This page describes how you can retrieve or buy traveling credit for your Public Transport Chip Card at an AVM (Add Value Machine) in the Netherlands.
Option 1: Retrieving traveling credit that you’ve bought online
When you buy a public transport chip card at Public Transport Holland Shop we will do two things:
- We put the credit you buy ready for pick up at an AVM in the Netherlands. Your credit is guaranteed to be there when you pick it up and it won’t expire
- We ship your public transport chip card to the address that you register at the check-out page
As soon as you arrive in the Netherlands and wish to use your credit for the bus, tram, metro or train, you can retrieve it at an AVM. This is a normal procedure that Dutch users of the chip cards also do. The AVM’s are yellow machines, found at the train stations (including Schiphol Airport), metro stations, most supermarkets and many convenience stores.
The only thing you need to do is present your chip card in the appropriate slot. The machine will now read your chip card and present the possible options: ‘pick-up purchases’ and ‘top-up balance’. In this case you may simply choose the option: ‘pick-up purchases’. The machine will now write the credit that we’ve prepared for you (that you bought) on to your chip card. This takes a couple seconds. When the machine gives the audio signal (beeps) you may take out your chip card. Your credit is now on the card and ready for use.
You may also change the language of the interface of the machine to English, German, or French.
With the AVM at the train station or Schiphol you need to present your card once, choose your option and then present your card again to write the credit.
Option 2: Buying traveling credit at an AVM
You may also simply buy the chip card without any credit and buy your credit at an AVM in the Netherlands. The procedure for this is similar to the one you’ve read above. However in this case you will choose the option: ‘top-up balance’. After you make this choice, the machine requests you to make the payment for the credit. Both machines you see above accept PIN as payment method which is a common payment method in the Netherlands. The AVM’s at the train stations and at Schiphol Airport also accept MasterCard, VISA or coins (but not bills). After you make your payment and the machine gives the audio signal, you may take back your chip card and your credit is ready for use.
With the AVM at the train station or Schiphol you need to present your card once, make the payment and then present your card again to write the credit.
Why do we do it like this?
Using this method reduces our risk and also helps ensure a safe and speedy delivery of your order. In case you opt to refund your order, of course your full product costs are refunded, including the credit! (And this way, even when you can’t send your chip cards back to us, we can at least refund your credit). When you arrive in the Netherlands and you expect to be short in time, it may be convenient when you only need to retrieve the credit, as opposed to buying it at the AVM with your bank card.
Whichever option you pick, we guarantee delivery of your chip cards, and any products you purchase at Public Transport Holland Shop. If you opt to buy your chip cards including credit, we guarantee your credit is going to be ready for pick up when you arrive.