Frequently Asked Questions

You want to learn more? Find the most frequent questions about VélO2 and nextbike here.

Classics

How does nextbike work?

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

How can I contact the customer service?

You can reach the nextbike customer service at 0 18 585 1431, velo2@nextbike.com or via App Support function.

I have discovered an incorrect debit in my customer account, what can I do?

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 velo2@nextbike.com.

How do I return my nextbike bike?

Place the bike at an official VélO2-station and close the lock.

All bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it and close the lock. Please note that the frame lock must also be closed.

The rental stops automatically. Check your app whether the return was succesfull.

How do I return my nextbike bike?

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.

In which cities is nextbike available?

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

The frame lock does not open. What shall I do?

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.

Where can I return my bike?

Bikes have to be returned to VélO2-stations in Cergy-Pontoise, Courdimanche, Eragny, Jouy-le-Moutier, Menucourt, Neuville-sur-Oise, Osny, Pontoise, Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône or Vauréal. Please note that in the event of repeated incorrect returns, your account may be temporarily or permanently closed.

Registration

How can I register?

You can sign up via the website or  app.

How do I activate my customer account?

To activate your customer account, you must add a payment method to your customer account and purchase a subscription. Bicycles can only be rented once payment has been successfully completed and you have a valid subscription.

Customer account

When will I receive my invoices?

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”.

How can I cancel my account and what happens to my remaining balance?

You can cancel your account in your settings in the app or by logging in to our website.

Alternatively, you can send us your cancellation by email to velo2@nextbike.com or by post (address in the website footer).

Any remaining credit will be refunded. Exceptions to this are usually travel credit acquired through loyalty programs or similar. This is not payable.

How do I pay for nextbike, how is billing done and where can I retrieve the invoices for my trips?

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.

I have discovered an incorrect debit in my customer account, what can I do?

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 velo2@nextbike.com.

How do I activate my customer account?

To activate your customer account, you must add a payment method to your customer account and purchase a subscription. Bicycles can only be rented once payment has been successfully completed and you have a valid subscription.

How can I change my phone number?

To change your phone number, please contact our customer service at velo2@nextbike.com. Send the email from the email address you use for your account.

How can I contact the customer service?

You can reach the nextbike customer service at 0 18 585 1431, velo2@nextbike.com or via App Support function.

What happens if my customer account is in the red?

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.

Why was my account deactivated?

There are two possible reasons for this:

  1. It is likely that outstanding amounts could not be debited from your bank account or that no payment method has been stored. Please check this in your customer account and contact customer service if you have any questions. Please also note that you need an active subscription to have an active account and be able to rent bikes.
  2. After three incorrect returns of a bike, your account may be temporarily or permanently blocked. Make sure that your bike has been returned correctly.

Rent, park and return

What do I do if my bike has a defect?

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.

How does nextbike work?

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

The return was not successful. What should I do?

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.

How many times can I rent a bike on the same day?

As many times as you like. Each use of less than 45 minutes is included in the subscription.

Can I rent my bike in one city and return it in another?

Yes, the VélO2 system is available in 10 of the 13 municipalities in the area (Cergy, Courdimanche, Eragny, Jouy-le-Moutier, Menucourt, Neuville-sur-Oise, Osny, Pontoise, Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône, Vauréal). However, the system is not compatible with other bike-sharing systems in other urban areas.

Can I rent nextbike bikes without an app or without an internet-enabled mobile phone?

Yes, bikes can alternatively be rented via the hotline.

Can I pause my ride during the rental?

“Yes, you can.

Pause your ride in the app and then close the lock (attention: If you close the lock before you pause your ride, the bike will be returned immediately). To continue cycling, end the pause mode in the app and the lock will open automatically. Never end the pause mode from afar.

The rental stays active during the pause and will be charged as usual.”

Where can I return my bike?

Bikes have to be returned to VélO2-stations in Cergy-Pontoise, Courdimanche, Eragny, Jouy-le-Moutier, Menucourt, Neuville-sur-Oise, Osny, Pontoise, Saint-Ouen-l’Aumône or Vauréal. Please note that in the event of repeated incorrect returns, your account may be temporarily or permanently closed.

How do I recognize an official station?


This is what individual bikes look like on the map. Depending on the system, they may be different colours. Additional symbols for e-bikes or cargo bikes are possible depending on the system.


This is what stations look like on the map. Depending on the system, they can have different colours. Additional symbols for e-bikes or cargo bikes are possible depending on the system.

How do I return my nextbike bike?

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.

The frame lock does not open. What shall I do?

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.

How long can I rent a bike for?

The maximum allowed rental period is 24h. If you rent a bike for more than 24 hours, this is considered a non-return and the following additional fees apply:

  • mechanical bike: €200
  • electrical bike: €500
Can I rent several bikes parallely with one customer account?

You can rent up only one bike at a time using one customer account.

What happens if I return my bike away from station?

After returning a bike improperly, you will receive a warning. After three improper returns, the customer’s account may be temporarily or permanently blocked, meaning that they will no longer have access to their subscription.

How do I return my nextbike bike?

Place the bike at an official VélO2-station and close the lock.

All bikes have to be pushed into a charging stand. If non is free, place the bike next to it and close the lock. Please note that the frame lock must also be closed.

The rental stops automatically. Check your app whether the return was succesfull.

Our bikes

What is the maximum load of the bikes?

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.

Can I take an electric bike if I have a mechanical bike subscription?

No, if you want to rent an electric bike and already have a mechanical bike subscription, you cannot borrow an electric bike. In this case, you must take out a second electric bike subscription. The two subscriptions can be combined.

Does nextbike offer children’s bikes, helmets and trailers?

As a rule, nextbike and its subbrands like nextbike 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.

What bike types does VélO2 offer?

VélO2 offers classic bikes and e-bikes.

Tariffs and conditions

Can I take an electric bike if I have a mechanical bike subscription?

No, if you want to rent an electric bike and already have a mechanical bike subscription, you cannot borrow an electric bike. In this case, you must take out a second electric bike subscription. The two subscriptions can be combined.

How can I cancel subscriptions?

Subscriptions do not renew automatically and do not need to be canceled. Refunds are not available.

How much does nextbike cost and what tariffs are available?

In order to rent bikes you must book one of the available passes. With every pass the first 45 minutes per rental are included. Afterwards 1 € will be charged for every additional 45 minutes.

You can find all passes under Tariffs.

How can I benefit from special conditions ?

RSA recipients, students and under 26 years old benefit from discounted subscriptions. The conditions and verification process are described in the app (Wallet) or on the website (discount).

Do students receive discounts?

Students benefit from a special offer for a discounted 10-month subscription for the academic year from September to June.