A total of 1,661 Czech schools and their students currently use the ISIC student card. Compared to 1,525 schools last year, this represents a 9% increase. More than half of these are secondary schools, but usage is also rapidly growing in elementary schools, which now number 728. There are currently 610,056 valid ISIC cards issued in the Czech Republic, a number that continues to rise year after year, with secondary school students again making up the largest share. The Czech Republic leads the world by a wide margin in the number of ISIC cards issued. The same trend applies to ITIC teacher cards, of which 28,816 are currently valid—elementary school teachers make up the largest group.
“Many schools use ISIC cards as official student identification. Most partner schools also use ISIC for building access via chip identification systems, and very often in school cafeterias as well. As for ISIC discounts, according to our recent survey of 2,417 students, the most popular are domestic transportation, restaurants including fast food, and electronics,” said Radek Schich, director of GTS Alive, the company that issues and manages ISIC and ITIC student and teacher cards in the Czech Republic.
The mentioned survey also showed that nearly half of students use their ISIC card several times a month, and almost a third even several times a week. One of the most widely used discounts, according to the results, is at the KFC fast food chain. Students named the 10% discount at Tesco as the most popular new benefit introduced in the past year. Other frequently used discounts—besides electronics—include those at selected bookstores and pharmacies.
According to this year’s survey by Behavio, students mainly associate the ISIC card with transport discounts, ID verification, school use, and food and drink discounts. Most students also expressed interest in having their student card with all services available on their phone. This likely explains the growing popularity of the Alive App, which brings ISIC and other cards into mobile format—today, the app has 322,000 users.
At 150 retail brands, ISIC can already be digitally verified—students no longer need to search their wallet for the card, but can simply scan a QR code at the checkout with their phone to instantly see which discounts they’re eligible for.
Looking ahead, GTS Alive is preparing more fully digital cards, further development of digital verification in stores, a new chip system for schools based on mobile phone usage, and broader integration with public transport providers. The AliveID Alumni card for university graduates is also being further developed.
| ISIC cardholders in the Czech Republic | |
| Universities (VŠ) | 205 083 |
| Secondary schools + Higher vocational schools (SŠ + VOŠ) | 254 566 |
| Elementary schools (ZŠ) | 120 113 |
| Post-secondary and other types of study | 30 294 |
| TOTAL | 610 056 |
Notes for editors:
GTS Alive s.r.o. in the Czech Republic issues and manages ISIC student cards and ISIC Scholar pupil cards, ITIC teacher cards, and, to a lesser extent, other cards. The company was founded in August 2000. Its predecessor in the Czech Republic was GTS International. GTS Alive s.r.o. is part of the international GTS Alive Group, headquartered in Prague, with branches in seventeen countries on four continents.
GTS Alive, through the ISIC PORT chip identification system, also provides many elementary and secondary schools with secure access to their buildings and an electronic attendance system. The company also facilitates travel or accident insurance for students.
For more information, contact:
Jan Šimral, media representative of GTS Alive
Tel.: +420 737 944 370
E-mail: info@jansimral.com
