The OV chip card

The OV chip card has been around since 2002 and is now the most common form of payment in public transport. It is a pass containing an NFC chip. The pass allows you to check in and out with different carriers. You do this by holding the pass against a chip card reader at the beginning and end of your journey. You load a balance on the card. The amount of that trip will be deducted from this.

Advantages of the OV chip card are:

• Speed ​​and convenience. Checking in takes less time than buying a ticket.
• You pay exactly for the route you travel.
• One card for (almost) all major carriers in the Netherlands.
• Less cash in circulation with drivers, making them a less interesting target for robberies.
• Season tickets and associated discounts can be linked to the public transport card.

There are two types of OV chip cards, namely a personal card and an anonymous card.

• A personal card contains your name and passport photo and only you may travel with it. This card can be used in combination with subscriptions. And, for example, also with discounts for people over 65. Travel history is easy to view online. It is also handy that you can link the card to your bank account and choose automatic reloading. This way you can be sure that there is always sufficient credit on the OV chip card.
• An anonymous card is not registered and can be purchased separately. So several people can use it. Please note: two people cannot travel on one card at the same time. Travels made are not saved, which is great if your privacy is important to you.

Both passes have their advantages. Those who regularly travel by public transport probably have the most convenience of a personal OV chip card. If you only travel occasionally, you may want to consider an anonymous card.

The anonymous chip card costs 7.50 euros and is for sale at ticket machines at NS stations, but also at tobacconists and supermarkets. The nearest point of sale can be found on the website of the OV chip card. You can also order an anonymous card online via ovshop.nl.

• If you use a ticket machine at the station, you can do so as follows:
• Select ‘OV chip card’ on the touchscreen and indicate that you want to buy one.
• After payment, the card falls out of the machine.

Then you need to activate the card. This is also possible with the machine.

• Hold the card in front of the pink ‘reader’ at the front right of the machine.
• A selection menu will then appear. Choose ‘activate OV chip card’ for the trains (also known as travel on credit).
• Indicate whether you want to travel first or second class to complete the activation.

Put any extra travel money on the card and check in with the carrier if you want to travel immediately.

You can apply for a personal card via the OV-chipkaart website. For this you need, among other things, a digital passport photo of yourself and internet banking. This card also costs 7.50 euros and must be activated. You can order via the page ‘Apply for a personal OV chip card‘. Fill in all requested personal details and upload a good-looking digital photo (without snapchat filter) in jpg of a maximum of 5 MB. You can activate the ‘Automatic recharge’ option immediately, but this is not mandatory. After a few days you will receive the OV chip card by post.

With sufficient balance or an activated subscription on the card, you can immediately travel by public transport. Insufficient funds? Charging can be done at charging stations and in shopping centers, but also online. If you have a personal OV chip card, you can choose to automatically top up your balance via your bank account. As soon as the travel credit on the card falls below the boarding rate, the balance is automatically topped up with an amount of ten, twenty or fifty euros. This is of course not mandatory, but it is useful if you travel a lot by public transport. This way you avoid extra visits to a charging point.

You can read more about topping up in the article ‘OV chip card: topping up’.

Traveling is very easy. When boarding the bus or tram, hold the OV chip card against the card reader. It can differ per carrier, but often there is a confirmation sound and/or a green light. There is a check-in gate at the station for trains and metros. There, too, you hold the card against the card reader. The door will then open. At the end of the ride, check out again by holding the card against the reader.

Good to know: you don’t have to check out and in in between with the NS and the metro when you transfer. In all other cases yes, for example when transferring from bus to bus or bus to train.

With an account on the OV-chipkaart site, you can look up your travel details or compile a declaration overview for the tax or employer. ‘My OV-chipkaart’ is available for people with a personal and anonymous OV-chipkaart. Create your own OV chip card account like this:

• Surf to the website of the OV chip card.
• click on Create an account.
• Enter a username, email address and password and click create an account

A confirmation will follow and you will receive an activation email within a few minutes. This will take you again to the OV-chipkaart site.

• Click on the link in the email.
• Enter your username and click Activate account.
• Go to the page now My OV chip.
• click on Pair card to connect your card.

Various options are now visible, such as travel data. Read more about ‘My OV-chipkaart’ in the article ‘My OV-chipkaart’.