. who sends SMS these days? it's all about apps and smartphones. so yeah, i guess its  a nice step forward, but they have a long way to go. 

the one for Germany is this here:
https://itunes.apple.com/de/app/handyticket-deutschland/id397986271?mt=8

Works in almost all Germany, and my city ( Hamburg) has even another app for public transportation (HVV) which gives me 3 % reduction on every ticket i buy.

Bella,

Again, you're not getting the point. No one is saying that it's innovative or not. And many people still SMS these days, as not everyone has smart phones.

Regarding HandyTicket, it's not even close to all of Germany. It's 20 cities/regions and seems to leave out major sections/cities.

Again, my post was simply to inform people (such as myself) that this service existed. Comparing it to other cities/countries doesn't really add to the discussion, nor does it change the facts, namely that this service is now available, whereas it wasn't before.

Zonker, 

Again, thank you for posting this advising people that this service now exists. I don't understand why other people saw fit to start a debate about which country has a better services for buying tickets by phone as it doesn't really change anything. You kindly posted something to let us know about this service and that should be an end to it.

My concern now is that in future a long thread like this may put other people of from letting the Glocals community know about other equally valuable services in future for fear of being pulled apart. 

 i just made a comment. not discussing, nor debating about it.

just. made. a. comment.

also me noticed the big advertising on busses about the 'new' sms function. my first thought was: "well,thats not very innovative."

i posted my thoughts here. i thought that's what forums are for.  that's it. nothing more.

Thought you were Dutch in Geneva.... where did HH come from?

Personally I enjoy everyone's comments and a little debate is never bad :) Hopefully no one gets deterred from future forums and posts from such.

Btw, I am surprised by the number of people here that don't have data plans or smartphones so I think I could be part of the decision on sticking with an sms system. In a town with over 50% expats, many staying or at least only planning on staying for 1 year contracts I guess lots of people don't end up bothering with fancy phones and contracts. Sometimes people even keep their existing country phones/plans and get something cheap just for Switzerland. Even for locals, the idea of unlimited data plans is quite new in a mobile system that has appeared to lack good competition. I think this all has affected app development. I'd love to see a taxi app like in other large cities as getting a taxi here I find to be a inconvenient. Just not sure if people would adopt it.

Just to add some fuel to the fire:

There actually is an app as well: http://www.tpg.ch/horaires-temps-reel;jsessionid=916206CDF7D315D060A48389D58875A4

As an old-fashioned and totally outdated dumbphone user I am very happy that they have the SMS option as well 

Bella,

Yes, forums are for making comments. But, there is an implicit (sometimes explicit) expectation to stay on topic. Your comment was simply not relevant.

If we were in a desert, and I said "There's a new oasis nearby" and you said "There's been drinking water in Germany for 1000 years!" that wouldn't change the fact that a new oasis was available *here*, not to mention that whatever water Germany has, doesn't quench my thirst here and now. 

Your comment *sounded* like it was relevant because it's about varying ways to pay for public transportation. But, since an app for _some_ public transportation systems Germany doesn't pay for TPG, it falls on deaf ears.

Oh my gosh, i cannot believe you just keep going on and on and on about it..

I'll rest my case....and next time i will double check who's topic i'm answering to before i say something so  'unacceptable irrelevant'.

....and you know what? I dont even take the bus because I have a car. Should have shut my mouth directly from the beginning.

Have a pleasant evening yourself.

I must say this discussion is getting interesting - please wait until I get my popcorn ready

Oh!!! but they increаsed price for the 3 stops???!!! befoure it was only 2chf!!

Olti, yes, they changed the prices for short trips, but that change was made at least a year ago. They also changed the ticket's validity from 90 minutes to only 60 minutes. Boo hiss. 

Hi all,

To Olti & Zonker: I don't know where you saw a raise in the "Saut de puce" fares, but I still see them at 2 CHF on the TPG website. This is the same price as when introduced in 2005 to soften the zone fare system!

On the other hand, they are still not available through the 788 SMS. The tpg2 code is for "Tout Genève" at "Tarif réduit", not "Saut de puce".

I hope this helps.

David,

I live at the Grand Saconnex Place bus stop and not infrequently go to/from the airport (Burger King, late-night/Sunday Migros, etc.), which is only three stops, therefore qualifies as Saut de Puce.

