OVpay used for 28% of Dutch public transport journeys

More than a quarter of public transport journeys in the Netherlands are now paid for using OVpay, the system being introduced to replace the country’s OV-chipkaart travel card.

State Secretary for Infrastructure Annet Bertram said in parliamentary answers that OVpay accounted for 28 per cent of all public transport journeys in mid-October. Among passengers travelling without a discount, it was used for 64 per cent of journeys.

Passengers can use an OVpay travel pass, a bank card, a phone or a smartwatch to check in and pay. Bertram expects the OV-chipkaart to stop being accepted at some point in 2028, with most passengers intended to switch next year.

The transition is not yet complete for several groups. Most discounts and season tickets offered by city and regional transport operators work with OVpay, but this is not yet the case for NS rail subscriptions, student travel cards and several business travel products. Bertram described moving these groups to the new system as complex.

She gave no detailed timetable, but said NS would connect its first new customers to the OVpay pass this year. The first students are also expected to switch from the OV-chipkaart this year.