Frequently Asked Questions

Register easily and for free via app or website. Bikes can be rented via the nextbike app or the hotline.

If you have returned a bike improperly, you can avert the usual fee of 20 € by renting the bike again and returning it properly. The successive rentals of the same bike are merged.

This means that the final rental period is calculated from the start time of the first rental and the return time of the second rental. The break between the two rentals is then also added to the rental time. The 20€ fine will be waved.

You can reach the RVK e-Bike customer service at +49 (0) 30 69205046, kundenservice@nextbike.de or via App Support function.

A service fee of at least 20 € will be charged if a bike is returned outside a flex zone or an official station.

It does not matter if the bike has already been rented outside the flex zone or off a station. The service fee of the previous user does not cover the misconduct of the next user.

Please contact our customer service by app, hotline or email to correct any miscalculations. Please provide us with all necessary information about the rental / tariff / customer account in order to be able to understand the case. Our customer service can be contacted via app under support, via the hotline stated in the footer of the system’s website or via kundenservice@nextbike.de.

Depending on the system, the bikes can be returned at official stations or within a flex zone on any public road. On the location map in your nextbike app you can easily see where the next station is or where the flex zone ends.

You can find out whether the system has a flex zone or only stations on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Bikes may only be returned in the system in which they were rented. Cross-city returns are only possible in VRNnextbike, metropolradruhr and RVK e-Bike and is communicated on the respective website of the scheme.

E-bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it.

KVB-Rad Cologne: In Cologne, you can check the small lamp at the rear of the bike before returning it. If it flashes green before the return, the bike can be returned in this area. If it flashes red, the bike is outside the flex zone and away from stations. Returning the bike here is not allowed.

The return process differs depending on the bike type and system type.

Place the bike at an official station or – if available – within the flex zone of the respective system and lock it.

E-bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it.

Framelock:
If the bike has a frame lock, close the lock. The bike is automatically returned.

BikeComputer:
If the bike has a BikeComputer and a fork lock, close the lock and confirm the return on the BikeComputer by pressing ‘OK’.

Station with Smartdocks:
If you return your bike to a station with Smartdocks, push it into the dock. A beep confirms the return. If the station is full, place the bike next to it, lock it and return the it via app, hotline* or terminal.

Combination lock:
If the bike has a combination lock, return it via the app by specifying the location.

In all cases, use an app to check whether the return was successful and inform customer service immediately if this is not the case.

The specific systems’ websites for each city explain how the rental works in this city. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

* Bikes with framelocks cannot be returned via hotline.

To activate your customer account, you need to add a payment method to your customer account. We will deposit a credit of 1 € to verify your payment method. This is not a fee but will be available on your account as rental credit. All available payment methods are listed in the app.

After successful debiting your customer account will be activated immediately. Only if you make a bank transfer, your account will be activated after two to four days, depending on the bank.

Please note that your PayPal account must be verified. More information can be found on PayPal.

Nextbike is available in over 300 cities worldwide, including Berlin, Warsaw, Budapest, Glasgow and Riga. Use the location search.

First check whether a spoke is blocking the lock by turning the rear wheel slightly. Then open the active rental in your app and click on ‘open lock’. Unlocking will be initiated again.

If the frame lock does not open even after another attempt to open it via the app, our system automatically detects this after three minutes and cancels the rental. No costs will apply. Please check the cancellation in your app and contact our customer service if it is still active after three minutes. Don’t worry about possible charges if our customer service can’t deal with your case right away. No charges apply as long as you tried to contact them right away.

You can sign up via the website, app or at the terminal. Depending on the city, not all registration channels may be available. Information on registration can be found on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

To verify your payment method and to activate your account, your bank account will be debited with 1 €. However, this is not a registration fee, but can be used as your starting credit.

To activate your customer account, you need to add a payment method to your customer account. We will deposit a credit of 1 € to verify your payment method. This is not a fee but will be available on your account as rental credit. All available payment methods are listed in the app.

