Preparing your OV-chipkaart for use

If you have bought an OV-chipkaart without an NS season ticket from NS (from an NS service desk or an NS ticket machine) then you will be able to use it immediately for your NS train journeys. All you have to do is to add credit to the balance on your card and check in before starting your train journey.

If you bought your OV-chipkaart somewhere else then you will not usually be able to check in and out with NS straight away. This is because NS gives you the choice of travelling first class or second class. You need to make that choice by adding the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product for first-class or second-class travel to your OV-chipkaart at an NS ticket machine or service desk.
Once you have done this, it will be clear which class you are travelling when you check in and the correct journey price will be deducted from your balance. If you want to change the class you are travelling in at a later date, you can do this at an NS ticket machine.

You can also arrange for 'pre-paid travel with NS' to be added to your OV-chipkaart or arrange a change of class at any NS service desk.

Depending on your card and season ticket type, you may need to take a number of steps:

1. Adding credit to the balance at an NS ticket machine or service desk - the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product for second-class travel will automatically be put on your OV-chipkaart
2. If you already have sufficient credit stored on your card, you can go to an NS ticket machine or service desk to add the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product to your OV-chipkaart

Topping up credit
You pay for your journey with the credit stored on your card every time you check in and out.

Where can I top up credit?
You can top up the credit balance at any NS ticket machine as well as at NS service desks, ov-chipkaart.nl  

How do I top up the balance at an NS ticket machine?

• Hold your OV-chipkaart in front of the card reader, which is under the screen at the right
• Select 'Add credit' on the screen
• Select an amount
• Pay with your Dutch bank card, Dutch Chipknip smartcard or cash.
• Then hold your OV-chipkaart in front of the card reader again

How much credit balance do I need?
Whenever you check in with NS, a temporary boarding fee will be deducted from your card. This is a kind of deposit. The journey price is calculated when you check out and any discount deducted automatically. If the journey price is less than the boarding fee, the difference will automatically be credited to your OV-chipkaart.

This means you always need to have at least the boarding fee in credit on your card to be able to check in with NS. The boarding fee is €10 for holders of a personalised OV-chipkaart with Weekend Vrij, Dal Vrij, Dal Voordeel, Altijd Voordeel or Voordeelurenabonnement. There is no boarding fee for the Kids Vrij and Altijd Vrij season tickets. The boarding fee for holders of a personalised OV-chipkaart without a season ticket or an anonymous OV-chipkaart is €20.

You can store up to €150 in credit on your card.