A German App for Free Transit Rides Is Too Popular for Its Own Good

What’s worse: Having to fork out cold-hard cash for a transit ticket, or having to watch a whole bunch of annoying advertisements in exchange for a free ride? A German app launched this month bets that many people would rather go with the second choice.

Called WelectGo, the app allows users in the Düsseldorf, Germany, to download a transit token in the form of a QR code that is valid for a single journey worth €2.60 ($2.80). The catch is that users must select and watch four 20-second ads on their smartphone before getting access to the token. The app could prove hugely useful as a one-off service for Düsseldorfers who find themselves caught at a ticket machine without money. But are people really prepared to watch a roll of advertising whenever they want to get on a bus or streetcar?