OVpay: use your smartphone, debit card, or wearable to pay for public transport
For visitors to the Netherlands, OVpay is the best way to check in and out when travelling by public transport. You only need your debit or credit card to easily travel throughout the country by train, tram, bus or metro. Please note that when travelling by train, this is only valid for second class, and that any existing season tickets cannot be used.
OVpay provides a direct connection between your ride and your payment account. It works just like cashless payments in the supermarket, with the important difference being that you also have to check out to calculate the proper fare. With the OVpay app you can monitor whether you have checked in during the trip and you can look at your travel history.
If you're on holiday, this is the cheapest and most practical solution because you do not need a separate card and are not tied to an unnecessary the cost of an OV-chipkaart.
Remove the card you want to pay with from your wallet so that you are sure that you are checking in and out with the correct card. If you want to pay with a debit card, this is currently only possible with a Dutch card, so international visitors are advised to use a credit card.
Check in and check out: how the chip card works
So how exactly does checking in work? When boarding the bus, tram, metro or train hold the OV-chipkaart (or your debit card, smartphone, or wearable if using OVPay) in front of the screen of a post or gate. It will indicate with a green light and a beep that the anonymous OV-chipkaart has been read. You check out in the same way when exiting. On the display you can immediately see how much credit the trip has cost and how much you have left.
At smaller stations, the gate is on the platform and larger stations often have separate gates (which open when you check in). Important: you cannot check in once you are on the train. So don't forget!
An anonymous OV-chipkaart is valid for a maximum of five years. The end date is usually printed on the outside of the card. The credit remains valid, so if you want to use your OV-chipkaart again at a later stage, you can. You can also request a refund for the remaining balance.
Finally: you cannot block an anonymous chipkaart in the event of loss or theft. Therefore, never put too much money on it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone!
