Dutch card charges

Hi
If in Holland making 3 single journeys on different days what is the best way to minimise card charges as the machines seem to charge 1euro extra each time. Is it possible to pay cash with no charge or buy all 3 tickets in one card transaction and pay 1euro instead of 3?
Thanks

404250 said:

Hi
If in Holland making 3 single journeys on different days what is the best way to minimise card charges as the machines seem to charge 1euro extra each time. Is it possible to pay cash with no charge or buy all 3 tickets in one card transaction and pay 1euro instead of 3?
Thanks

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There are no longer any card charges, however you pay an extra 1 euro for getting a paper ticket. You can avoid this by printing an e-ticket from the NS site. The app now accepts foreign credit cards. The same fares are available by using an OV-Chipkaart but that costs a non-refundable 7.50 for 5 years. That does mean you can use buses, trams and metro without paying for expensive paper tickets.

Buy e-tickets on ns.nl, they accept creditcards nowadays and won't charge you extra.

You could also consider buying an OV-chipkaart and loading some funds onto it.

Thanks. I don't think the OV card would be worth it but will try the online option. I did try before on the NS Android app but needed a Dutch bank card I think. I'll the try the website.

There is word that for putting money on your OV chipcard they (NS/Dutch railways) are going to introduce (some time) a charge of 50 eurocent.

404250 said:

Thanks. I don't think the OV card would be worth it but will try the online option. I did try before on the NS Android app but needed a Dutch bank card I think. I'll the try the website.

Click to expand...

Credit cards were added only a few weeks ago

Groningen said:

There is word that for putting money on your OV chipcard they (NS/Dutch railways) are going to introduce (some time) a charge of 50 eurocent.

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Do you mean at the ticket office or machine or both?

I used to top-up my card by euro coins and specially saved them for topping up my card, originally because Visa/MasterCard weren't accepted and then to avoid charges once they were accepted. If charges for cash are implemented that would be quite a reversal for it to be cheaper to use a UK Visa/MasterCard!

As an aside, thanks to stut's tips earlier tips, I have now got a personal OV-Chipkaart and a Dutch bank account through Bunq and have already enjoyed automatic top-up and used OV-Fiets despite living in the UK.

1.accepting cr.cds is only there since a few weeks. On the machines they accepted them-first only at tourist-frequented spots, later all, with a 50 cts surcharge, which had to be abolished due to EU-rules last year. Its not so much the fee to pay (by NS) but the risk of customers having disputed payments. But then NS fears the heat from cold water very often.
(being Dutch I was quite surprised to be able to buy a local tramticket in Poland by just waving my VISA-cost was like 60 cts.)
2.the proposed 50 ct. fee for putting CASH money on chipcards is ONLY for doing that at staffed windows-anyway, there are just maybe 30/35 stations left with manned desks. Several other local bus-operators have it already quite some time, incl. ARRIVA, also where they run their own trains. Its ''free'' and will be free on normal machines-and then you can use any machine, also the many (marked OV-chipkaart) that do not sell normal tickets.

AlexNL said:

Buy e-tickets on ns.nl, they accept creditcards nowadays and won't charge you extra.

You could also consider buying an OV-chipkaart and loading some funds onto it.

Click to expand...

Attempted doing this only to find that the app didn't appear to like my British card and refused the transaction.
Sam