Checking in for the train with your bank card or phone? Here’s how you can be one of the first

Hoping to make train travel “even easier and more flexible,” NS will trial travellers using their bank cards to check in and out.

Travellers will also be able to check in with their digital bank cards on smartphones using Apple Pay and Google Pay.

After making the initial announcement last week, the NS is now on the hunt for the first guinea pigs.

There’s a catch

Of course, this doesn’t mean train tickets and OV chipcards are going away anytime soon.

“We want to offer travellers extra choice to travel easily by train”, says Ivo Steffens, director of commerce for the NS.

inforgraphic-showing-types-of=ov-cards-netherlands-and-benefits
Image: DutchReview

“Checking in and out for the train is just as easy and quick as a contactless payment for your groceries. You don’t have to buy a ticket or load balance, but you can check in immediately and get your train.”

However, there is one catch for avid travellers. During the trial, only full-fare train travel is possible. NS season tickets and other discounts cannot be linked to a debit card (yet).

Become a trial traveller

From August 15 to August 22, NS will recruit “a limited number” of participants for the trials at six stations: Amsterdam Central, Rotterdam Central, The Hague Central, Utrecht Central, Den Bosch, and Delft. Spannend! (Exciting!)

Travellers can only register at these locations from 10 AM to 7 PM through an NS team set up in the stations.

Starting August 29, travellers can travel on all NS routes in the country using their contactless debit or credit card.

While these travellers will be paying the full fare, they do get a bonus: pay for a second-class ticket, and they can travel in first-class. Fancy!

Barriers adjusted

All terminals and gates have new card readers, which now include the contactless payment logo.

Renting a public transport bicycle (OV fiets) or access to a P+R site is not possible with bank cards (yet). After the trial, the NS hopes to make bank card payments and other facilities available to everyone.

Do you want to become a trial traveller for contactless bank card payments? Tell us in the comments!

Feature Image:NS
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Katrien Nivera 🇵🇭
Third culture kid Katrien has been working as a writer and editor at DutchReview for over two years, originally moving to the Netherlands as a tween. Equipped with a Bachelor’s in communication and media and a Master’s in political communication, she’s here to stay for her passion for writing, whether it’s current Dutch affairs, the energy market, or universities. Just like the Dutch, Katrien lives by her agenda and enjoys the occasional frietje met mayo — she just wishes she could grow tall, too.

1 COMMENT

Leave a Reply to Andrés Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related posts

Latest posts

Where are the ‘I amsterdam’ letters? The complete selfie guide

Here's a riddle for you: what weighs 250 kilos, is two metres high, and features in around 6,000 selfies a day? The I amsterdam...

Dutch companies are “selling” residence permits via the highly skilled migrant scheme

The Netherlands employs its so-called Kennismigranten (highly skilled migrants) in many sectors, from IT to academia to... nail salons, apparently. Yup, according to research by...

Expats may soon have to take an integration course when living in Amsterdam

If you're an expat living in Amsterdam, you could soon be asked to take Dutch language classes, history lessons, and volunteer time. That's right,...

It's happening

Upcoming events

The latest Dutch news.
In your inbox.