Pitane Image

In addition to their OV chip card, travelers who travel on credit can now also check in and check out with a contactless debit card or credit card - also on a mobile.

Traveling with HTM's buses and trams in The Hague has become even easier. In addition to their OV chip card, travelers who travel on credit can now also check in and check out with a contactless debit card or credit card – also on a mobile. This new form of payment in public transport is available in more and more provinces and (city) regions. HTM is the first major city transport company to introduce check-in and check-out with the contactless debit card. These new forms of payment are being introduced nationally by the joint public transport companies and Translink under the umbrella name OVpay.

Traveling with a debit card is very simple and works exactly the same as the OV chip card. A traveler checks in at the card reader with a contactless debit or credit card, plastic or on a mobile, and starts the journey. When leaving the bus or tram, the traveler checks out with the same pass.

Easy, but be careful!

To ensure that the traveler pays with the desired card, the card must be removed from the wallet or card holder. Whether it's the OV chip card, contactless debit card, or credit card, or the traveler consciously opts for the debit card or credit card on the mobile phone. The traveler then holds the pass still at the bottom of the card reader at the contactless symbol. Just like with the OV chip card, one beep will sound for a correct check-in and two beeps for a correct check-out. It is important to know that the traveler checks in and out with the same pass. A plastic debit/credit card and a mobile version are considered two separate cards, even if they are linked to the same bank account. The traveler is therefore expressly advised to use the same pass when checking in and out.

Read also  Drivers demand better pensions, the hard work takes its toll
Calendar pack

How do you check in or out with OVpay?

Travelers can check in and out with:

  • a contactless debit card from ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, bunq, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank, or SNS;
  • a contactless credit card from Mastercard or Visa (issued by ICS);
  • all foreign contactless debit or credit cards from Maestro, VPAY, Mastercard and Visa;
  • a smartphone that is linked for contactless payment to one of the above-mentioned debit and credit cards;
  • and of course with the existing OV chip card and barcode.

See what you pay

The price for the trip is the same as traveling with an OV chip card without a discount or subscription. The costs of trips made on one day are added together and debited the next day as one total amount; that total amount is visible to the traveler on the payment overview of the relevant bank or credit card provider. Travelers can find their travel overview by filling in the code stated in the payment overview with the description NLOV on www.ovpay.nl/reisoverzicht. At a later stage, it will also be possible to link discount products to a debit or credit card.

Paying in public transport will change in the coming years

The OV chip card will be replaced by a successor and new payment methods will be added. Travelers will soon decide for themselves how they want to pay. As a result, traveling by public transport is becoming increasingly smarter and easier. These new payment methods are being introduced nationally by the joint public transport companies and Translink under the umbrella name OVpay. The public transport authorities and banks are also participating in this programme. Checking in and out with a debit or credit card is one of those new forms of payment. This is possible in more and more regions in the Netherlands. An up-to-date overview is available at www.ovpay.nl. Other new payment methods will be phased in over the period 2023-2024. Ease of use and reliability are paramount at OVpay, according to HTM.

Read also  Drivers demand better pensions, the hard work takes its toll
Related articles:
Pitane Mobility Compact
Print Friendly, PDF & Email