If you have flown into Schiphol any time since 2022 you have probably seen two sets of gates at the train station - the older grey OV-chipkaart readers and the newer pink and blue OVpay ones. By the end of 2027 the older ones will be gone. Here is what that means for a 2026 trip, the short version: use the contactless bank card already in your pocket.
The longer version, because the system has a few sharp edges that catch visitors out.
The 30-second answer
| Payment method | Cost to set up | Best for | Catches |
|---|---|---|---|
| OVpay with contactless card | €0 | Most tourists, all trip lengths | Tap in and out with the same card or phone every time |
| OVpay with Apple Pay / Google Pay | €0 | Travellers who never want to fish out a card | Don't mix your wallet phone and physical card on the same trip |
| Anonymous OV-chipkaart | €7.50 (card) + balance | Almost nobody now | Still works in 2026, phased out end of 2027 |
| Amsterdam Travel Ticket | €18 / 1 day, €23.50 / 2 day, €29 / 3 day | Visitors who want one all-inclusive ticket incl. the Schiphol train | Less flexible than tap-and-go for short city-only trips |
| GVB day pass | ~€9.50 / 24h | Heavy tram-and-metro days within Amsterdam | Doesn't include the NS train from Schiphol |
For 80% of visitors the answer is the first row. You tap your bank card or phone on the way in, tap on the way out, and you are done.
What is OVpay, exactly?
OVpay is the Dutch contactless-payment system that runs across every train, tram, metro, bus and ferry in the country. It was launched in 2022 alongside the OV-chipkaart and has been quietly taking over since.
You tap your card or phone at the pink-and-blue OVpay reader when you start a journey. The system creates an open "check-in" attached to that card. When you tap out at the end of the journey the fare is calculated and queued. The next business day the total is debited from your bank account, usually as a single bundled charge - "OVpay" or "NL OVCHIPKAART/TLS" on the statement.
There is no app you need to install, no balance to top up, no Dutch bank account required. The fare is the standard PAYG rate - the same the OV-chipkaart charges - and there is no per-tap fee.
What is changing in 2026 and 2027?
In January 2026 Trans Link Systems (the company that runs the back-end) confirmed that the OV-chipkaart will be fully retired by the end of 2027. Two things are replacing it:
- OVpay - for anyone with a contactless bank card or phone wallet. This is what 90% of tourists already use without thinking about it.
- The OV-pas - a new physical card for Dutch residents who don't want to use a bank card. €6, valid for five years, and account-based: your subscriptions and discounts live in an online profile rather than on the card itself. Useful for kids, for people on subsidised transport, or for anyone who specifically doesn't want to tap their bank card.
For a 2026 visit, none of this matters. The chipkaart still works, OVpay works, and you simply don't need to buy a separate card. Skip the queue at the Schiphol service desk and walk straight to the OVpay gates.
The Schiphol-to-Centraal logistics
This is the single most common visitor scenario. Step by step:
1. Walk down from the arrivals hall into Schiphol Plaza 2. Find the OVpay gates (pink and blue, marked with the OVpay logo and a card-tap icon) 3. Tap your contactless debit card, credit card, or phone wallet on the reader. The gate opens. 4. Take the train to Amsterdam Centraal (~17 minutes, departs every few minutes during the day) 5. Tap the same card or phone on the orange OVpay/NS gates at Centraal to check out 6. You're done. The fare (about €6 in 2026) is charged to your bank account the next day.
Two things that bite people:
- Same-card-in-and-out: If you tap your physical Visa to enter at Schiphol and then your phone (with Apple Pay backed by that same Visa) to exit at Centraal, the system sees two separate cards. One journey stays "open" and you get charged a maximum daily fare on it - somewhere around €25 - until manually closed. Pick one card or device and use it the whole trip.
- The NS gates at Centraal close: At quiet hours (typically 01:30–06:00) the gates may be locked. Look for the manned access point at the side, or check the gate-status signs.
What if I want a single all-inclusive ticket?
For visitors who'd rather pay once and not think about it, NS sells the Amsterdam Travel Ticket - one printed/digital ticket that covers the Schiphol↔Amsterdam Centraal train and unlimited GVB trams, metros, buses and ferries inside the city, for either 1, 2 or 3 days. 2026 prices are around €18, €23.50 and €29 respectively. Worth it if you'll do at least four GVB rides plus the airport round-trip; not worth it if you're mostly walking.
For comparing all the Amsterdam pass options side by side (Travel Ticket vs City Card vs GVB day pass vs OVpay-as-you-go), see our Amsterdam transport pass comparison.
What about the GVB day pass?
The GVB day pass is the city-transport-only option - good on every Amsterdam tram, metro, bus and ferry but not the NS train. Roughly €9.50 for 24 hours in 2026, with multi-day options going up to seven days.
The maths: a single GVB journey on OVpay is around €1.10 to enter plus per-kilometre charges - typical short tram ride lands at €2 to €3. If you'll do four or more rides in 24 hours, the day pass wins. If you'll do two or three, OVpay is cheaper and simpler.
Does OVpay work with my American / Canadian / Australian card?
Yes for the vast majority of contactless Mastercard and Visa debit and credit cards from any country. Apple Pay and Google Pay backed by those cards also work reliably.
Things that have been reported as flaky:
- A small number of US debit cards from smaller banks
- Some prepaid travel cards (Revolut and Wise both work fine in 2026)
- Older non-contactless chip-and-PIN cards (these won't work at all)
Bring two cards in case one is refused. Loading one card into Apple Pay as a backup is the simplest fallback.
Common mistakes that cost money
- Tapping the same gate twice without travelling: this opens and immediately closes a journey - usually no charge, but the gate may refuse you for a few minutes
- Walking through an open gate behind someone else without tapping: the system has no idea you're there, and your eventual exit-tap looks like you boarded a train without paying. You'll be charged a maximum-fare penalty
- Mixing physical card and phone wallet on the same journey (covered above)
- Forgetting to tap out: the system charges you the maximum daily fare on that line. If this happens, you can request a refund via ovpay.nl within 30 days
- Assuming the OV-chipkaart you bought in 2019 still has a positive balance: anonymous chipkaarts expire after five years. Check via the OV-chipkaart website before turning up at the gates
The honest summary
You almost certainly don't need to buy a card. Tap your contactless bank card or phone wallet at the pink-and-blue OVpay readers, use the same card or device for the whole trip, and the rest sorts itself out.
The exception is if you specifically want a single all-inclusive 1-3 day ticket that bundles the Schiphol airport train with city transport - in which case the Amsterdam Travel Ticket is the cleanest buy. Or if you'd otherwise be visiting 2+ included museums plus using transport, in which case the I Amsterdam City Card is the better single purchase. For pure city transport on heavy-tram days, the GVB day pass still beats per-journey OVpay.
For everything else - tap your card and walk on.