The City Card Augsburg is a showcase of the possibilities of the LEGIC technology platform. With the swa KAROCARD Stadtwerke Augsburg (swa; energy, water and public transport supplier) put in place an innovative project which enables various partners to work together on one card.
The City Card Augsburg is a showcase of the possibilities of the
LEGIC technology platform. With the swa KAROCARD Stadtwerke Augsburg (swa; energy, water and public transport supplier) put in place an innovative project which enables various partners to work together on one card. Today, citizens of Augsburg are able to use their card for public transportation, for paying food in the football station, to rent a bike, charge electrical vehicles and to take advantage of bargains in shops.
Augsburg is the second oldest town in Germany and as such has spawned a host of important characters who have made history in a variety of fields. Jakob Fugger, Leopold Mozart, Bert Brecht and Rudolf Diesel changed the world with their creative power and inventive genius. Although the Augsburg City Card provided by Stadtwerke Augsburg (swa) is not changing the world, its inventiveness and exemplarity cannot be denied. The swa has always been one for innovation: the first bus fleet in Germany to operate fully on organic natural gas, one of the biggest district heating networks, a model in the protection of natural drinking water and, of course, the Augsburg City Card concept.
Energy, drinking water & transport
As the third-largest communal utility company in Bavaria, the well-being of the town’s citizens is of the utmost importance to the 1800 employees of swa. It supplies around 350,000 people with power, drinking water and transport services around the clock.
Win-win-win with the City Card Augsburg
With the Augsburg City Card, the company is pursuing an innovation that is unique in Germany or even Europe. The multiple applications of the KAROCARD, which also allows other institutions to be connected, are a win-win-win situation for all participants. The KAROCARD – the free customer card of Stadtwerke Augsburg – combines five functions in one card: advantages card, payment card, electronic ticket, bike hire and electric mobility. The KAROCARD has been successfully used as an advantages card in the region since 2003. Since 2008 it has been equipped with the LEGIC smartcard IC ATC 2048 (trade partner function and eTicket). In 2009, the KAROpay payment function was subsequently enabled. Then, in 2010, the eCharging station and bike hire functions were added. Around 91,500 people now use KAROCARD actively.
The advantages card segment (trade partner segment)
Ideal for bargain hunters: around 2000 swa trade partners offer advantages upon presentation of the KAROCARD. This may be for shopping, leisure activities or different public facilities.
Ticketing for the local public transport system
Always on the move: Public transport subscriptions are stored on the KAROCARD, which can then be used as an eTicket for the buses and tramways.
The cashless payment segment (SWA-Clearingsystem)
Light on the purse: As a cashless payment system, the KAROCARD can be used to buy snacks and drinks in the SGL Arena (FC Augsburg football stadium). With the PREpaid function, the card can be simply charged up.
Electric mobility and bike hire
Modern mobility: With Stadtwerke Augsburg’s multi-application card, electric cars, scooters and bikes can be charged up at charging stations. KAROCARD holders can also hire bikes.
In the future
The swa is working on additional innovations for service-oriented customer loyalty with the KAROCARD, as well as on other projects in the communal, public and sport fields. In particular, alongside the PREpaid use, which is to be further developed, the POSTpaid use of the cashless payment system is another area of focus. At the request of its premium customers, the swa will also provide the KAROCARD with the POSTpaid function, on which the customer’s account is identified. At the end of a determined accounting period, an invoice will be established detailing the accrued uses.
Jürgen Weidenbacher, Process and Applications Manager, Stadtwerke Augsburg Energie commented, "We have the possibility of a multi-application solution thanks to LEGIC advant. Our swa KAROCARD customer card is versatile yet independent. With LEGIC, we have the right partner. Our customers appreciate it."