Dutch public transport to accept bank card payments for tickets from end-2022

NS and other public transport companies will accept bank card payments for trips from the end of this year, so travelers will no longer need to have an OV-chip card. But the implementation of a whole new payment system to replace the current outdated chip card has been delayed, RTL Nieuws report.

The new system - OVPay - will include a new OV chip card, an app with which people can travel by public transport even without their wallet, and making debit card payments possible.

The public transport sector planned to start implementing OVPay this summer, but those plans have been delayed, said Bas van Weele, the program director for payments for the public transport industry. The organization will implement debit card payments by the end of 2022, but the new OV chip card and the app will likely take another year.

“Only when we are sure that it works will we introduce it nationally. It has to be good, and it has to be reliable,” the OVPay website states.

Van Weele speaks of a delay of at least six months. “I’m not happy with that, but it is what it is. We’ve had some setbacks on the technology side. It’s still software, so it’s always more complex than you think. We’ve adjusted the planning accordingly.” Van Weele thinks the transition to the new system could even take until 2024.

The process is complex because so many different companies participate. Travelers must be able to go from an NS train to an Arriva bus or a GVB tram, for example, using one card. Currently, 60,000 gates at stations and card readers in various vehicles are being adapted for the new system. OVpay’s bank card payments are being tested in practice in various regions, with more to be added in the coming months.