After successful debiting your customer account will be activated immediately. Only if you make a bank transfer, your account will be activated after two to four days, depending on the bank.

Please note that your PayPal account must be verified. More information can be found on PayPal.

Your PayPal account is probably not verified. For more information please visit PayPal.

Invoices are available for SEPA direct debit only. You can download your invoices after the end of the respective month in your customer account via the website under “Account status”.

You can easily cancel your account in your customer account via login on our website. Log in and click on “Close account”. Remaining credit will be automatically refunded.

Alternatively you can send us your cancellation by e-mail to kundenservice@nextbike.de or by post (address to be found in the website footer).

You can reach the RVK e-Bike customer service at +49 (0) 30 69205046, kundenservice@nextbike.de or via App Support function.

If your account goes into the red because open sums cannot be debited, your account will be temporarily deactivated until the open sum has been paid. Please check if you have a valid means of payment.

Please contact our customer service by app, hotline or email to correct any miscalculations. Please provide us with all necessary information about the rental / tariff / customer account in order to be able to understand the case. Our customer service can be contacted via app under support, via the hotline stated in the footer of the system’s website or via kundenservice@nextbike.de.

Probably open sums could not be debited from your bank account or there is no means of payment deposited. Please check this in your customer account and contact customer service if in doubt.

To change your phone number, please contact our customer service at kundenservice@nextbike.de. Send the email from the email address you use for your account.

If you have returned a bike improperly, you can avert the usual fee of 20 € by renting the bike again and returning it properly. The successive rentals of the same bike are merged.

This means that the final rental period is calculated from the start time of the first rental and the return time of the second rental. The break between the two rentals is then also added to the rental time. The 20€ fine will be waved.

If you have specified a credit card as the payment method, the fees for your trips will usually be debited 24 hours after your rental.

With the direct debit payment method, we debit the open fees monthly from your bank account.

You can view your rental history and direct debit invoices in your customer account at any time. Log in via the website. Please note that invoices are only available after the end of the month.

A service fee of at least 20 € will be charged if a bike is returned outside a flex zone or an official station.

It does not matter if the bike has already been rented outside the flex zone or off a station. The service fee of the previous user does not cover the misconduct of the next user.

With a nextbike account you can use almost all nextbike affiliated bike sharing systems worldwide. However, for some systems a separate registration in the respective system is necessary. This applies to the MVG-Rad Munich, VAG_Rad Nuremberg, Mol Bubi Budapest / Hungary, Sitycleta / Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Bilbaobizi in Bilbao / Spain. In some systems, bikes can be rented without re-registration, but only via the local app. This applies to Veturilo Warsaw / Poland, among others.

Defects can easily be reported via the support function in our app. Please check the bike for obvious defects before starting your journey or before renting it and inform us of any damage so that the bikes can be locked and repaired as quickly as possible. If you went off with a bike and only then notice a defect, end your ride and call our service. Only then can we cancel the ride and register the bike for repair.

Unfortunately, we cannot refund any fees if you have continued using the bike despite obvious defects.

All stations are marked on the map in the app or on the website with large markers (the small markers mark individual bikes). In some cities there are also station signs, terminals or bicycle stands at the marked places.

If you return your bike without permission, a service fee of at least 20 € will be charged. More information about service charges can be found on the respective website of the system.

Yes, you can.

If the bike has a combination lock, you can simply close it and reopen it with the lock code. If the bike has a BikeComputer and a fork lock, activate the park mode. To do so, briefly touch the BikeComputer to wake it up, then press the ‘P’ button, close the fork lock and confirm the park mode again with P’. To continue cycling, enter the lock code again into the BikeComputer and press ‘OK’.

If the bike has a frame lock, you activate the park mode in the app and then close the lock (attention: If you close the lock before the park mode has been activated, the bike will be returned immediately). To continue cycling, end the park mode in the app and the lock will open automatically. Never end the park mode from afar.

