European Youth Card Association

What European Youth Card Association does

The European Youth Card Association (EYCA) is a Brussels-headquartered, Netherlands-registered pan-European nonprofit association founded in 1987 that operates the European Youth Card (EYC) programme across 34-40 European countries. The EYC is a physical or digital membership card, valid for 1-2 years, that grants cardholders up to age 31 access to over 25,000 discounts across categories including travel, accommodation, culture, food and drink, sports, shopping, and learning. EYCA distributes the card through a decentralised network of 40+ national and regional member organisations (NGOs, public institutions, foundations) that handle local issuance, pricing, discounts, and support, and through a direct-to-consumer EYCA Kiosk online ordering system (17 EUR/card, digital delivery via the myEYC app) for territories without a local member. The organisation is endorsed by the Council of Europe and supported by the European Commission, with institutional partnerships including the European Parliament, Eurodesk, and ERYICA.

The technical platform consists of the myEYC mobile app (iOS and Android) serving as the digital card wallet and voucher retrieval interface, and the EYCA Kiosk web platform for direct sales, both of which sit on top of standard third-party infrastructure (PayPal/credit card payment processing, Google Analytics). The discount offer set is negotiated centrally and through member organisations and includes global brands such as Apple Music, NordVPN, Hostelworld, Dott, Omio, Numa, Airalo, TrainPal, Tiqets, Contiki, DisneyLand Paris, and Explorial. EYCA also runs co-branded card programmes with financial institutions (Bank of Georgia, Cajamar in Spain) and integrates the EYC into EU programmes such as DiscoverEU and the European Solidarity Corps.

EYCA's revenue model is primarily non-commercial in nature, reflecting its nonprofit mission. Direct revenue from EYCA's own operations is limited to Kiosk card sales (17 EUR/card) and coordination/licensing fees from member organisations; member organisations independently set card pricing, ranging from free (Cyprus, Galicia, Madrid, Cantabria, Navarra) to ~EUR 14-19 per year (Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Ukraine). Institutional support from the European Commission and endorsement by the Council of Europe likely provide grant funding that is not separately disclosed. With 9M+ cardholders, EYCA operates at pan-European scale but functions as an umbrella body rather than a commercial enterprise, and no equity funding, acquisitions, or material M&A activity is documented.

Name

European Youth Card Association

Legal name

European Youth Card Association Euro<26

Website

https://eyca.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

European Youth Card Association (EYCA) is a Brussels-headquartered pan-European nonprofit founded in 1987 that operates the European Youth Card across 34 countries, providing 9M+ young people up to age 31 access to over 25,000 discounts on travel, culture, accommodation, and lifestyle services via a network of 40+ member organisations and the myEYC app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth discount membership card

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Student Travel Passes, ID Cards & Local Discount Programs (EDAIANAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth / Family Wallets & Allowance Payments (FSAMAEAK), Card Issuing & Virtual Cards (lodge cards, single-use, tokenization) (THALAHAB)

Keywords

• Youth discount card
• Youth membership programme
• Pan-European benefits platform
• Youth mobility services
• Discount aggregator network

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct card sales via Kiosk: EYCA sells the European Youth Card directly through its online Kiosk at 17 EUR per card. Payments are processed securely through PayPal or credit/debit card. This is the primary revenue stream for EYCA in territories without a local member organisation.
2. Local membership card fees: Member organisations in each country set their own card pricing independently. Fees vary significantly across territories (from free to ~EUR 14-19 per year), with EYCA receiving licensing revenue or coordination fees as the umbrella body.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EYCA operates a pan-European membership card programme that grants young people aged up to 31 access to more than 25,000 discounts across 34 countries in travel, culture, accommodation, food, shopping, sports, and learning. The European Youth Card is issued in physical or digital format through a federation of 40+ national and regional member organisations, or directly via the online Kiosk and myEYC app for territories without a local member, priced at 17 EUR for direct digital purchases.

Product overview

The European Youth Card Association operates a card-based membership programme as its core offering. The primary product is the European Youth Card (EYC), a physical or digital card that grants access to over 25,000 discounts across 34 countries. The ecosystem includes the myEYC mobile app (iOS/Android) for digital card management and voucher retrieval, and an online Kiosk ordering system for territories without local member organisations. Cards are distributed through a network of national and regional member organisations across Europe, with pricing and validity periods varying by country.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myEYC: Mobile application for European Youth Card holders to access digital cards, discounts, and benefits.

