Adding the 'pre-paid travel with NS' facility to your card (e-purse)
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:
- 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
- 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
On this page:
- Weekend Vrij, Dal Vrij, Dal Voordeel or Altijd Voordeel
- Altijd Vrij or Kids Vrij
- Voordeelurenabonnement (off-peak season ticket) bought before 6 September 2010
- Voordeelurenabonnement (off-peak season ticket) bought after 6 September 2010
- Anonymous OV-chipkaart that has not yet been used for NS journeys
- Personalised OV-chipkaart without an NS season ticket
- Student OV-chipkaart
Weekend Vrij, Dal Vrij, Dal Voordeel or Altijd Voordeel
All you need to do is add credit to the balance on your OV-chipkaart and then you can travel by checking in and out with NS.
Altijd Vrij or Kids Vrij
You can check in and out with your OV-chipkaart straight away. You do not need to add any credit either.
Voordeelurenabonnement (off-peak season ticket) bought before 6 September 2010
1. Activating the card
You need to go with your OV-chipkaart to an NS ticket machine at a station or another retrieval point
- Hold your OV-chipkaart in front of the card reader, which is under the screen at the right
- Select 'Retrieve order' on the screen and then press 'Confirm'
2. Adding credit
The final step before you can check in and out for your NS journeys is to add credit.
Voordeelurenabonnement (off-peak season ticket) bought after 6 September 2010
All you need to do is add credit to the balance on your OV-chipkaart and then you can travel by checking in and out with NS.
Anonymous OV-chipkaart that has not yet been used for NS journeys
1. Adding the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product to your OV-chipkaart
You need to take your card to an NS ticket machine at the station, where you can load the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product onto your OV-chipkaart (a one-off action).
- Hold your OV-chipkaart in front of the card reader, which is under the screen at the right
- There are three ways in which you can add 'pre-paid travel with NS' to your OV-chipkaart:
o If you add credit to your OV-chipkaart at an NS
ticket machine, then the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product for second-class
travel will automatically be put on your card.
o You can also select the option 'pre-paid travel without
an NS season ticket' on the screen, choose which class you wish to travel in and
then press 'Confirm'.
o Alternatively, you can select the option 'Buy NS
products' on the screen, followed by 'Pre-paid travel without NS season ticket'
and the class you want to travel in. Finally, press 'Confirm'.
You can have 'pre-paid travel with NS' added to your OV-chipkaart directly at any NS service desk.
If you want to load 'pre-paid travel with NS' from another OV-chipkaart pick-up point.
2. Adding credit
The final step before you can check in and out for your NS journeys is to add credit. As was mentioned earlier, you can also choose to add credit directly at an NS ticket machine. In that case, the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product is added automatically to your OV-chipkaart.
Personalised OV-chipkaart without an NS season ticket
1. Adding 'pre-paid travel with NS' to your OV-chipkaart
There are three ways in which you can add 'pre-paid travel with NS' to your OV-chipkaart at an NS ticket machine:
- If you add credit to your OV-chipkaart at an NS ticket machine, then the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product for second-class travel will automatically be put on your card.
- You can also select the option 'Pre-paid travel without an NS season ticket' on the screen, choose which class you wish to travel in and then press 'Confirm'.
- Alternatively, you can select the option 'Buy NS products' on the screen, followed by 'Pre-paid travel without NS season ticket' and the class you want to travel in. Finally, press 'Confirm'.
You can have 'pre-paid travel with NS' added to your OV-chipkaart directly at any NS service desk.
If you want to load 'pre-paid travel' onto your card at another OV-chipkaart
pick-up point.
You will receive an e-mail within one hour of making your request telling you
that you can load 'pre-paid travel with NS' onto your card at one of the
OV-chipkaart pick-up points.
2. Topping up credit
The final step before you can check in and out for your NS journeys is to add credit.
As stated earlier, you can also choose to add credit directly at an NS ticket machine. In that case, the 'pre-paid travel with NS' product is added automatically to your OV-chipkaart.
Student OV-chipkaart
1. Activating the card
You need to go with your card to an NS ticket machine at a station or another pick-up point
- Hold your OV-chipkaart in front of the card reader, which is under the screen at the right
- Select 'Retrieve order' on the screen and then press 'Confirm'
2. Adding credit
The final step before you can check in and out for your NS journeys is to add credit.