There are many possible uses for the mobility budget. But once you start looking at mobility apps on the market, you can quickly lose track of them all. Which mobility services and means of transport can I use in my city? Which providers are there? How much does the service cost me and is it worth it at all?
Here are ten apps that will help you and your employees get the most out of your mobility budget and that together cover a whole range of daily mobility.
Everyone has probably seen the eye-catching turquoise e-scooters in the city. TIER is probably one of the best-known sharing providers of micromobility, i.e. getting around with electrically powered and non-powered micro and light vehicles such as (e-)bikes and e-scooters. TIER offers easy and emission-free use of e-scooters and e-bikes and is active with its services in over 400 cities in 21 countries in Europe and the Middle East.
Get a TIER with your mobility budget.
Nextbike is probably the best known and most widespread bike rental system in Germany and is available under different brandings - often in partnership with local public transport companies and municipal utilities - in 300+ cities in over 20 countries. Most recently, nextbike has become a brand of TIER Mobility SE. Nevertheless, you can still rent the bikes conveniently in all cities via the nextbike app. Depending on the city, nextbike also offers e-bikes, cargo bikes and bikes with child seats in addition to the classic bikes. Find out more on the nextbike website.
Here you can register for free with nextbike.
You may have noticed the bikes with the distinctive blue front tyres. These are the bikes from Swapfiets, a Dutch (where else?) provider of bike subscriptions. This means that for a fixed monthly fee you get a Swapfiets bike with service and delivery included. There are four different bike models to choose from, including two e-bike models.
There are two possible subscription options: the 6-month membership and the monthly membership. With the monthly membership, you pay a one-time registration fee and can cancel at any time. With the 6-month membership, the registration fee is waived and after the first six months you can cancel for free at any time.
Swapfiets offers its subscriptions in 56 cities in 8 European countries (including Germany).
Learn more about Swapfiets.
Bike subscriptions are becoming more and more popular in big cities. The provider Dance goes one step further and offers not only all-in-one subscriptions for e-bikes but also for e-mopeds. With Dance, repairs and insurance are included and the bikes or mopeds are delivered directly to your door. The Dance offer is currently limited to the five cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Vienna and Paris.
Try Dance now.
Uber is probably the best-known ride-hailing service worldwide and has become an alternative to taxis in many cities. With the Uber app, you order a ride at the touch of a button and can conveniently compare prices for different ride options and vehicle sizes. The app is available in over 10,000 cities and at 700 airports worldwide and is therefore particularly suitable for employees who are travelling abroad on business.
Find out more about Uber here.
Do you live in a big city without a car, but need one now and then, for example to do a big shopping trip or to go to the furniture store? Car sharing is the answer. With car sharing, you can use free-floating vehicles flexibly and spontaneously at minute, hourly or daily rates without owning a car. Using the SHARE NOW app, you can find the nearest vehicle in no time, rent it and drive off.
SHARE NOW Carsharing is available in the seven largest cities in Germany (and Münster!). In addition, you can use SHARE NOW in nine other European cities, including Vienna, Milan and Madrid. Depending on the city, electric cars are also available.
Discover the SHARE NOW car sharing service.
If, on the other hand, you want to own a car but don't want to tie yourself down to one for the long term, car subscriptions are an interesting option. Car subscriptions have several advantages over leasing. While leasing contracts usually run for 36 months, you can take out a car subscription for as little as one, three or six months, depending on the provider. The monthly flat rate of the car subscription includes all ancillary costs; only fuel and electricity have to be paid for by the user.
One provider where a car subscription can be taken out in just a few minutes is FINN Auto. At FINN, you can choose the car of your choice from 12 car brands and opt for one of the predefined terms of 3, 6, 12 or 13 months. The car is delivered directly to your door.
Find out more about car subscriptions from FINN.
Instead of searching online for the cheapest fuel, you can use the PACE Drive app to compare fuel prices in your area and use the filter function to find the petrol station that offers exactly what you are looking for. You can easily add your mobility budget card as a payment option in the app and use it to pay for your fuel fill-up directly at the pump without any additional fees or obligations.
More information about the PACE Drive app.
Another provider for mobile payment at petrol stations is ryd. With the ryd pay app, you can compare current fuel prices and simply fill up your tank and pay in the app in three steps. Ryd works throughout Germany at petrol stations where payment can be made via the app and at no additional cost.
Click here for the ryd pay app.
For rail travellers, there is the free Omio app, with which users can access connections from around 800 transport companies within Europe. In addition to Deutsche Bahn, these include Flixtrain, ÖBB, SNCF and Eurostar. Tickets can be booked directly via the app. If you can't find a train connection, bus or flight routes are displayed as an alternative.
Find out how to travel with Omio.