Products and services

• European Youth Card (EYC) A physical or digital membership card for young people aged up to 31 (eligibility varies by country, e.g. 12-30, 13-30, 14-30) that unlocks access to over 25,000 discounts across 34 European countries in travel, culture, accommodation, food, shopping, sports, services, and learning. Card validity ranges from 1 to 2 years and the card is available to anyone within the age range regardless of student status.
• myEYC Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 9M+ cardholders across Europe
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European ParliamentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe European Parliament is an institutional partner of EYCA, supporting youth mobility and card programmes. EYCA participates in parliamentary initiatives and advocacy for youth fares and opportunities.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEYCA is supported by the European Commission as an endorsed youth organisation. The Commission participates in EYCA conferences and supports programmes such as the card for European Solidarity Corps and DiscoverEU participants.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEYCA is endorsed by the Council of Europe, which provides institutional recognition and support for the European Youth Card as a tool for youth mobility and participation across Europe.
• EurodeskcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurodesk is a European youth information network that collaborates with EYCA to promote youth mobility and provide information services. Eurodesk Italy manages Carta Giovani Sardegna in cooperation with EYCA.
• ERYICA (European Youth Information and Counselling Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerERYICA is a European network for youth information that works alongside EYCA on youth information and mobility. EYCA's Austrian member organisation is part of both ERYICA and Eurodesk networks.
• Hostelling InternationalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHostelling International is a global hostel network. Luxembourg Youth Hostels (an EYCA member) is part of Hostelling International. Some EYCA cards include Youth Hostel Card benefits.
• Youth on Track CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEYCA is a member of the Youth on Track coalition alongside EU&U, Erasmusbytrain, Generation Climate Europe, JEF Europe, World Scouting, BEUC, European Passengers' Federation, Transport & Environment, and Europe on Rail. The coalition advocates for affordable youth rail fares across Europe.
• RYCO (Regional Youth Cooperation Office)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRYCO participates in EYCA activities and events, contributing to youth mobility and cooperation in the Western Balkans region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• FlixBus: FlixBus is a major European intercity bus operator offering discounted youth/under-30 fares across 40+ countries. It overlaps with EYCA's transport category but competes for the same youth-traveller wallet via direct booking rather than an aggregated discount card.
• BlaBlaCar: BlaBlaCar is a leading European carpooling and intercity bus platform with youth-discount programmes and broad European coverage. It competes for the under-31 traveller wallet via direct booking discounts rather than an aggregated card model.

Broad incumbents

• Eurail: Eurail operates the Interrail/Eurail Pass, a dominant youth-mobility product with a Youth discount tier for under-28 travellers. It is a broader incumbent in pan-European youth travel, with deeper specialisation in rail but overlapping youth-mobility mission and discount-led positioning.
• STA Travel: STA Travel was a leading student/youth travel agency offering discounted flights, tours, and accommodation globally. Although largely defunct after 2020 restructuring, its model — student-targeted discount travel — remains a benchmark for EYCA's youth-traveller positioning.
• Hostelworld: Hostelworld is the leading global hostel booking platform serving backpackers and youth travellers across 17,400+ hostels. It is both an EYCA discount partner and a broader incumbent with overlapping youth-traveller audience and discount-driven acquisition.

Direct peers

• TOTUM (formerly NUS Extra): TOTUM is the UK's leading student discount card, offering discounts on food, tech, travel, and fashion to 7M+ students. It directly parallels EYCA's UK presence via the same age-targeting, discount aggregation, and student-facing app model.
• ISIC Association: ISIC is the global student identity card, offering age- and student-verified discounts across travel, culture, and lifestyle categories in 130+ countries. It is the closest direct competitor to EYCA, with overlapping target market, similar discount model, and parallel institutional positioning.
• Hostelling International: Hostelling International is a global federation of youth hostel associations issuing membership cards that unlock discounted hostel stays worldwide. EYCA already partners with HI through Luxembourg Youth Hostels, and the two share a youth-traveller membership-card model with overlapping discount categories.

Others

• European Youth Forum: The European Youth Forum is a pan-European platform of 100+ youth organisations advocating for young people's rights and mobility. It is an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor, but shares EYCA's institutional EU ties and youth-mobility mission.

Regional players

• DiscoverEU: DiscoverEU is an EU initiative providing free Interrail passes to 18-year-olds across Europe. EYCA already issues special cards for DiscoverEU participants, making this both a partner and a quasi-competitor that can shape youth travel behaviour directly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/europeanyouthcard
• Facebookfacebook.com/EuropeanYouthCardAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-youth-card-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/europeanyouthcard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about European Youth Card Association