Dutch OV Chipkaart - Can you get one sent to the UK in advance of travel in the Netherlands?

[slammerTel]

I'm aware that you can obtain a pre loaded Oystercard when travelling around London for tourists who come to the UK but does anyone know if you are able to obtain the Dutch OV chipkaart pre loaded and have it sent to the UK before you travel ??

 

[ainsworth74]

I believe you can use this retailer, as suggested by the official OV Chipkaart website to purchase one before arrival for shipping to the UK:

OV-chipkaart

Anonieme OV-chipkaart kopen? Dit doe je snel en makkelijk bij OVshop. Snel thuisbezorgd, eventueel met reissaldo en met de langste geldigheidsdatum

www.ovshop.nl

I have no idea on whether that's a good deal compared to getting one on arrival (which is what I did when I travelled to the Netherlands).

 

[slammerTel]

I believe you can use this retailer, as suggested by the official OV Chipkaart website to purchase one before arrival for shipping to the UK:

OV-chipkaart

Anonieme OV-chipkaart kopen? Dit doe je snel en makkelijk bij OVshop. Snel thuisbezorgd, eventueel met reissaldo en met de langste geldigheidsdatum

www.ovshop.nl

I have no idea on whether that's a good deal compared to getting one on arrival (which is what I did when I travelled to the Netherlands).

I was thinking of it possibly being a timesaver when arriving at Hoek van Holland metro station and I'm greeted by a load of passengers trying to fathom out how to work the ticket machine

 

[biko]

I would just buy one from the ticket machine in Hoek van Holland. It costs €7.50 then. I don't think that many people will use it if you're coming from the ferry. Most Dutch people don't have a need to use the machine, so if you're relatively quick during disembarking, you should be the first at the machine.

I believe you can use this retailer, as suggested by the official OV Chipkaart website to purchase one before arrival for shipping to the UK:

OV-chipkaart

Anonieme OV-chipkaart kopen? Dit doe je snel en makkelijk bij OVshop. Snel thuisbezorgd, eventueel met reissaldo en met de langste geldigheidsdatum

www.ovshop.nl

I have no idea on whether that's a good deal compared to getting one on arrival (which is what I did when I travelled to the Netherlands).

That website doesn't say anywhere if they will ship to the UK, but for domestic postage they ask €3 and you also need to pay a surcharge if you want to have some money loaded on it. So I think buying in the Netherlands is better unless it is essential to save a few minutes.

 

[ainsworth74]

That website doesn't say anywhere if they will ship to the UK, but for domestic postage they ask €3 and you also need to pay a surcharge if you want to have some money loaded on it. So I think buying in the Netherlands is better unless it is essential to save a few minutes.

I got as far as putting in a UK address and it happily recalculated the shipping and was a bit more expensive to boot. Though I agree with you that you might as well just get it on arrival!

 

[jamesontheroad]

I too have noticed that the first metro out of Hoek is fairly soon after the official arriving time. Instead of buying an OC Chipkaart, preload the RET Barcode app on an Android phone or an iPhone and buy a single ticket in advance of arriving at Hoek. Use it to get to Schiedam or Rotterdam where there are plenty of ticket machines.

 

[LNW-GW Joint]

I too have noticed that the first metro out of Hoek is fairly soon after the official arriving time. Instead of buying an OC Chipkaart, preload the RET Barcode app on an Android phone or an iPhone and buy a single ticket in advance of arriving at Hoek. Use it to get to Schiedam or Rotterdam where there are plenty of ticket machis.

Comments on the download site say it doesn't accept non-Dutch credit/debit cards.

 

[jamesontheroad]

Comments on the download site say it doesn't accept non-Dutch credit/debit cards.

Not in my experience, worked last year with my UK Barclaycard Visa credit card.

 

[JRT]

Comments on the download site say it doesn't accept non-Dutch credit/debit cards.

Originally the OV Chipkaart machine didn't accept non-Dutch credit/debit cards or banknotes (rather inconvenient).

Meanwhile, OV chipkaart issuer Translink announced the introduction of a new public transport payment system. The new system replacing OV chipkaart — OVpay — will allow travellers to use their debit cards and smartphones for public transport. The system is to be introduced next year.

Further details (in Dutch)

Einde ov-chipkaart nabij: inchecken met smartphone of bankpas

Het einde van de ov-chipkaart is nabij. Dat zegt Gerbrant Corbee, woordvoerder van chipkaartuitgever Translink. In- en uitchecken met de oude vertrouwde ov-chipkaart zal volgens hem nog tot eind 2023 kunnen.

www.rtlnieuws.nl

 

[didcotdean]

OVpay already has its own website. Most is available in English although some links within are over to pages in Dutch: https://ovpay.nl/en

 

[dutchflyer]

Note that-other as the Oyster/leap etc, there are 2 types of OV-chip: anonymous or personal=with your foto+name (and formerly birthdate also) on it.
The latter of course needs to be individually produced and is a necessity for any type of discount or season. These will only be sent out to BE and DE beside of course domestic here.
I somehow even recall that Stena would sell anon. ones in their purserssoffice-on board. But I also think sales would be minimal and due to the 5 yr. timecap on them had to be replaced too often to make that worthwhile.
There have been -many moons ago- issues about non acceptance of non-Dutch cards-but since IBAN and common European payment it is enforced to accept at least all those cards. Untill 31/12 last UK also participated in that and I assume your bank/creditcards will still do.
Note that fairly often the single use flat fare tickets work out cheaper as riding on chip for longer distance-certainly on the RET-metro. You could metro it all the way-roundabout a bit-to den Haag for 4 eur.
NS gives out free personal chipcards for those subscribing to any type of season, but thus is a giant hurdle to take from abroad due to necessary credit checks. I have even 2 of them.

