The application forms for Half Fare card with or without VISA are not the same. However, the application forms are the same for Half Fare with CREDIT or PREPAID VISA.

For the Half Fare card without VISA they only need to know from which date you want it to be active and to which adress they should send the card.

From http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/en/reisemarkt/...stellung.htm?=

"You should order your Half-Fare Card about 10 days before you want to use it. We will require a good-quality passport photograph (photobase paper), which we will digitise and store on our system for 10 years (5 years for under 25 year-olds) for ticketing purposes only. If you decide to extend your Half-Fare Card after it has expired, we will automatically use the photograph stored on our system for the new Card.

You receive the Half-Fare Card and in the practical credit card format by mail within 10 days. If you need it sooner than that, we issue a card for the transition period, so that you can profit from half fares without delay.

Please pay your Half-Fare Card when you order it. Apart from cash, we accept all current credit cards and "Postcard"

Half-Fare Cards that are no longer valid, can be left at the station to be recycled."

A VERY IMPORTANT SENTENCE IS MISSING IN THE ENGLISH VERSION:

from the German version of the web page: Wenn Sie Ihr Halbtax-Abo bestellen, bringen Sie bitte auch einen Pass oder eine Identitätskarte mit.
from the French version of the web page: Lorsque vous commandez votre abo demi-tarif, présentez également au guichet votre passeport ou votre carte d’identité.

This sentence is unfortunately missing in the English version of the web page but it clearly says that passport is enough for buying the standard Half Fare card (without VISA).