Looking at my records (insert snide comment here), I see that I paid 2.50 on several occasions for this trip, as recently as 06 Dec 2013. (I don't have the half-price card, so I wouldn't qualify for that.)

That being said, I just now checked the ticket machine at GSP and it is indeed 2.00. I wonder if TPG or the machine programmers made a mistake at some point and then repaired it?

Olti, do you have a recent Saut de Puce ticket that's *not* 2.00 CHF?

I live at the Grand Saconnex Place bus stop (...)

I hope the nights are not too cold.

;)

May I just politely remind everyone to stay on-topic please.

This topic is about the awesomeness of the possibility to buy TPG tickets by SMS since february.

The price of a Saut de Puce ticket is completely irrelevant here since it's not even a option.

just sayin. 

Guys and gals I am truly jealous of some of you, who seems to have unlimited time wondering around glocals forum !!

Thanks Zonker for the info.

Bella,

Wow, you just keep digging in your heels, don't you? Snide remarks are hard to be taken or given politely, you got the topic wrong, and you must have a different understanding of "completely"  or "(ir)relevant" because while we are talking about TPG (en gros) and this service (en particulier), saying something about Saut de Puce is extremely relevant.

relevant - adj - closely connected or appropriate to the matter at hand.

There's off-topic and then there's *off*-topic. Surely you are capable of making this distinction, no? Or must it be pointed out to you? Oh, wait, are you trying to be witty, make a clever riposte?

As with *any* informal conversation, one starts with a topic and then might very naturally stray to something slightly different. In this thread, we started talking about a new service for the TPG and now the topic has moved *all the way over to* a question about some prices for the TPG. (See how that's still pretty relevant?) Someone even had the audacity to mention a TPG monthly pass, that this service only works for Zone 10 (wait, that's on-topic), that it only works from Swiss cells and that you might need to activate the SMS payment service for it to work.

These are easily considered on-topic or close enough and people are still continuing to ask questions and still others are helpfully answering.

I still don't see how mentioning the already existing system in Germany is in any way germaine to this converstion.

Yes Bella Stella ! you've won ! Big claps for you !!!

Just ignore it Zonka...it might just go away..tho I doubt it.

Well, in some sense it was, as this led me to point out that there also is a TPG smartphone app in addition to the SMS service. Some people may prefer to use that instead.

Still I don't quite get why certain people rant about something without a) having a clue of the details and b) even using it. But that's actually a pretty common phenomenon and not at all restricted to this particular discussion. 

I'd say anyone who wishes to keep this going, head on over to here to let it out:

http://www.glocals.com/forums/general/The-Argument-Thread---for-all-you-angry-argumentative-misunderstood-people-203264.htm

I have a corporate mobile contract therefore assumethat I can't use it for paying my public transport tickets. Have just checked the app - unfortunately it also works through sms. Any ideas what one can do in such cases instead of bying the private phone for the TPG ickets?

@Lida: I'm afraid you need to have a Swiss mobile phone number to use this feature.

Otherwise, you have to buy the ticket at the vending machine and in this case I recommend you use the TPG prepaid cards (20, 30, or 50 CHF) that you can purchase at any newsagent. 

The nice thing about these prepaid cards is that they allow you to buy one last trip ticket with any credit residue: for instance with a 20 CHF card you can buy two daily tickets and two trip tickets (8 + 8 + 3.50 = 19.50 CHF and another trip ticket with the 0.50 CHF credit residue) so it actually worths 23 CHF of tickets value.

Furthermore, you can return 200 CHF of empty cards to any TPG agency to get a 20 CHF bonus (that you can use to buy a card or a subscription).

This is something that not everybody knows and that gives you a nice 25% overvalue over the price of the tickets.

However, if you travel by public transport at least two days a week I strongly recommend that you get a monthly subscription for 70 CHF that saves you all the hassle to buy tickets at the vending machines (often out of order).

@OmegaMan I knew about the prepaid cards and the 20 CHF bonus for returning used cards, but I didn't know about the "last trip" bonus. That's awesome!

Thank you!

@Lida you would have to ask your employer and ask if you could re-imburse them monthly for any TPG purchases you had made by SMS.