NS to experiment with paying for tickets with bank card

Later this month NS will launch an experiment in which travelers can pay for their trip with their bank card, instead of a separate public transit card. The experiment will last six months and will take place on the Den Haag-Leiden route. The Dutch rail company is currently looking for a thousand participants, AD reports.

"Traveling with a bank card or credit card is a logical choice", NS spokesperson Hessel Koster said to AD. "It is already in the wallet, travelers do not have to acquire a separate public transport card and do not need to have a balance on it in advance."

People interested in participating in this experiment must travel on the route between Leiden and Den Haag Central Station or between Leiden and Den Haag Hollands Spoor. Participants must also have a contactless bank card from ABN Amro, ING, Rabobank or SNS. A credit card issued by MasterCard or Visa will also work.

The experiment will start at the end of January. For this experiment, all stations between The Hague and Leiden will have at least one gate that can accept payment from a bank card.