OVpay at HTM: Use your debit or credit card to travel.

Ever smarter, ever easier!

At HTM you can now travel with OVpay: that's checking in with your debit or credit card. Just hold your card against the card reader to check in and out and that's it!

This is how we make public transport travel ever smarter and ever easier.

How does OVpay work?

Travelling as a tourist in The Hague? Here’s what you need to know:

You can easily ride HTM trams and buses using OVpay Netherlands — just tap your credit card or debit card. No need for a separate OV‑chipkaart. Make sure to check in and out with the same card to avoid extra charges. You’ll be charged at the same public transport fare rate, and your journey details appear on your bank statement the next day.

Reizigers lopen naast HTM tram bij de Mall Of The Netherlands

What is OVpay?

OVpay is the new way to travel in the Netherlands. You use your ordinary debit or credit card to check in and out of public transport. So you no longer need a separate OV-chipkaart.

Reiziger checkt uit met OV-pay in HTM tram

How does it work?

Get in the tram or bus. Hold your debit card against the card reader near the door for a moment. When getting off, do it again. The cost is automatically debited from your account. Just like with contactless payment in the store.

Who is OVpay suitable for?

For anyone who wants to travel easily. OVpay is convenient if you do not travel often, forget your OV-chipkaart or prefer to use one pass. Tourists can also use it easily. If you want to sign up for age discount click here.

What passes can you use?

You can travel with a contactless debit card from almost all Dutch banks. Want to know if your card is capable? Then click here. Do you have a foreign contactless debit or credit card from Maestro, V PAY, Mastercard or VISA? You can simply check in and out with that too.

Do I need to set up or link anything?

You don't have to register or activate anything. Just check in and out, and that's it. Want to check your travel history later? Then you can voluntarily link your pass to an online account via ovpay.nl.

Reiziger betaalt met pinpas voor HTM tramkaartje in HTM tram

What does it cost?

You pay the same as with an OV-chipkaart. There are no extra costs for using OVpay. You pay the regular boarding and mileage rates, as you are used to with HTM. If you travel with a subscription on your OV-chipkaart, click here and see if your subscription is also available for the payment card.

How do I link my debit card if I want to buy a subscription?

Step 1: Travel with your debit card first. Check your payment statement the next day. Step 2: In your payment statement (APP), you will find a payment reference and the amount debited. The payment reference consists of 18 digits and letters and starts with NLOV. Enter this code as soon as you link your card.

Reizigers zitten in HTM bus en lachen naar de camera

Age discount on your debit card.

If you are 4 to 11 years old or 65+, you will travel with 34% discount on your debit card at HTM. Click here for more information.

What if I forget to check out?

No worries. You can correct your travel transaction via ovpay.nl. Click here to correct your trip.

How can I be sure it's going to be okay?

If the check-in goes well, you will see a confirmation on the card reader screen. You will also hear one short beep. When checking out, you get another notification on the screen and hear a short double beep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I travel with my child with OVpay?

Can I travel with my child using OVpay?

Yes, you can if your child has their own bank card with contactless payment. Your child will then check in and out themselves with their own card.

Doesn't your child have its own bank card? Then there are other possibilities:

HTM Kinder Dagkaart: For €1.50 your child travels with HTM for a whole day. For sale through the HTM webshop.
Free travel with Kids for Nothing: Does your child (4 to 11 years) live in the municipality of The Hague? Then apply for free travel via bereikbarestad.denhaag.nl.
Travel with a personal OV-chipkaart: With this you can load a child fare or season ticket.
Travelwith an anonymous OV-chipkaart: Travel on balance

How much will my trip cost with OVpay

Traveling with OVpay costs the same as balance travel with the OV chip card.

Can I use any debit card to travel with OVpay?

Most banks are affiliated with OVpay, make sure you have contactless payment on. Pre-registration is not necessary. Just make sure you have sufficient balance in your bank account or spending limit on your credit card.

Tip: Always take your pass out of your wallet when checking in and out.

Traveling with OVpay can be done with:

A contactless debit card from ABN Amro, ASN Bank, bunq, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank and SNS.
A contactless credit card from Mastercard or Visa (issued by ICS, among others)
A contactless debit or credit card from Maestro, V-pay, Mastercard or Visa.
Mobile phone* to which your account is linked. So this also works with Apple Pay and Google Wallet!

* Is your wearable linked to your account? You can try to travel with this, we just can't guarantee that it will work in all cases. This is due to the technical capabilities of our card readers.

Can more than one person travel with the same debit or credit card?

No, this is not possible. As with the OV-chipkaart, one pass is the ticket for one person. If you have multiple debit cards linked to the same bank account, each can travel with their own pass.

Tip: Are you traveling with children up to 12 years old? Then buy the HTM Kids Day Pass for €1.50-

How will my trip be charged?

Your travel is charged at the bank linked to your debit or credit card. You will see the cost of your travel as one amount on your bank statement a day later.

What do I do if I forget to check in or out?

Fortunately, you can edit this yourself! Note that this can be done starting 6 hours after your trip. You have a total of 60 days to adjust your check-in or check-out.

Good to know:

Do you receive money back from us? This will be transferred to your account within 15 days.
Do you still have to pay? Within 15 days the amount will be deducted from your account.

I already travel with age discount on my OV-chipcard. Do I have to sign up for age discount on the debit card as well?

Yes, only if you sign up will you travel with age discount

Can I register for age discount on my debit card with HTM at the service counter or via htm.nl?

No, age discount is a nationwide service where you can only sign up through the OV pay app.

How do I put the OVpay app on my mobile?

Search your phone's app store for OVpay.

What can I do with the OVpay app?

See if you have checked in and out during your trip.
Update your missed check-in or check-out after only 6 hours.
Easily create an overview for your claims.
Add age discounts to your pass(es).

I want to buy an OVpay product and need to link my debit or credit card to do so. How does that work?

To do this, you must first make a streetcar, bus or train trip with your contactless payment card or credit card. One day after you have traveled, you will find a reference number consisting of 18 numbers and letters starting with NLOV in your payment statement. Enter this reference number along with the amount debited during the purchase process in the webshop to link your card.

Can I link a subscription to my debit or credit card?

Yes this is possible. HTM 20% Discount is a subscription that allows you to travel with OVpay at HTM with a 20% discount. More information about this subscription can be found here.

Man staat in HTM tram en kijkt op telefoon

Digi Helpline

Since March 2025, OVpay has partnered with the toll-free DigiHulpline to help travelers with digital questions. The DigiHulplijn provides telephone support, for example, when adding age discount on the debit card. Employees are specially trained for OVpay questions. The Digi Helpline can be reached at 0800-1508, Monday through Friday (8:00-22:00) and Saturday (9:00-18:00).

OVpay