What if Copenhagen paid you to travel better?
Meet CopenPay, the city’s cheeky, feel-good travel incentive
Imagine swapping a souvenir for a free bike rental, or turning a canal cleanup into a lunch on the house. That’s the simple, brilliant promise of CopenPay: Copenhagen’s program that rewards travelers (and locals) for choosing greener, more place-positive ways to move through the city. Think of it as currency for considerate choices like bike over cab, train over plane, volunteer over passivity, and a passport to deeper, ethically-minded travel experiences. (Visit Copenhagen)
What is CopenPay? A travel hack for mindful explorers (and why global readers should care)
At its core, CopenPay converts small sustainable actions into real perks. Visitors who bike, take public transport, arrive by train, participate in local clean-ups, or choose a longer stay can unlock free or discounted experiences. Everything from complimentary boat tours and bike rentals to museum entry discounts and free lunches. It’s run by Visit Copenhagen (Wonderful Copenhagen) and designed to reward behavior that lowers tourism’s footprint while helping travelers access cultural experiences they might otherwise miss. (Visit Copenhagen, National Geographic)
Why should you care? Because ethical travel is global: travelers from all around the world can use this idea as a model for choosing trips that reward curiosity and care. If you’re plotting a next trip CopenPay is a neat illustration of how destinations can nudge better choices, and how your travel habits can unlock richer, lower-impact experiences.
How CopenPay actually works, the mechanics made simple
CopenPay gamifies sustainability. Here’s the short version:
Perform a green-friendly action (choose train travel, bike around the city, help in a community garden, pick up litter, or stay longer).
Prove it if needed (photos, tickets, or partner check-ins).
Redeem points or credits with participating partners for perks: boat tours, bike rentals, museum entries, a vegetarian lunch, a coffee, even guided walks. (Visit Copenhagen)
This past summer the plan expanded: more partners, longer duration, and new rewards for those arriving by train or electric car, a deliberate nudge to cut the carbon-heavy bits of travel like short flights. The 2025 edition ran longer and involved far more partners than the 2024 pilot. (Destination Think, Globetrender)
Quick list: Top CopenPay rewards worth chasing (for curious travelers)
Free bike rental — the simplest way to live like a Copenhagener. (Visit Copenhagen)
Complimentary boat tour — see the city from the canals, sustainably. (Visit Copenhagen)
Discounted museum entry — deeper cultural context with lower cost. (Visit Copenhagen)
4. Vegetarian or local lunch — supports local food partners and low-impact dining. (Visit Copenhagen)
5. Outdoor experiences — kayak trips, guided walks, and rooftop talks on sustainability are often included. (thinkdigital.travel)
Where & when: practical facts for planning your trip (travel logistics that matter)
When it runs: The program returned in a bigger form for Summer 2025 (running mid-June through mid-August in that edition), with extensions and expansions announced by Visit Copenhagen. Check the official pages for the current year’s dates if you’re planning a trip. (Destination Think, Visit Copenhagen)
Who can join: Visitors and locals in Copenhagen; the program is intentionally aimed at people already in the city so it incentivizes sustainable choices during the stay. (Visit Copenhagen)
How to prove actions: Simple verification systems (photos, receipts, partner check-ins) are used, but the program emphasizes trust and practicality rather than heavy paperwork. (National Geographic)
FAQ: Everything you wanted to know about CopenPay (short answers)
Do I have to register?
Yes — you’ll typically sign up through the Visit Copenhagen/CopenPay portal or an app to track your credits. (Visit Copenhagen)
Can I get rewards if I flew to Copenhagen?
Yes—some incentives target in-city actions (cycling, clean-ups, staying longer). The 2025 program added bonuses specifically for train and electric car arrivals to further penalize high-emissions short flights. (Destination Think)
Is CopenPay for tourists only, or can locals use it too?
Both. The goal is a cultural shift in behavior city-wide, so locals are included in the reward loop. (Visit Copenhagen)
Does it really change behavior or just reward tourists who already do the right thing?
Early pilots showed promising shifts: higher bike rentals, measurable waste collection, and strong engagement numbers (thousands of participants in early runs), suggesting it can both reward existing green travelers and persuade curious ones to act. (Destination Think, AFAR Media)
Why CopenPay matters for sustainable travel, and what we can learn
Copenhagen is trading transactional tourism for relational tourism. Rather than simply telling visitors to "fly less" or "do better," it makes the better choice directly rewarding. That has three big implications for travel:
Behavioral economics works. Small perks nudge habits, especially when tied to memorable experiences.
Local partners win. Cafés, bike shops, museums and guiding companies gain patrons who might otherwise have stayed elsewhere.
A replicable blueprint. Cities from Berlin to Helsinki have already shown interest; local governments and tourism boards across Europe are watching closely. If tourism stakeholders want to encourage greener travel patterns, this model offers a playable script. (TravelMole, Globetrender)
One question for you (let’s make this a conversation)
If Copenhagen’s model rewarded overnight stays and train travel from other European cities, would you be more likely to trade a short flight for a scenic ferry or rail overnight? Tell us, what’s the one sustainable trade-off you’d actually make on your next trip?
Practical tips for travelers coming to Copenhagen who want to CopenPay smart
Plan a longer stay. CopenPay rewards longer stays, so slow down and swap a whirlwind weekend for a four-night rhythm if you can. (Destination Think)
Bundle your green moves. Bike one day, join a cleanup the next, and use public transport in between. Points add up and so does the experience. (Visit Copenhagen)
Support local partners. Use rewards to sample neighborhood cafés, independent museums, and social enterprises. That keeps tourism income inside the community. (Visit Copenhagen)
Sources
Official program information and rewards list: Visit Copenhagen’s CopenPay pages. (Visit Copenhagen)
Major coverage and analysis (National Geographic, Time, AFAR): program description and context. (National Geographic, TIME, AFAR Media)
Program expansion, pilot data and industry reaction: DestinationThink, Globetrender, TravelMole. (Destination Think, Globetrender, TravelMole)