Some 2,000 people were able to download and use the new Rejsekort app following its launch on Tuesday for use on Danish buses, trains, Metro and light rails, the Rejsekort company said in a press release.

The app means that, instead of swiping a physical card over sensors to check in and out of journeys, travellers on Danish public transport will now be able to swipe on their phone to activate a valid ticket for their journey.

Using the phone’s tracking function, the app automatically registers whether the journey is by bus, train, Metro or light rail; the start and end stations of the journey; and whether you changed between form of transport during the journey.

This removes the need to check in a second time if switching between bus and train (for example), as is the case with the physical Rejsekort.

It can also check out automatically or remind you to check out, using a “Smark Check-Out” function. This reduces the risk of overpaying a fare because you forgot to check out – a not-uncommon occurrence for users of the regular Rejsekort.

READ ALSO: Denmark’s Rejsekort to be replaced by app

Although the app was launched on Tuesday, the number of people who can use it is limited for the time being.

That is because Rejsekort is rolling it out in a gradual basis, starting with just 2,000 iphone users on Tuesday. This will gradually be increased to 20,000 over the next week or so, Rejsekort customer director Jens Willars confirmed to DR.

You also need to have the MobilePay payment app for Rejsekort to work on your phone during the initial phase. That is because the first version of the app uses MobilePay to pay for the fares incurred on a given day.

Although you may not be able to activate the app on your iphone, you can still download the app and register for an email alert when the next block of activations opens. You will then be able to set up the app to check in for journeys.

The app is also available for download [though not yet for use] on Android phones and will be rolled out to senior citizens later this year and under-18s in 2025, Rejsekort states in the press release.

It is not yet possible to check in a second person, a dog or a bicycle using the app, as can be done with the card. This feature will be added next year.

Although an app is gradually being introduced, passengers will still be able to use Rejsekort as a card, CEO Kasper A. Schmidt said in the statement.

“We know that there is a group of our current Rejsekort customers who for various reasons don’t want to or are unable to use an app. We are developing a new option for them in the form of physical equipment as it is known from the current Rejsekort,” he said in the statement.

“We will not phase-out the physical Rejsekort until we have a good alternative in place for people who can’t use the app,” he said.