Danish consumer watchdog reports travel card company to police over misleading marketing

The Danish Consumer Ombudsman has filed a police report against Rejsekort og Rejseplan A/S, the company behind Denmark’s national travel card system, accusing it of misleading consumers during the phase-out of physical travel cards.

In a statement published Tuesday, the ombudsman alleged the company’s marketing campaign falsely implied that passengers had to switch to a digital ticketing app to continue using public transport. The campaign failed to clearly communicate that non-digital alternatives would remain available, according to the watchdog.

Consumer Ombudsman Torben Jensen stated that the company “provided some information while omitting other essential details—to influence consumer behavior, in this case pushing them toward an app instead of a physical travel card.”

The ombudsman cited the scale of the campaign—spanning social media, billboards, station displays, and check-in terminals—as an “aggravating circumstance,” particularly given its impact on a fundamental service like public transport payment. Thirty-five consumers formally complained about the marketing.

Under Danish marketing law, businesses are prohibited from misleading consumers through either false statements or critical omissions. The ombudsman’s examples included campaign materials that did not disclose the continued existence of non-digital options.

Rejsekort og Rejseplan A/S has denied the allegations, maintaining its marketing was not misleading. The company’s travel card app previously faced criticism for requiring constant location access, a policy later revised.