Tram and Trains in Amsterdam

I bought a 72-hour pass on the app and just buzzed in and out with the QR code on my phone.

My hotel sold transit tickets.

Yep You no longer need to buy an OV chipcard or buy individual tickets - its so much easier just using your credit or debit card ass you get on and off the train or tram.

@SusanM

You ended your post with the observation that each person needs their own credit card. My wife is an authorized user on my cards and some issuers have seen fit to have the same number on both cards so we will have to be careful not to use those on public transit.

Also, does tapping work on all public transit types?

Thanks

My husband and I carry separate distinct credit cards when we travel. No issues on any tram or train using the US issued chip cards.

The tapping in and out with your credit or debit card doesn’t just work on trains and trams in Amsterdam as the title of this thread may suggest. The tapping in and out system works everywhere in our country on every form of public transport. There are some isolated places in the country that are still in the process of adapting to this new system, but they will implement it in the next couple of weeks.
The important thing to know is that the new system is rolled out in such a way that you will always be able to tap out if you were able to tap in.

I still have an OV-Chipkaart with some value on it - are they likely to drop it altogether in the near future?

Dutch_traveler, Thank you. We'll be traveling a good deal by public transportation, including a couple of semi-long trips (e.g., Leiden to Leeuwarden). Do you still recommend the chipkaart in order to obtain time-of-travel discounts? And, if yes, I presume my wife and I would each have to purchase our own. Are they easily obtained (such as a ticket machine at Schiphol)? Thanks again.

“ Do you still recommend the chipkaart in order to obtain time-of-travel discounts?”

I’m not sure what time-of-travel discounts you’re talking about. There is a discount for off-peak train travel, but you need a personalized OVchipkaart with a monthly subscription and the option for NS to perform a direct debit on a Dutch bank account. So this is generally not available to tourists.
There are some discounts that are available to tourists too, but you don’t need an OVchipkaart to get them. You can simply buy these as an eticket.
For instance the 10% off peak discount;
https://www.ns.nl/en/featured/off-peak-early-booking

Or the Group ticket; https://www.ns.nl/producten/en/meest-gekocht/p/groepsticket-daluren

So, if I want to go to another city in the Netherlands or Brussels, I just tap into the train station and tap out when I leave??

Dutch_traveler, you correctly read my intent. I was referring to the discount for off-peak train travel. I'll go the e-ticket route, and thanks again.

Sara - I bought tickets ahead for Ghent in Belgium so I can’t speak to the tapping there. But yes, we just tapped into amsterdam Centraal at the barrier, and tapped out at the Leiden or Haarlem. And then the reverse for home. Keep track of which credit card you’re using. Must be the same. I showed it to a conductor when he came around with no issue.

“So, if I want to go to another city in the Netherlands or Brussels, I just tap into the train station and tap out when I leave??”

Yes, to doing this in the Netherlands. No, to doing this in Brussels which is in Belgium.
The tapping in and out with your credit or debit card works in the Netherlands for journeys that start and finish in the Netherlands. It doesn’t work on cross border train or bus travel. If you want to train to Belgium, you need to buy a separate train ticket.

@Kim, which app did you use for the purchase? Thanks

We’re just back from our trip and loved how easy it was to tap in and out. So much better than trying to figure out zones and fares as in other countries! But, just as a caveat that might help others, one issue we encountered was with an international eticket. We were traveling via train from Leiden to Dusseldorf with an eticket. I pulled up the ticket on my phone and scanned, but when I looked it had scanned into the station with my Google pay. I stopped at a customer service booth and the attendant told me I’d need to apply for a refund as it would charge me for the trip. In order to prevent it from happening I’d have needed to disable the credit card in Google pay. I checked and was charged, so, now do have the added step of needing to apply for a refund.

Being able to check in with a credit card sounds so much more convenient. How does this work for families though? Our family of five will be in the Netherlands next month. There must be some way other than getting credit cards for our three kids (which is not happening!).

The tapping in and out with credit cards is not the only way one can pay for public transport. You can also buy point to point tickets, multi day passes etc etc etc. What type of tickets to buy depends on what your travel plans are, what the ages of your children are etc etc etc.

We will be arriving in Amsterdam in 10 days with our adult son with Down Syndrome. Can we use our tap credit card for him when we ride the public transportation?

My understanding is each person needs a distinct card. If you’re carrying three cards, you’re good. If not, you’ll need to look into some of the other ticket options outlined above. Have fun!

Can I tap my credit card to pay for taking the airport bus into the city?

Yes, the buses also uses the tap in and out system. Just did it this week!

Everyone needs their own card. If you are traveling with a child or a person without an applepay on their phone or a tap credit card then you need to buy a ticket or a pass. When we were in Amsterdam we got 'Waterland' passes for the time we were in Volendam -- this included the trip to Amsterdam as well as the buses in the wetlands. In Amsterdam I got a 4 day pass which covered all of our travel in town and to the train station to leave.

You cannot cover your kids with your credit card -- they have to have their own ticket or card but it is easy to do. There are machines in all subway stations and at major tram stops. Just get passes for those without credit cards that work on the system on arrival at the airport or train station.

Never figured-out what I was doing wrong, but I really struggled on a recent trip to get my phone in the "right position" to tap in and tap out. This was using a multi-day, unlimited ride pass downloaded to my iPhone. On my final day I only needed a single trip to the airport and used my credit card. Worked easily both tap in and out.

“ Should we buy the TripKey pass or the Amsterdam Travel Ticket?”

I’m afraid you read outdated information. Tripkey ceased to exist years ago already.
Which pass works best depends on how many trips a day you plan to take.