ARCD Auto

What ARCD Auto does

ARCD Auto- und Reiseclub Deutschland e.V. is a German registered nonprofit association (eingetragener Verein) headquartered in Bad Windsheim, Middle Franconia, that operates as a membership-based automobile and travel club. Founded in 1928 (originally as Kraftfahrervereinigung Deutscher Lehrer) and serving more than 160,000 members, ARCD provides 24/7 breakdown and accident assistance across Germany, Europe, and Mediterranean countries through a central emergency dispatch center, a mobile app (ARCD-Pannenhilfe-App), a network of approximately 1,000 breakdown helpers, and reciprocal arrangements via its founding membership in the European Automobile Clubs (EAC). The core product is the ARCD-Schutzbrief, a roadside and accident protection plan bundled into membership.

The club's product portfolio spans four membership tiers (Vollmitgliedschaft at €89.90/year, Partnermitgliedschaft at €34.90/year, young driver membership at €34.90/year for under-27s, and Firmen-Mobilitätsschutz at €65.90/vehicle/year for commercial fleets), plus an integrated ARCD-Clubhilfe financial benefit that scales with tenure, a bicycle protection brief included free, an annual vacation package, and a bi-monthly Auto+Reise magazine. Revenue extends beyond subscriptions to include commission-based insurance products (travel, motor, legal protection, bicycle), a travel agency (ARCD Reisebüro) with a 3% member discount, an online shop selling vignettes and toll equipment, EV charging via the Stadtwerke Heidenheim partnership, and a Vorteilsprogramm with over 150 brand partners. Distribution is community-led through 8 state associations and approximately 50 local clubs (Ortsclubs), supported by a 'Members Recruit Members' referral program.

Name

ARCD Auto

Legal name

ARCD Auto- und Reiseclub Deutschland e. V.

Website

https://arcd.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ARCD Auto- und Reiseclub Deutschland e.V. is a German nonprofit automobile and travel club serving 160,000+ members with 24/7 roadside assistance, travel services, insurance, and a partner discount ecosystem across Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Automobile and Travel Club Services

NAICS

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities (524), Travel Agencies (56151), Travel Agencies (561510)

SIC

Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Accident & Health Insurance (6321)

akta.pro primary industry

Roadside Assistance & Towing Memberships (Bundled with Service Contracts) (FSAJALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Travel & Services Membership Clubs (Ancillary Services-Led) (CRAEADAK), Personal Auto Add-Ons & Endorsements (Roadside, Rental Reimbursement, OEM Parts) (FSAJAAAL), Travel & Accident (Non-Life) Insurance (FSAJAMAN)

Keywords

• Automobile club
• Roadside assistance
• Travel club services
• Breakdown protection
• Club membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Bad Windsheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Fees: Primary revenue stream from annual membership subscriptions. Full membership at 89.90 EUR/year (84.90 EUR for public sector employees), partner membership at 34.90 EUR/year, and young people membership at 34.90 EUR/year.
2. Firmen-Mobilitätsschutz: Additional vehicle protection for commercial/company vehicles at 65.90 EUR per vehicle per year, sold as an add-on to regular memberships.
3. Retail Products: Sale of vignettes, toll boxes, automotive accessories, and merchandise through the ARCD online shop.
4. Insurance Services: Commissions from travel insurance, vehicle insurance, legal protection insurance, and other insurance products offered through the ARCD Insurance Service.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ARCD Auto- und Reiseclub Deutschland is a membership-based automobile and travel club providing 24/7 breakdown and accident assistance across Germany, Europe, and Mediterranean countries via the ARCD-Schutzbrief protection plan. The club sells annual memberships and bundled services including bicycle protection, financial Clubhilfe for uncompensated damages, insurance brokerage (travel, motor vehicle, legal protection, bicycle), travel agency services, and a discount program with over 150 brand partners.

Product overview

ARCD Auto- und Reiseclub Deutschland is a German automobile and travel club offering a membership-based service portfolio centered on the ARCD-Schutzbrief (breakdown and accident protection plan) as the core product. The club's offerings are organized into multiple tiers: (1) Membership products — Vollmitgliedschaft (full membership at €89.90/year), Partnermitgliedschaft (partner membership at €34.90/year), membership for young people (€34.90/year for under-27s), and Firmen-Mobilitätsschutz (corporate mobility add-on at €65.90/vehicle); (2) Core service products including the ARCD-Schutzbrief (roadside assistance across Europe and Mediterranean) and the included ARCD-Fahrradschutzbrief (bicycle breakdown protection); (3) Club financial aid via ARCD-Clubhilfe; (4) Insurance products through ARCD-Versicherungsservice (travel insurance, motor vehicle insurance, legal protection, bicycle insurance, camping card); (5) Travel and tourism services via the ARCD Reisebüro (travel agency), ARCD-Touristik- und Reiseservice (country information, Alpine passes, tolls, route planning), and the free annual ARCD-Urlaubspaket (vacation package); (6) Member benefits via the ARCD-Vorteilsprogramm/Vorteilswelt (discount program with over 150 brand partners including maut1 toll boxes, Stadtwerke Heidenheim EV charging, DRIVER tires, Europcar/AVIS car rental, PSD Bank auto loans); (7) The ARCD-Shop selling vignettes and tolls; (8) The free ARCD-Clubmagazin Auto+Reise (6 issues/year); and (9) The ARCD-Pannenhilfe-App for summoning breakdown assistance. The club also operates through a national network of 8 state associations (Landesverbände) and approximately 50 local clubs (Ortsclubs).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARCD-Vollmitgliedschaft (Full Membership)
• ARCD-Partnermitgliedschaft (Partner Membership)
• ARCD-Mitgliedschaft für junge Leute (Young People Membership)
• ARCD-Firmen-Mobilitätsschutz (Corporate Mobility Protection)
• ARCD-Schutzbrief (Protection Brief / Breakdown and Accident Assistance)
• ARCD-Fahrradschutzbrief (Bicycle Breakdown Protection)
• ARCD-Clubhilfe (Club Aid)
• ARCD-Pannenhilfe-App (Breakdown Assistance App)
• ARCD-Urlaubspaket (Vacation Package)
• ARCD Reisebüro (Travel Agency)

