There’s a bit of confusion about whether foreign (ie non Dutch) tourists can “use” OVPay to purchase tickets and passes to use on the GVB (Amsterdam) trams, metro trains, buses, etc. Non Dutch tourists can only use OVPay with their (physical or smartphone/watch) foreign credit card (to tap, ie NFC, in and out). The GVB app allows non-Dutch users to purchase Amsterdam ticket or pass QR codes (that need to be activated in the app) but they are not processed via OVPay, instead the Buckaroo service is used, yet because not all entry and exit points (eg Amsterdam Metro stations) have QR readers that purchased QR ticket could be useless. Since only tickets and passes purchased via OVPay online accounts (or physical OVPay or OV Chipkarts linked to an online account, only available to those with Dutch bank cards) qualify for the lower price, non Dutch tourists should only use (tap in and out with) their foreign credit cards to reliably use the local Amsterdam transit. Unlike the old paper chipkart system that allowed non Dutch tourists to pay the local rate, the new system is effectively a tourist tax, which is “fine”, but they do a poor job of making all of this clear🙂
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The Netherlands
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For trains anyone who’s willing to travel in off-peak hours can profit from significantly lower rates on trains with the Price-time deal which is available to everyone; https://www.ns.nl/en/featured/prijstijd-deal
In addition to that, seniors both local and tourists can get a discount for trams, busses and metros.
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The Netherlands
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If you take the bus, tram or metro in Amsterdam you simply tap your credit card or debit card at the reader when you board the bus or tram or when you enter the metro station. You tap again when you disembark the tram or bus or when you exit the metro station. You will then be charged the same fare as everyone else, local or non-local.