 

[lawrence_hardy]

Note that-other as the Oyster/leap etc, there are 2 types of OV-chip: anonymous or personal=with your foto+name (and formerly birthdate also) on it.
The latter of course needs to be individually produced and is a necessity for any type of discount or season. These will only be sent out to BE and DE beside of course domestic here.
I somehow even recall that Stena would sell anon. ones in their purserssoffice-on board. But I also think sales would be minimal and due to the 5 yr. timecap on them had to be replaced too often to make that worthwhile.
There have been -many moons ago- issues about non acceptance of non-Dutch cards-but since IBAN and common European payment it is enforced to accept at least all those cards. Untill 31/12 last UK also participated in that and I assume your bank/creditcards will still do.
Note that fairly often the single use flat fare tickets work out cheaper as riding on chip for longer distance-certainly on the RET-metro. You could metro it all the way-roundabout a bit-to den Haag for 4 eur.
NS gives out free personal chipcards for those subscribing to any type of season, but thus is a giant hurdle to take from abroad due to necessary credit checks. I have even 2 of them.

Interesting chain of messages about the OV Chip card. I used to be a regular visitor to the Netherlands and although I live in the UK I managed to get a personal OV Chip card sent to an address I frequently used to visit in Belgium. That personal OV Chip card expires next month however and they have emailed to invite me to apply for a refund of the amount remaining on the card. When I tried though it would not accept my bank account details. It looks as if it only allows NL prefixed IBAN references. It rejected BE and ES prefixed IBANs which were for a Belgian and a Spanish bank I use. As an aside, GB prefixed IBAN should be accepted as the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) covers more than the EU and the UK remains a member. I'll have to look for another way for getting the refund.

 

[biko]

Interesting chain of messages about the OV Chip card. I used to be a regular visitor to the Netherlands and although I live in the UK I managed to get a personal OV Chip card sent to an address I frequently used to visit in Belgium. That personal OV Chip card expires next month however and they have emailed to invite me to apply for a refund of the amount remaining on the card. When I tried though it would not accept my bank account details. It looks as if it only allows NL prefixed IBAN references. It rejected BE and ES prefixed IBANs which were for a Belgian and a Spanish bank I use. As an aside, GB prefixed IBAN should be accepted as the Single European Payments Area (SEPA) covers more than the EU and the UK remains a member. I'll have to look for another way for getting the refund.

Is the credit more than €50? In that case, you could fill out a paper form which allows for any format of IBAN. I'm not sure if that same form can be used for smaller amounts. If you'd like a new card, there is also a paper form for renewing a personal OV-chipkaart which also has no format requirements for IBAN, although it costs €3 more than doing it online.

 

[lawrence_hardy]

No, it's just 33 euros. Thanks for the information. I'll look for the paper form and use that to reclaim if they allow smaller amounts. I didn't get much benefit from the personal OV card so I'll just buy an anonymous one from the machine next time I arrive at the Hook Holland.

 

[biko]

For nearly all visitors an anonymous card suffices, personal cards become interesting if you'd like a subscription, so you'd need to travel regularly.

The forms are weirdly enough different in English and Dutch and the English page doesn't mention the paper form for personal cards. The Dutch page with all forms is this one: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/vervangen-of-beeindigen/wat-te-doen-met-een-bijna-verlopen-kaart.htm I hope you can understand enough of it

 

[lawrence_hardy]

Thanks Biko, that's great. I opened the link and my phone automatically translated it into English. I studied Dutch at evening classes for a year in the 1980s but most of its forgotten now. I could never really use it much as whenever I went to the Netherlands nearly everyone replied in very good English!

 

[nlogax]

You would be welcome to the one clipped to my kitchen noticeboard. I've completely forgotten how much is left on it.

 

[biko]

You would be welcome to the one clipped to my kitchen noticeboard. I've completely forgotten how much is left on it.

If you want to know, you could use the credit checker on the homepage of
OV-chipkaart: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/home-1.htm#/

 

[nlogax]

If you want to know, you could use the credit checker on the homepage of
OV-chipkaart: https://www.ov-chipkaart.nl/home-1.htm#/

Good tip, thank you €16.80 left. @slammerTel, you'd be welcome to it.

 

[biko]

Good tip, thank you €16.80 left. @slammerTel, you'd be welcome to it.

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I’m not sure it is possible to let somebody else remove the credit from a personal card. It is needed to fill out all personal details and those probably have to meet the ones they have in their database for that card.

 

[lloydyyj]

I wasn’t able to get a personal card online without a dutch address - so I got my Dutch friend to do it for me