The NS will start a trial with contactless check-in and check-out from the end of the month. Participants can do this with a debit or credit card, or with a phone or smartwatch to which a payment card is linked.
By our tech editorsStarting next week, the NS will be looking for people who want to participate in the trial at six Dutch stations. These are the stations Amsterdam Central, Rotterdam Central, The Hague Central, Utrecht Central, ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Delft. From 29 August, participants can then travel on all NS routes in the country with their debit card or telephone.
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Participants travel by train without a discount or subscription and pay for a second class ticket, but are allowed to travel in first class without additional payment until 1 November.
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The NS wants to use the trial to make it easier to check in and out on the train. “You no longer have to go to a ticket machine to buy a ticket or load your balance, but you can check in immediately and quickly catch your train,” says Ivo Steffens, director of commerce at NS.
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According to him, traveling with a debit card will be an addition to traveling with the public transport chip card or an online ticket. So it will not replace existing ways. By first testing check-in with a debit card, NS gains insight into the experiences of users, for example in terms of user-friendliness and comprehensibility.
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The test only applies to train journeys. It is not known when the option for travel with a payment card will be extended to all travelers.
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