Checking in, checking out, transferring, charging, basic rate: this OV chip card may replace all paper tickets, but its introduction has led to many new terms. Therefore an overview. What do you need to know before traveling with the OV chip card?
Basic articles about the OV chip card
Would you like to know exactly what the OV chip card is, how to apply for it and how to travel with it? Then you will find the following articles on the SeniorWeb site:
- The OV chip card
In this article you can read more about the card and how to activate it. - OV chip card: top up
This article tells you how to put money on the card so you can travel with it. - My OV chip card
If you use a personal OV-chipkaart, you can view your data via ‘My OV-chipkaart’. - OV chip card: checking in and out
In this article we show you by means of a video what you should pay attention to and we list a few points of attention.
Check in and out
Two terms that are constantly used in connection with the OV chip card are check-in and check-out. What do they include?
- To check in
At train stations you will find posts where you hold the OV chip card against. The map then registers that you are going out. Your journey begins. This is called check-in. With bus and tram you will find the registration device in the means of transport itself. - Checking out
Before you leave the bus or tram, hold the OV chip card in front of the registration device. If you travel by train, you should look for the posts on the platform or at the exit of the station. The recording device ends your trip. The costs incurred are automatically debited from your card. If you want to travel further, you have to check in again. See below under ‘Changing’.
Change
Not so long ago, changing trains simply meant changing bus or train. Anyone traveling from Utrecht to Breda with the NS had to change trains at Den Bosch station. And you simply bought a one-way or return ticket to Breda. Bus passengers did not leave the house without a bus ticket. But paper tickets no longer exist. She has replaced the OV chip card. And nowadays you have to be careful when you switch. In some cases you have to check out and check in again. In other cases, not at all. We summarize it clearly for you. You transfer:
- From NS train to NS train
You check in at the departure point and check out at the arrival point. If you have to change trains in between (such as in the aforementioned Utrecht-Breda route), you don’t have to do anything. - Between different train transport companies
For example, if you travel by train from Utrecht to Sneek, you must at least change trains in Leeuwarden. You then change the transport company there, namely from NS to Arriva. In this case, you must check out at the NS and then check in at Arriva. Make sure that you use the correct posts for this. The different transport companies each have their own bollards. - Between different modes of transport
If you travel by different means of transport, you must always check in and out when transferring. For example, you start with the train and change to a bus on the way. You then check out at the train station and check in again when boarding the bus. In some cases this can be confusing. Take, for example, Amsterdam Amstel train station. If you transfer there from the train to the metro, you must check out at the NS and check in again at a GVB post, the transport company that operates the Amsterdam metro. The poles of both companies are practically next to each other, so in such a case pay close attention to where you hold your card. - From bus to bus or from tram to tram
If you change bus/tram, you check out when you leave the means of transport. When you enter the next mode of transport, you check in again. - From metro to metro
If you transfer from metro to metro, you only check out at the end station.
Age discount
If you pass 65, you will receive a 34 percent discount on the basic fare for bus, tram and metro. But you only get this discount if you have a personal OV chip card. If you travel with an anonymous OV chip card, you will not receive this discount.
You can also load a NS product onto a personal OV chip card, which means you can travel with a discount. This is not possible with an anonymous card.
Automatic charge
You must top up or top up an OV chip card. This means that you put a sum of money on it. That is your balance and you use it to pay for your trips. When you travel on balance, a boarding fee will be deducted from your balance at check-in. At check-out, the boarding fee will be refunded and the kilometers traveled will be charged. This means that when you start a journey, you must have at least the boarding rate on your OV chip card. If you travel by bus, the boarding fee is usually 4 euros. If you travel with the NS, this is 20 euros (10 euros if you have a discount card).
Suppose you travel from Utrecht to Bunnik by train. The balance on your OV chip card is 15 euros. A single journey from Utrecht to Bunnik costs 2.50 euros. However, you cannot check in with your OV chip card. Because the entry fee is 20 euros and your balance is only 15 euros. The annoying thing is that you have to look for the nearest machine where you can top up the card to at least 20 euros. You even run the risk of missing your train. To avoid this, you can consider having the OV-chipkaart topped up automatically. This means that every time your balance falls below the entry amount, the card is automatically topped up with an amount of money set by you (you can choose between 10, 20 or 50 euros at a time). This amount of money will later be debited from your checking account. That way you will never be faced with surprises and you can always go out carefree. You can read how to apply for this on the OV-chipkaart website: automatic charge.