With a smartphone you hardly need a wallet anymore. Flight tickets no longer need to be printed, but can be scanned directly at the airport via your phone. And paying is a lot easier now that you can place your phone on the payment device. It seems only a matter of time before you can also use your smartphone to check in on public transport. But how long do we have to wait? And what can you expect?
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The idea behind mobile check-in in public transport is simple: hold the back of your phone against the check-in pole and the gates at the station will open automatically. By means of an app you can gain more insight into your latest train journeys and you can view your current balance.
Forgot to check out? Then the accompanying app can give a notification in time, so that you never have to ask for your money back afterwards.
OV-Chip Mobile
It has been possible for some time to travel this way by train. More than five years ago, Translink, the company behind the public transport chip card, already started a test. Under the name OV-Chip Mobiel, it became possible to check in in public transport with Android devices from Vodafone, KPN and the KPN subsidiaries Simyo, Yes Telecom and Telfort.
Many travelers were interested in this and people wanted to transfer their public transport chip card to their smartphone. Nevertheless, after less than a year and a half, it was decided to discontinue OV-Chip Mobiel. According to Translink, the underlying technology was insufficiently suitable for the massive introduction of OV-Chip Mobiel.
At that time, approximately eight thousand people used the public transport app and they were not nearly as positive. For example, users had to install multiple apps that often did not work well together and there were frequent failures.
New attempt: OVpay
However, Translink is not giving up and wants to try again, this time with OVpay. Trials have been started with OVpay in various regions, including the Haaglanden and Zaanstreek, which makes it possible for travelers to check in on the bus with a smartphone. Make sure you have Apple Pay or Google Wallet on your mobile and you can check in directly with the debit card on your mobile.
Checking in on the train is a bit more cumbersome and is currently only possible if you have signed up for the trial Train travel with GPS. You will then be instructed by NS or Arriva to install an app and you must register.
During this process you link your OV chip card with your NS or Arriva subscription. Before you start a train journey, you start your journey in the app on your mobile at the departure station and you will then see a barcode with which you can open a closed gate.
Ultimately, you should also be able to check in for the train with your bank card on your mobile, without having to turn on your GPS.
At the beginning of this year, it was announced that OVpay would be introduced nationwide this summer. A new OV-chip card would appear at the end of 2022, but last month it was announced that the national introduction of OVpay is being delayed.
The goal is that by 2023 everyone will be able to check in and out anywhere with OVpay.
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