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• maut1minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for toll box services allowing members to purchase toll equipment for Italy, France, Spain, and Portugal at preferential rates.
• Signal IdunacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner offering ARCD members discounts up to 15% on various insurance products.
• DRIVER Reifen und KFZ-TechnikminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTire and automotive service partner offering preferential conditions for members.
• Stadtwerke HeidenheimminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEV charging card partner and THG (German Emissions Trading) bonus partner for electric vehicle owners.
• OttingerminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSnow chain supplier offering member discounts on snow chains.
• PSD Bank West e.G.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner offering ARCD Auto Credit, E-Auto Credit, and Camper Credit at favorable rates.
• EuropcarminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCar rental partner with preferential rates for ARCD members.
• AVISminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCar rental partner with preferential rates for ARCD members.
• meinauto.deminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNew car broker partner offering members special conditions on new vehicle purchases.
• ANEK LinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFerry operator with 20% member discount on Adriatic routes between Italy and Greece.
• SUPERFAST FerriesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFerry operator with 20% member discount on routes between Italy and Greece (Ancona, Bari, Venice).
• European Automobile Clubs (EAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of the European Automobile Clubs association founded in Brussels in 2007. ARCD also participates in ETSC (European Transport Safety Council).
• ADLER Versicherung AGcoreOthersInsurance company providing group insurance policies for ARCD protection letters. ARCD acts as group policyholder through Auto & Reise GmbH.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• ÖAMTC (Österreichischer Automobil-, Motorrad- und Touring Club): Austrian automobile and touring club, fellow EAC federation member, offering the same Schutzbrief-style roadside protection and travel services. Comparable business model and pricing structure; serves as a regional reference point for ARCD's pan-European value proposition.
• ANWB (Royal Dutch Touring Club): Dutch membership-based mobility and travel organization offering roadside assistance, travel, and insurance. Closely comparable member-club model and broad product portfolio; serves as a useful benchmark for European non-ADAC clubs of similar orientation.
• TCS (Touring Club Suisse): Swiss automobile club with 1.5M+ members, providing roadside assistance, travel, and insurance services through a similar membership-club model. Peer EAC federation member; comparable in service architecture but materially larger in scale.
• RAC (Royal Automobile Club): UK roadside assistance and motoring services provider offering membership-based breakdown cover, insurance, and travel services. Comparable membership and product architecture; relevant for international benchmarking of ARCD's service scope.

Direct peers

• ACE Auto Club Europa: German automobile club offering roadside assistance, travel, and insurance services. Closely comparable in scale and positioning to ARCD; both compete for price-sensitive motorists disenchanted with ADAC's premium pricing.
• ADAC (Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club): Germany's largest automobile club with 21+ million members, offering the same core product set (Schutzbrief roadside protection, travel services, insurance brokerage, club magazine) as ARCD. Direct head-to-head competitor in every segment ARCD serves; scale is the primary differentiator.
• Europ Assistance: Global roadside assistance and travel insurance provider serving insurance carriers, automakers, and corporates. Comparable in core roadside-assistance capability and European service footprint, though operating on a B2B/white-label basis rather than as a consumer membership club.
• AvD (Automobilclub von Deutschland): Historic German automobile club founded in 1899, providing breakdown assistance, travel services, and motorsport-related benefits. Comparable in club-membership structure and service mix to ARCD, though smaller in member base.

Broad incumbents

• ADAC Versicherung AG: Captive insurance arm of ADAC offering motor, travel, and legal protection insurance. Comparable to ARCD's insurance service portfolio (brokered via Signal Iduna and ADLER) and represents the structural advantage ARCD lacks — a captive underwriting entity.
• AAA (American Automobile Association): US federation of automobile clubs with 60M+ members offering roadside assistance, travel, insurance, and financial services. The most established global analog to ARCD's club-based business model, though operating at vastly greater scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arcd.de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arcd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ARCD Auto