Redeem BahnBonus Points for ICE Tickets: Step by Step

BahnBonus in 60 seconds: two kinds of points

BahnBonus is Deutsche Bahn's free loyalty programme. Once you have registered and you buy your tickets while logged in, points are credited to your account automatically — you earn 1 point for every €1 you spend on DB tickets. There is no card to swipe and nothing extra to pay: collecting points is simply a by-product of booking your usual ICE, IC or regional journeys.

The part that confuses many newcomers is that you actually collect two different kinds of points at the same time:

• Prämienpunkte (reward points): these are the points you can spend. You exchange them for free tickets, seat reservations, upgrades and other rewards.
• Statuspunkte (status points): these you cannot spend at all. They measure how much you travel and set your BahnBonus status level (Silver, Gold or Platinum), which comes with extra perks.

Both balances grow in parallel with every ticket you buy — €1 spent means 1 reward point and 1 status point. Below you will learn how to spend the reward points, how to check both balances and how to make sure no points go to waste.

What your points are worth

Reward points are most valuable when you turn them into travel. As a rule of thumb, they go a long way on the fixed-price rewards in the BahnBonus catalogue. Typical examples:

• Seat reservation — from 250 points. Very handy on busy ICE routes on a Friday afternoon, when the good seats disappear fast.
• Regional day ticket (for example the Bayern-Ticket) — from 500 points. A full day of regional travel for zero euros.
• Free second-class ticket (Freifahrt) — from 1,000 points. A free journey on a route of your choice within Germany — this is the reward most people save up for.
• First-class upgrades and BahnCard discounts. Points can also upgrade an existing booking to first class or get you money off a BahnCard.

Rewards and point prices change from time to time, so always check the current rewards catalogue in the DB Navigator app or on bahn.de before you plan a redemption.

A simple strategy that saves real money: spend your points on journeys that would be expensive in cash — a last-minute ICE trip across Germany, for example — and pay cash for the cheap advance fares (Sparpreise) instead, which earn you fresh points. That way, every point stretches as far as it can.

How to redeem BahnBonus points in the DB Navigator app — step by step

The app is the easiest way to redeem, because your points, your bookings and your tickets all live in one place:

1. Log in. Open the DB Navigator app and sign in with the account you registered for BahnBonus. If you have only collected points with a physical BahnBonus card so far, link it to your account first.
2. Open the BahnBonus area. Tap your profile icon and choose BahnBonus. Your reward-point balance is shown at the top, next to your status points.
3. Pick your reward. Browse the rewards catalogue and select what you want — for most people that is the free ticket (Freifahrt) or a seat reservation.
4. Book with points. For a free ticket, search for your connection as normal. During the booking, select the reward ticket and confirm that you want to pay with points instead of money.
5. Travel. The ticket is saved in the app under your bookings, just like a paid ticket — simply show it to the conductor as usual.

For rewards that are not tickets, such as a BahnCard discount, the app generates a voucher code instead, which you enter during checkout when you buy the BahnCard. Seat reservations bought with points work in a similar way — you reserve for one specific train, so have your connection ready before you start.

How to redeem points on bahn.de — step by step

Prefer a big screen? On the website the process works in much the same way:

1. Log in. Sign in at bahn.de (or int.bahn.de for the English version) with your BahnBonus account.
2. Open your BahnBonus area. Click on your name or account and go to the rewards (Prämien) section, where your current balances are displayed.
3. Select a reward. Choose the free ticket, seat reservation or upgrade you would like and confirm that the points should be deducted.
4. Complete the booking. If you picked a free ticket, search for your connection, select the reward fare during the booking and check out — the price is settled in points, not euros.
5. Find your ticket. It appears in your account on the website and also in the DB Navigator app, as long as you use the same login.

One habit worth building: always book while logged in. If you check out as a guest, the points for that journey are not credited automatically and you will have to claim them afterwards (see the last section below).

How to check your BahnBonus points balance

In the app: open DB Navigator, tap the profile icon and go to BahnBonus. Your reward points (Prämienpunkte) and status points (Statuspunkte) are shown side by side, together with your current status level.

On the website: log in at bahn.de and open your account overview. The BahnBonus section shows both balances plus a list of your recent points activity, so you can check that a journey was credited correctly and spot points that are about to expire.

If a balance ever looks lower than you expected, check the age of your oldest points first — reward points do not stay valid forever, which brings us to the next question.

You can also spot-check individual journeys: every booking you make while logged in shows the points earned for that trip in the booking confirmation, and those points should appear in your activity list shortly after you travel.

When do BahnBonus points expire?

Reward points are valid for 3 years. After that, they expire and are removed from your balance — so treating yourself to a free ticket every year or two is a better strategy than hoarding points for a decade.

Status points work differently: they are counted within the calendar year and start again from zero every January. What matters is how many you collect in a single year, because that total sets your status level:

• Silver — from 1,500 status points
• Gold — from 2,500 status points
• Platinum — from 6,000 status points

A higher status means more comfort when you travel: depending on the level, the perks include access to the DB Lounges at major stations, priority customer service and even free drinks on board. Your current level and how far you are from the next one are always visible in your account, right next to your status-point balance. For most expats, though, it is the reward points — not the status — where the real savings are.

Points not credited? How to claim missing points

Occasionally a journey does not show up in your balance. The usual reasons are mundane: you booked while logged out, you bought the ticket at a machine without entering your BahnBonus number, or you travelled on a ticket that someone else booked for you. Points can also go astray when a ticket was bought through an employer or a travel agency rather than your own account.

The good news: you can claim the points afterwards. Log in to your account (in the app or on bahn.de), open the BahnBonus area and use the form for crediting points afterwards. You will need your ticket and its booking or order number, plus the travel date. Enter the details, submit the form, and the points usually appear in your balance within a few days. Keep the ticket or booking confirmation until the points show up — without proof of the journey, a claim is hard to make. And do not wait too long: the sooner you claim after travelling, the easier it is to sort out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I use my BahnBonus points?
Log in to the DB Navigator app or bahn.de, open the BahnBonus rewards area and choose a reward — for example a free ticket from 1,000 points. Ticket rewards are applied during booking: you search for your connection and pay with points instead of money at checkout.

How many points do I need for a free ticket?
A free second-class ticket (Freifahrt) starts at 1,000 reward points. Smaller rewards cost less — a seat reservation starts at 250 points and a regional day ticket at 500 points. Check the current rewards catalogue in the app before you redeem, as point prices can change.

Do BahnBonus points expire?
Yes. Reward points are valid for 3 years and then expire. Status points are counted per calendar year and reset every January; they decide your status level — Silver from 1,500, Gold from 2,500 and Platinum from 6,000 status points.

Can I redeem points for someone else?
Your points and rewards are personal and cannot be transferred to another person's account. However, a free ticket booked with your points can be issued in a travel companion's name, so you can treat someone else to a journey with your points.

What's the difference between reward points and status points?
You earn both at the same time — 1 of each for every €1 you spend. Reward points (Prämienpunkte) are the ones you spend on free tickets, reservations and other rewards. Status points (Statuspunkte) cannot be spent; they set your status level and unlock perks such as lounge access and priority service.

Can I convert BahnBonus points to cash?
No. BahnBonus points have no cash value and cannot be paid out or exchanged for money. They can only be used within the BahnBonus programme, for rewards such as free tickets, seat reservations, upgrades and BahnCard discounts.