![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Poster: A snowHead
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Some resorts give a refund on lift pass cards when you have finished with them, others don't.
I have a selection of lift passes from the resorts that don't refund the 2-5euro 'deposit'.
They are all of the brand 'ski data', with a long serial number starting with 01.... although the cards themselves have the logo of various ski resorts.
Are they rechargeable at different ski resorts - for example would a ski pass from Meribel (from the 2016 ski season) be rechargable in Flaine later this season?
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Yes they are mostly reusable. Go to the online store of your chosen resort and it will tell you whether and which types of cards can be loaded with a ski pass for that resort.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I've got dozens of such, which historically have never worked except at the issuing resort.
In Switzerland a while back you could get a free data card which was supposed to be usable everywhere. Except it wasn't. Not in Engleberg (although TBF their cards are instantly refundable at a machine at the lift station) nor in PdS, at least.
I've always felt it to be a bit of a scam, but I try and help our guests by lending them existing PdS cards that they can recharge and give back at the end of their stay. The 5 Francs/Euros is enough to be significant, but not enough for most people to bother trying to search them out and get them posted. Perhaps we should offer such a service here?
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Sun 29-01-23 13:54; edited 2 times in total
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@tele, almost always yes, as long as it's a proper "hard" keycard and the number is in the right format.
95% of reusable keycards in the Alps are issued by two companies: Skidata (most common) and Axxess (e.g. Portes du Soleil). They're not transferrable between the two systems but usually are between resorts under the same system.
There's a leaflet somewhere online that lists which systems all the French resorts use, but I can't find it now.
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![](templates/subSilver/images/full_size.gif) Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Chaletbeauroc, I got our Les Contamines issued Skidata cards to work in Zermatt.
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Cool. TBF I've never really tried the free ones we got in many places, as when revisiting I've generally already had old cards to use, but the skidata vs. axxess systems seems to make some sense of it.
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I found the list covering (most) French resorts and added a few I already knew about. To summarise (mostly 2019/20 season data):
Axess: Les Arcs, Le Collet d'Allevard, Portes du Soleil, Praz de Lys, Ste-Foy
Alfi: Espace Diamant
DAG: Alpe du Grand Serre
Skidata: Almost all the rest
Chamrousse appears to accept both Axess and Skidata cards!
Beware, sometimes there are inconsistencies where some cards aren't accepted despite being from the same company. Here's an (edited) quote from my 2020 trip to resorts around Grenoble:
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Alpe d'Huez uses Skidata, but specifically prohibits keycards from neighbouring Chamrousse (warning message comes up saying Chamrousse cards not accepted). Our Les Orres cards were also rejected, yet neighbouring Risoul was accepted. All the above ski areas use Skidata. |
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we recharged passes from Les Sybelles and Valmeiner for our holiday in Les Deux Alpes last week - was handy not having to go and pick up passes we just ordered online
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