OVpay - Frequently asked questions

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General

What is OVpay?

OVpay is the new way to check in and out on public transport. Check in with the new OV-pas, your debit card or credit card. 

Should I switch now?

It is permitted and possible. However, you do not need to switch immediately, but it is convenient to do so when your OV-chipkaart expires. Do you have a subscription? Always check with your transport provider to see if the subscription is already available on OVpay.

What are the advantages of travelling with OVpay?

Do you travel without an OV-chipkaart? Then your biggest advantage is that you no longer have to buy separate tickets. You also pay at the attractive OV-chipkaart rate. This makes travelling by public transport easier and cheaper!

Do you travel with an OV-chipkaart? Then your biggest advantage is that you never have to top up your balance again. It also saves you a card in your wallet.

Please note: do you travel with a season ticket or discount? Then travelling with OVpay sometimes is not yet possible. Keep travelling with your OV-chipkaart.

How much will my trip cost with OVpay?

As standard, you pay a basic fare and a price per kilometre travelled for each journey. These are the same fares as when travelling with an OV-chipkaart. You can also travel with a season ticket. In that case, special fares apply. More information about season tickets at HTM can be found here.

Where can I view my travel expenses?

To do so, use the OVpay App or visit the OVpay website. Enter the total amount debited and the reference number shown on your bank statement.

Is OVpay secure?

OVpay is as secure as paying by debit card in a shop. We cannot see your bank details and the bank cannot see your travel details.

Can I use my subscription to travel on OVpay?

Yes, most transport operators develop subscriptions specifically for OVpay. Check here to see which subscriptions HTM has available for OVpay.

Checking in and out

Do I always have to check in and out?

Yes, just like with the OV-chipkaart, you must always check in and out with your OV-pas or debit/credit card. If you forget to check out, you will be charged €4.00. This is almost always more expensive than the fare.

Always check in and out with the same card. 

Can I use any debit card to travel with OVpay?

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

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

You can travel with OVpay with:

  • A contactless debit card from ABN Amro, ASN Bank, bunq, ING, Rabobank, RegioBank and SNS.
  • A contactless credit card from Mastercard or Visa (among others issued by ICS)
  • 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 travelling with this, we just cannot guarantee that it will work in all cases. This is due to the technical capabilities of our card readers.

I have my contactless debit or credit card on my mobile. Can I also check in and out with that?

Yes you can. Just keep in mind that the pass on your mobile phone will be seen as a different pass than the physical card. So always check in and out using the same card. This will avoid unnecessary costs.

Do I have to take my debit or credit card out of my wallet or case when checking in and out?

Yes. Only hold the card you want to check in and out with against the card reader and not your entire wallet or phone case. This way, you check in and out with the card of your choice and avoid double-checking in or out with another OV-chipkaart or payment card. Otherwhise too much money will be deducted from your account.

Can several people travel on 1 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 several payment cards linked to the same bank account, each can travel with their own card.

Tip: travelling with children up to 12 years old? Then buy the HTM Kinder Dagkaart 

Why do I have to use the same pass to check in and out?

Each pass (OV-chipkaart, debit card, credit card, mobile payment card and OV-pas) is seen as a unique means of payment; even if the passes are from the same account. If you check in and out with different 'passes', this is seen as two separate journeys. Therefore, always check in and out using the same pass.

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

No worries. You can easily correct your travel transaction via ovpay.nl. Any excess travel costs paid will then be refunded. Click here to correct your journey. Please note: this can be done from 6 hours after your journey. You have a total of 60 days to adjust your check-in or check-out.

Why does it say 'accepted' as check-in/check-out?

Our card readers sometimes need to get used to OVpay, which is why it sometimes says 'Accepted'. Rest assured, this is a valid check-in or check-out.

Why is my debit card being declined?

First of all: annoying that this is happening! It could be that you:

  • have a debit card from a bank other than ABN AMRO, ASN Bank, bunq, ING, Knab, Rabobank, RegioBank, SNS or Triodos.
  • do not have enough money in your account.
  • your debit card is blocked for public transport.

If your public transport debit card is blocked, this is often because we were unable to debit the amount after your last trip. We always try a few more times to debit the amount from your account. But you can also pay the amount yourself. When you have paid the amount, or when we have been able to debit it, you can travel on public transport again with this debit card.

Payment

It will be my trip paid for?

Your trips will be settled at the bank linked to your debit or credit card. You will see the cost of your travel as a single amount on your bank statement a day later.

How much does my trip cost with OVpay?

Travelling with OVpay costs the same as travelling with OV-chipcard at full fare.

Check our rates.

Where can I view my travel expenses?

To view your travel expenses, use the OVpay App or check the OVpay website. Enter the total amount debited and the reference number shown on your bank's payment statement.

An incorrect amount has been withdrawn from my account, now what?

Request a correction using this form. Is it not possible? Please contact our customer service.

My journey with OVpay is more expensive than with my OV-chipkaart, how is this possible?

With OVpay, you always travel on balance full fare. Subscriptions and discount do not yet work with OVpay, so this is not yet settled at the check-in or check-out.

We are working hard to make travel with a season ticket and discount possible soon. This is expected to be possible later this year.

So do you travel with a season ticket or discount? Then use your OV-chipkaart for a while longer.

What happens if I have insufficient balance in my bank account?

Basically, you can just check in and out with your debit card. The settlement for your journey is processed overnight. If your balance is not enough, your debit card will be blocked for checking in and out on public transport.

We will then try to debit your account several times. As soon as you have succeeded, you can check in and out again with your contactless debit or credit card.

Of course, you can still use your OV-chipkaart or buy a ticket.

My contactless payment card or credit card is blocked for checking in and out due to not enough balance. Can I transfer this outstanding amount to OVpay?

You cannot transfer the outstanding amount directly to OVpay.

However, you can make sure that your account has enough balance so that you can check in and out with your debit/credit card again. Depending on your bank, it will make several attempts to debit your account.

How much balance should be in my account?

Make sure you have enough balance to pay for your rides for one day

  • The rides will be debited from your account in one go the next day. If the debit is not successful because there is not enough balance on your account, your contactless debit or credit card will be blocked for checking in and out on public transport.
  • We will then try several more times to debit the amount due from your account. It varies per bank how long it takes for a new attempt to take place.
  • As soon as it is successful, you can check in and out again with your contactless debit or credit card. If the amount due cannot be debited, travel with your OV-chipkaart or buy a ticket.
Can me and my partner both use each our own debit card from our joint bank account?

Yes, you can. It works the same if, for example, you both go to a shop and on a terrace to withdraw money at the same time. If you both travel and each check in using the debit card, you will find a debit from both trips in your joint bank account.

Is your question not among them?

Explore travelling with your bank card, creditcard or mobile phone. Do you have more questions about OVpay? Check out these websites: