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12.06.2009, 13:52
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vaud
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| | buy tickets online withoutcredit card
Hi all,
I have seen some good train tickets + hotel booking offers in sbb.ch site but since I don't have a credit card, I can't book the same. Can the same be booked from stations or is there some other way in which I can buy these packages?
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12.06.2009, 13:58
|  | Forum Veteran | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Zurich
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| | Re: buy tickets online withoutcredit card
Yes you can. Best is to take a print-out of what you want and just go to the SBB travel office.
Have a good trip | The following 2 users would like to thank Nanda for this useful post: | | 
12.06.2009, 14:20
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vaud
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| | online booking for travels without credit card
Hi all, I don't know if this is the right forum to post this question. Sorry if this is not - but it has something to do with credit cards.
I am an India Passport holder. I am working in Switzerland on a 1 year 'L' Permit. I need to book tickets for flights / hotels / trains for my various travels in Schengen countries. The problem is almost all the websites accept only credit cards and I don't have any. I don't have any India credit card either. I can pay by cash but since Vevey is a very small place, there are not many options for travel-related bookings. In India, I used to book using online banking.
So can please anyone answer the following questions?
1. What would be the best option for me if I need to do any travel-related booking? Will I have to get one credit card? If yes, is it easy to obtain one?
2. Are there are websites which accept online bank transfer? In such a case I would open a bank account.
3. Also please suggest which bank / credit card option would be best for me as I am here only for a year.
Thanks to all in advance.
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12.06.2009, 14:25
|  | Senior Member | | Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Olten
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
I am sorry but without a credit card is gonna be impossible to do an online booking. I have been in the same possition. I was asking som collegues or frineds to pay online with their credit card, and I give the money back to them in cash.
After a whileI got annoying to ask favours all the tima and I ask for a credit card in the bank. Probably the only good thing of the economical crisis is that now is easier to get a card from your bank in Switzerland.
xx
seyon
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12.06.2009, 14:27
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: UK, formerly Basel
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
Swiss airlines will let you pay by postcard from an online booking. I've not tried it, but have seen it advertised on their site several times.
The only other thing to do is to get a prepaid credit card and pay for your tickets that way.
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12.06.2009, 14:43
| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card | Quote: | |  | | | 1. What would be the best option for me if I need to do any travel-related booking? Will I have to get one credit card? If yes, is it easy to obtain one?
3. Also please suggest which bank / credit card option would be best for me as I am here only for a year.
Thanks to all in advance. | | | | | All my life I too managed without a card, I hate complexities of modern life, but because of some conference ralated travel which requires using the card many times, I decided to go for my own card rather than ask my bro this time.
I applied for it around a week back, and got my Swiss post credit card in my mail box today  . Quite straightforward if you have an account, you just fill the form and post it alongwith a copy of your Permit. The website gives you all the details. In short, I think it costs about 50 chf per year, waived if you do more than some 50 transactions in a year. I think you have the options of "auto-payment" wherein the bank moves money from your bank account to settle the amount as and when you use the card, without bothering you.
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12.06.2009, 16:26
|  | Newbie 1st class | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Zurich,Switzerland
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
Ge the prepaid credit card from SBB..You will get it easily..and will get 25 CHF off on your half-fare card as well....I prefer pre-paid credit card because there is more control while spending the money..
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12.06.2009, 16:30
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: zurich switzerland
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
I doubt if they give a credit card to an 'L' permit holder. I may be wrong but thats what I have heard, you need atleast a B permit to be able to apply for a credit card.
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12.06.2009, 16:36
|  | Newbie 1st class | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Zurich,Switzerland
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
Pre-Paid Credit Card they will issue for sure..
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13.06.2009, 21:36
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vaud
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
Hi all, thanks for your replies.
I went through many threads and it seems that it will be difficult to get a credit card as a 'L' permit holder
It seems that the SBB prepaid card will take care of my train bookings.
But is there any card which I can be eligible for and use for online bookings through websites like ebookers, etc.
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13.06.2009, 21:40
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vaud
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| | Re: buy tickets online withoutcredit card
Hi all,
I went through many threads and it seems that it will be difficult to get a credit card as a 'L' permit holder
But is there any card which I can be eligible for and use for online bookings through websites like ebookers, etc.
