A starting apparatus having an electromagnetic switch (16), having two contacts (180, 181), which can be electrically conductively connected to one another by means of a moving contact link (184), wherein at least one of the two contacts (180, 181) has a contact surface (300) which is connected to a contact bolt (150, 151), wherein the contact surface (300) has projections with a corrugated contour (303), characterized in that they essentially lie on a plane and the contact link (184) has an outer flat section (276), wherein, in one switch position, the outer flat section (276) of the contact link (184) slides or rubs on a section of the corrugated contour (303), whose surface faces away from a central axis (315) of the switch (16), wherein the corrugated contour (303) is part of an annular groove system (310), and a current transmission surface (500) between the surface (318) and the contact surface (300) is in the form of a sickle. A method for switching an electromagnetic switch of a starting apparatus (10), having two contacts (180, 181) which are electrically conductively connected to one another by means of a moving contact link (184), wherein, when the contact link (184) makes contact with at least one of the two contacts (180, 181), a rubbing movement acts between the contact link (184) and a contact surface (300) of the at least one contact (180, 181), wherein the contact surface (300) has projections which essentially lie on a plane, and the contact link (184) has an outer flat section (276), wherein, in one switch position, the outer flat section (276) of the contact link (184) slides or rubs on a section of the corrugated contour (303) which faces away from a central axis (315) of the switch (16), wherein, when sliding, a surface (318) adjusts a current transmission surface (500), which is in the form of a sickle, via the contact surface (300).