Start Life in the Netherlands Paying for public transport
Paying for public transport
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You always need to be able to show a valid ticket when traveling on public transport in the Netherlands. You can read more about it on this page.
You can travel with a public transport chip card
Almost everywhere in the Netherlands you can travel with a public transport chip card. This is a special card on which you put money. The money you put on the card is called balance.
You pay for your trip by checking in and out at the type of public transport you use. You can top up your balance at the transport companies' payment terminals. And in some supermarkets.
There are 2 types of public transport chip cards: personal and anonymous. Below you can read what it means for each card.
A personal public transport chip card
A personal public transport chip card contains the following personal data:
Your name
Your date of birth
A passport photo
You need a personal public transport chip card to rent a public transport bike. Or to add a subscription or discount. You have to buy a personal public transport chip card from your own bank account.
An anonymous public transport chip card
There is no name and photo on an anonymous public transport chip card. You can buy an anonymous public transport chip card from a ticket machine at the train station or at a supermarket.
The advantage of an anonymous public transport chip card is that different people can use the public transport chip card. However, you cannot do so at the same time. If you are travelling with several people, everyone must check in by themselves with their own ticket.
Other payment options
You can also pay with:
Checking in and out
When you travel by bus, train, tram or metro, you always have to do something before you are allowed inside. You must check in with your valid card at a device at the entrance. Usually you do this at a pole or at a gate. You hear a sound when you check in and then you can read on the device whether you have succeeded.
When your journey is over, you have to check out the same way. You hold your card in front of the device again. You hear a sound when you check out and then you can read on the device whether you succeeded.
Switching to another transport company
Often while travelling you need to transfer to another train, bus, tram or metro. If you transfer to another transport company, you need to check out first.
After that, do not forget to check in with the transport company you will be using. You can be fined if you do not check in. This is because you are travelling without a valid ticket and that is prohibited.
