Contactless payments more popular than bank cards for first time

Contactless payments using a smartphone or smartwatch surpassed those made with a payment card for the first time in 2025. The Dutch Payments Association reported this based on nationwide transaction figures.

In 2025, almost 60 percent of Dutch card payments were made without using a card, marking a roughly 20 percent increase from 2024, when just over 40 percent of payments were cardless.

Dutch consumers completed over 5.8 billion transactions with cards, smartphones, or smartwatches, rising 1.2 percent from the year before. These payments totaled 150 billion euros, up 2.2 percent. Supermarkets accounted for more than a third of all transactions, and the hospitality sector for one in seven.

Less than 5 percent of all card payments involved inserting a physical card into the terminal, down from more than 6 percent the previous year.

The average amount for a contactless payment was nearly 25 euros. Even though using a physical card is uncommon, occurring in fewer than 5 percent of payments, it is still mainly used for bigger purchases, averaging 51 euros per transaction.

Including cashless payments, Dutch consumers made roughly 5.83 billion card transactions, both with a card and via mobile devices.

The countrywide introduction of OVpay, enabling travelers to tap in and out with a card or mobile wallet, has greatly sped up the everyday use of mobile payments.