This problem mainly occurs with Android phones with Google Pay loaded.
Since the end of last month it has been possible to travel anywhere on the railways with your debit card or mobile phone. According to the author Eric van den Berg of the news channel NBR does the new payment method have a disadvantage and unwary travelers can suddenly see 20 euros disappear from their account. Traveling with a debit card can lead to more ghost payments in public transport. OVPay is very easy. You hold your contactless debit card, credit card or mobile against the card reader or the gate and 'bleep', you are checked in.
After your trip you check out in the same way, with the same pass. It's that simple. It resembles contactless payment in the supermarket, with the difference that you check out at your destination. The system then registers a check-in on the debit card without checking out. The NS then charges the so-called 'correction rate'.
Anyone who accidentally comes near the check-in pole with his or her phone must pay 20 euros. The system then registers a check-in on the debit card without checking out. The NS then charges the so-called 'correction rate'. This problem mainly occurs with Android phones with Google Pay loaded. This app does not always ask for payment confirmation.
After a tip from a duped traveler, BNR requested figures from OVPay. According to an OVPay spokesperson, the introduction of the system has led to an 'absolute increase' in incorrectly charged travel expenses.
However, the organization does not have precise figures. The NS previously announced that OVPay was used 70.000 times in the first week after its introduction to check in or out. NS is aware that OVPay can lead to problems with payment. According to OVPay, the problems with payment are a matter of habituation. You can use OVpay on the NS, Qbuzz and Arriva trains (in Limburg). By the end of March, it should be possible to check in and out with a payment card or smartphone in all public transport.
What one traveler noticed is that when checking in at Arriva with OVpay, all transactions now take about 3 seconds, both with bank cards and with the OV chip card. Arriva drivers complain that because boarding and disembarking takes more time, they have more difficulty meeting the timetable.
The new check-in and check-out in public transport is already possible in various places and will soon be everywhere. OVpay is the new way of checking in and out in public transport in the Netherlands. What's new? If you travel second class and without a discount or subscription, you will soon be able to choose from all carriers with which you check in and out! It is already possible in many places with your contactless debit card, credit card or mobile phone. You choose what suits you best.
When the OVPay payment system was introduced, more travelers used this option during the weekend than during the week. According to an NS spokesperson, this is because there are more occasional travelers on Saturdays and Sundays, who take the train for a day out, for example. When you use OVpay, it is important that you remove the card from your wallet. Otherwise, the scanner may register multiple passes. The result: you pay for your trip more than once. So pay attention.
