E-tickets in the Netherlands

[AY1975]

Next month I'm travelling from London to Dordrecht using Eurostar to Rotterdam. I booked my tickets via the NS International website and have been issued with Eurostar e-tickets for the London to Rotterdam leg of the journey, which I can simply save in the "wallet" on my phone, and NS e-tickets for the Rotterdam to Dordrecht leg. I've saved these as PDFs on my phone and can also access them via the NS International app, but they say this ticket is only valid if it is of good quality, clearly legible and printed (colour or black & white) without any changes on blank, white A4 paper.

Will they still be valid (and will the barcode on them still work the ticket gates) if I present them on my phone, or does NS insist that e-tickets for international journeys must be printed out?

 

[rvdborgt]

NS insist on printed tickets or use of their app because of their bad gate design. Since the barcode readers are in the same location as the NFC/chipcard readers, the the NFC functionality will become active if you try to scan a barcode from your screen, except if the you use an app that suppresses NFC (such as the NS and NSI apps) or if you turn off NFC yourself. NS try to go around this by insisting on printed tickets or use of their app.
The barcode will still work from a screen, but if you have a contactless card in your phone, then it will try to check in or out and if NFC is active then you'll end up with €20 charged to your card. You can have that reimbursed.

 

[DanielB]

Domestic e-ticlets in the Netherlands are only valid as printout or as barcode in the app.
The PDF will perfectly work to open the gates, but be aware they may check you in with a bank card in your wallet (the NS app blocks NFC to avoid that)

 

[AY1975]

NS insist on printed tickets or use of their app because of their bad gate design. Since the barcode readers are in the same location as the NFC/chipcard readers, the the NFC functionality will become active if you try to scan a barcode from your screen, except if the you use an app that suppresses NFC (such as the NS and NSI apps) or if you turn off NFC yourself. NS try to go around this by insisting on printed tickets or use of their app.
The barcode will still work from a screen, but if you have a contactless card in your phone, then it will try to check in or out and if NFC is active then you'll end up with €20 charged to your card. You can have that reimbursed.

Does this mean that an international e-ticket presented using the NSI app is OK? If so, then that's fine, except that I don't seem to be able to zoom in on my ticket on the app whereas I can when I retrieve it from the document wallet on my phone (which NS won't accept).

 

[rvdborgt]

Does this mean that an international e-ticket presented using the NSI app is OK?

Yes, that's fine.
If nothing else works, you can always press the "i" button on the information pole, usually located next to the wide gate in each line of gates. Just say you have an international ticket and the gate doesn't like it, and then the gate will be opened remotely no questions asked.

 

[island]

It’s also fine to use a ticket presented in Apple Wallet if applicable.

 

[DanielB]

It’s also fine to use a ticket presented in Apple Wallet if applicable.

NS doesn't allow that, though the odds for the OP having his ticket inspected between Rotterdam and Dordrecht aren't very high.

 

[island]

NS doesn't allow that, though the odds for the OP having his ticket inspected between Rotterdam and Dordrecht aren't very high.

I’ve personally used tickets in Apple Wallet in the Netherlands with no issues.

 

[rvdborgt]

I’ve personally used tickets in Apple Wallet in the Netherlands with no issues.

Was that before 1/1/2023 or not? It's from that date that NS don't allow it anymore.

 

[island]

It was about 2 years ago. So that explains it.

 

[AY1975]

If you're using an e-ticket in the NS or NSI app (or have printed your e-ticket), do you have to sign in and sign out with it on the card reader at an ungated station, or do you only have to do this if you are using an OV-chipkaart or contactless payment card or device?

See also these now locked threads from last year on contactless payment in NL:

Netherlands introduce contactless for second class train travel

Hurrah! Saves having to get a Chipcard to get the proper fare! I think it confirms that you tap in at the station, and tap out on arrival? https://nltimes.nl/2023/01/26/train-passengers-can-check-using-contactless-cards-devices-next-week Train passengers can check in and out using contactless...

www.railforums.co.uk

and https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...s-and-home-country-interrail-validity.258319/

In the first of those threads, someone said the DB Navigator app doesn't suppress NFC (or at least it didn't at the beginning of last year) so I guess if you are starting or finishing a journey at a gated Dutch station using a DB e-ticket (or one from any other national carrier apart from NS) your safest bet is to print it.

 

[DanielB]

If you're using an e-ticket in the NS or NSI app (or have printed your e-ticket), do you have to sign in and sign out with it on the card reader at an ungated station, or do you only have to do this if you are using an OV-chipkaart or contactless payment card or device?

Only with a chipcard or contactless card, the barcode on an e-ticket only serves to open gates. The readers at ungated stations can't even read a QR code.

 

[rvdborgt]

In the first of those threads, someone said the DB Navigator app doesn't suppress NFC (or at least it didn't at the beginning of last year) so I guess if you are starting or finishing a journey at a gated Dutch station using a DB e-ticket (or one from any other national carrier apart from NS) your safest bet is to print it.

I'm not sure the DB already suppresses NFC. The ÖBB app still didn't 2 months ago, when I by accident used it to open a gate. I suppose there are more urgent issues to solve than implementing a workaround for bad gate design.

 

[nwales58]

Also the Interrail app suppresses NFC when showing the ticket, on iOS at least.

 

[AY1975]

Yes, that's fine.
If nothing else works, you can always press the "i" button on the information pole, usually located next to the wide gate in each line of gates. Just say you have an international ticket and the gate doesn't like it, and then the gate will be opened remotely no questions asked.

Is that also OK for cross-border journeys between the Netherlands and Belgium or Germany (e.g. Dordrecht to Antwerpen, Arnhem to Emmerich)? Will DB and SNCB/NMBS conductors accept e-tickets presented in the NSI app?

 

[DanielB]

Well, the NS International app would be pretty useless (and non existent) when they didn't as it's made for international tickets only.