Alternately, is there any website which lets you book flights/hotels using bank online payments or some other means (except using a credit card)?
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13.06.2009, 21:50
| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card | Quote: | |  | | | I doubt if they give a credit card to an 'L' permit holder. I may be wrong but thats what I have heard, you need atleast a B permit to be able to apply for a credit card. | | | | | Oops, sorry about my earlier incorrect response  . Yes, I now recollect, the application specifically asks for a copy of "B" permit, so I presume L won't do.
I think paypal should work for you? it supports payment thru' bank account, but haven't tried it myself.
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15.06.2009, 11:00
|  | Newbie 1st class | | Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Zurich,Switzerland
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
SBB cards are as good as any VISA credit card and you can use it for all online booking purpose..
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27.06.2009, 19:00
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Vaud
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| | Re: buy tickets online withoutcredit card | Quote: | |  | | | Yes you can. Best is to take a print-out of what you want and just go to the SBB travel office. | | | | | Just want to mention that I did the same at the SBB travel agency - but was in for a shock. I came to know that the ones which can be booked at the counter is very different from the ones which can be booked online
I went with around 5 - 6 options and they said that they could book none of them as they were all online options. I then asked if they had similar packages for which I could pay by cash. They said no. Finally, I had to settle for an entirely different hotel and rate | 
23.03.2011, 20:13
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Lully VD
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card A solution for those people without a credit card and need to purchase / book things on the Internet.
SBB has a special "Internet Cash" pre-pay credit card (via MasterCard) that can be used ONLY for on-line purchases. It is not associated with the half price train pass.
Some details: - Can get it from any SBB change/travel office and use it immediately.
- You need a piece of ID (i.e. passport) to get the card and each time you fill it up.
- No annual fee.
- Charge of 2% (minimum CHF 10) each time to fill it up with cash.
- Each transaction also costs CHF 3.
- They will give you a code so you can consult your balance on-line
The website for more info is www.internetcash.ch
__________________
Do or do not, there is no try(ing). Yoda
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23.03.2011, 20:42
|  | Forum Legend | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Quaint Wädenswil, Zürich, CH
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
The Swiss Bankers InternetCash has been around for a while now: http://www.swissbankers.ch/index.php?id=802&L=3 | Quote: |  | | | Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services Ltd is a center of competence for safe modes of payment for travelers and a reliable service company for Swiss banks.
In 1975, the company known as Swiss Bankers Travelers Cheque Centerwas founded by Switzerland's banks. Today, the successful company has a new legal entity. In 2008, Swiss Bankers became a joint stock company known as Swiss Bankers Prepaid Services Ltd, its shareholders are:
CREDIT SUISSE AG
Association of Swiss Cantonal Banks
Entris Banking AG
Raiffeisen Group
American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
Swiss Bankers Internet Cash
With Swiss Bankers Internet Cash®, paying on the Internet is easy and safe. This prepaid card is available immediately to all and can be reloaded at any time. Load the card with Swiss francs, euros or US dollars and you’ll be able to pay anywhere worldwide on the Internet wherever MasterCard is accepted.
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13.09.2012, 13:59
| Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ZH
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card
The above card costs CHF 45 though annually.
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13.09.2012, 14:20
| Forum Veteran | | Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ZH
Posts: 1,184
Groaned at 15 Times in 13 Posts
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card | Quote: | |  | | | A solution for those people without a credit card and need to purchase / book things on the Internet.
SBB has a special "Internet Cash" pre-pay credit card (via MasterCard) that can be used ONLY for on-line purchases. It is not associated with the half price train pass.
Some details: - Can get it from any SBB change/travel office and use it immediately.
- You need a piece of ID (i.e. passport) to get the card and each time you fill it up.
- No annual fee.
- Charge of 2% (minimum CHF 10) each time to fill it up with cash.
- Each transaction also costs CHF 3.
- They will give you a code so you can consult your balance on-line
The website for more info is www.internetcash.ch | | | | | Website seems to have changed.
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13.09.2012, 14:48
| Junior Member | | Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Lausanne
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| | Re: online booking for travels without credit card | Quote: | |  | | | Website seems to have changed. | | | | | No, it is not. www.internetcash.ch just the link in the post is messes up.
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