The rental stays active during the park mode and will be charged as usual.

The bike can only be returned in the city where you rented it, otherwise a return fee applies. Exceptions are the interconnected systems. Return regulations are communicated on the respective website of the system, which can be found via location search.

Depending on the system, the bikes can be returned at official stations or within a flex zone on any public road. On the location map in your nextbike app you can easily see where the next station is or where the flex zone ends.

You can find out whether the system has a flex zone or only stations on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Bikes may only be returned in the system in which they were rented. Cross-city returns are only possible in VRNnextbike, metropolradruhr and RVK e-Bike and is communicated on the respective website of the scheme.

E-bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it.

KVB-Rad Cologne: In Cologne, you can check the small lamp at the rear of the bike before returning it. If it flashes green before the return, the bike can be returned in this area. If it flashes red, the bike is outside the flex zone and away from stations. Returning the bike here is not allowed.

The return process differs depending on the bike type and system type.

Place the bike at an official station or – if available – within the flex zone of the respective system and lock it.

E-bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it.

Framelock:
If the bike has a frame lock, close the lock. The bike is automatically returned.

BikeComputer:
If the bike has a BikeComputer and a fork lock, close the lock and confirm the return on the BikeComputer by pressing ‘OK’.

Station with Smartdocks:
If you return your bike to a station with Smartdocks, push it into the dock. A beep confirms the return. If the station is full, place the bike next to it, lock it and return the it via app, hotline* or terminal.

Combination lock:
If the bike has a combination lock, return it via the app by specifying the location.

In all cases, use an app to check whether the return was successful and inform customer service immediately if this is not the case.

The specific systems’ websites for each city explain how the rental works in this city. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

* Bikes with framelocks cannot be returned via hotline.

Please report failed returns immediately to our customer service via app support or the hotline and have the bike number, the parking location and the actual use time ready. Our customer service can be contacted via app under support or via the hotline stated in the footer of the system’s website.

Don’t worry about possible charges if our customer service can’t deal with your case right away. No charges apply as long as you tried to contact them right away.

If the station does not have fixed bicycle racks, the bike will be locked to itself.

As a general rule, nobody should be hindered by the parked bike.

Please note the following:

The bike may not be parked or returned:
a) at traffic lights
b) parking ticket machines or parking meters
c) at road signs
d) on sidewalks, if this results in a passage width of less than 1.50 m
e) in front of, at and on escape routes and firefighter access zones
f) where this conceals the stationary advertising of a third party
g) by locking to fences of private or public houses and establishments
h) on public transport platforms and bus platforms
i) at public bicycle racks

In case of contravention we reserve the right to charge a service fee.

If a terminal is out of order, you can still rent and return bikes at the respective station via the app or our hotline. Please inform our service by app, phone or email about the defect so that we can fix it quickly.

A flex zone is a defined area, usually in the city centre, where the bikes can be flexibly returned on any public road. It is colour-coded on the map in the app and on the website. Bicolor flex zones contain of blue marked streets, on which the return is possible without a surcharge, and pink zones, in which the return is possible for a €1 surcharge. Whether a city has a flex zone can be read on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Please always return your bike so that it is clearly visible to other users, does not obstruct anyone, and keeps paths and exits clear. Parking on private grounds, in green areas or in backyards is generally prohibited. Please lock the bike to itself and do not use public bicycle racks or the like. You can find more information about returning bicycles in our general terms and conditions.

Yes, bikes can alternatively be rented via the hotline. If the local system has terminals or BikeComputers, these can also be used for rental and return.

You can rent up to four bikes at a time using one customer account. Booked tariffs and special conditions usually only apply to the first bike.

Register easily and for free via app or website. Bikes can be rented via the nextbike app or the hotline.

If you have returned a bike improperly, you can avert the usual fee of 20 € by renting the bike again and returning it properly. The successive rentals of the same bike are merged.

This means that the final rental period is calculated from the start time of the first rental and the return time of the second rental. The break between the two rentals is then also added to the rental time. The 20€ fine will be waved.

A service fee of at least 20 € will be charged if a bike is returned outside a flex zone or an official station.

It does not matter if the bike has already been rented outside the flex zone or off a station. The service fee of the previous user does not cover the misconduct of the next user.

First check whether a spoke is blocking the lock by turning the rear wheel slightly. Then open the active rental in your app and click on ‘open lock’. Unlocking will be initiated again.

If the frame lock does not open even after another attempt to open it via the app, our system automatically detects this after three minutes and cancels the rental. No costs will apply. Please check the cancellation in your app and contact our customer service if it is still active after three minutes. Don’t worry about possible charges if our customer service can’t deal with your case right away. No charges apply as long as you tried to contact them right away.

The maximum load of our bikes and e-bikes is 100 kg, of which a maximum of 5 kg may be transported in the basket.

Find the information about the maximum load for cargobikes on the stickers on the transport boxes.

As a rule, nextbike and its subbrands like RVK e-Bike do not offer any accessories. Exception: At the PLUS stations on the island of Usedom you can rent children’s bikes, helmets and trailers. Veturilo Warsaw also has children’s bikes and tandems.

nextbike has several bike types, but usually in one city only one bike type is used. You can differentiate between bikes with high or low access and bikes with lock type. Bikes can have combination locks, fork locks on the front fork or frame locks on the rear wheel. Pedelecs and cargo bikes are also used in some cities. As an exception, Usedom has children’s bikes, Veturilo Warsaw also has children’s bikes and tandems.

In cities, that offer several bike types, you can use the filter in your app to search for a specific bike type.

You can find out which bikes are available on the system’s website. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

(Our ebike product is in fact a so-called pedelec. This is a bike with limited motor assistance, which is switched on when pedaling. Legally, there is no difference between a pedelec and a pedal bike. Helmets and driver’s licenses are not required.)

Depending on the system, available tariffs and prices may differ. Usually, we offer a monthly and annual rate in addition to the basic rate. In many cities, there are also special conditions for public transport subscribers and students. Which tariffs are available, can be read on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Our monthly tariffs usually prolong automatically and can be cancelled any time via app. Annual rates do not prolong automatically (in Germany).

Tariffs usually apply only to the first bike, should several bikes be rented at the same time. You can also find information about this on the website of the respective system.

Tariffs that don’t prolong automatically do not have to be cancelled. Tariffs with automatic renewal can be cancelled in the app.

Normally, the first 30 minutes per rental are included. Each additional half hour is charged at the basic rate. The free minutes are normally only valid for the first bike if several bikes are rented at the same time. The area of validity of the tariffs may vary. The annual rate is usually only valid in the city in which it was booked, the monthly rate is valid throughout Germany (except for WK-Bike Bremen, OLi-Bike Oldenburg, Usedomrad and VAG_Rad Nuremberg). Prices, area of validity and information about the possible automatic extension of the tariffs can be found on the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Link a partner in your app under ‘Wallet’. Unless stated otherwise, special conditions through partner cooperations apply only in the respective city or in the respective network system. Furthermore, the discount only applies to the first bike if several bikes are rented in parallel. Detailed conditions can be found on the pricing, CAMPUSbike or partner page of the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

Links to partners in order to take advantage of special conditions can either be made via the partner selection in the customer account or by registering with a specific email address, such as the university email address or a work email address. How exactly a link is made can be read on the pricing, CAMPUSbike or partner page of the respective website of the system. If you don’t know the system’s website, please use the location search.

We cooperate with many universities and high schools via CAMPUSbike in order to provide students with a free ride contingent. This information can be found on the website of the respective system under CAMPUSbike. If there is no CAMPUSbike page, there is also no cooperation with local universities.