Frequently asked questions

From January 1, 2026, the maximum amount that can be paid in cash between a merchant and a consumer is €3,000. This is a legal requirement to prevent money laundering and tax evasion. Different rules apply between private individuals. You may pay each other more than €3,000 in cash. However, for private transactions above €10,000, both parties are required to report this to the Dutch Tax Administration. It is not permitted to circumvent the limit by splitting a payment into several parts, even between private individuals.

With a standard European direct debit (via the Digital Mandate Service), you can have the amount reversed within 8 weeks of payment.

With Business Digital Mandate Service, it is not possible to reverse a payment after it has been processed.

Please note: a reversal does not release you from your payment obligation. If an agreement has been concluded, the collector can still demand payment.

Dutch banks currently offer three ways in which you can authorize collectors to collect from your account:

1. A signed authorization form that complies with the SEPA guidelines for European direct debit authorizations
2. (Digital) Mandate Service (recognizable by the logo)
   
3. An authorization form (PDF) signed with iDIN Sign that complies with the SEPA guidelines for European direct debit authorizations

Any of these three methods will give you a valid authorization. Direct debits that have not been made using one of these authorizations can be refunded up to 13 months after the debit date via your bank, using a procedure known as Melding Onterechte Incasso (Unjustified Direct Debit Notification).

Digital Mandate Service uses the same security techniques as online banking. This means that Digital Mandate Service is just as secure as logging in and making payments at your bank.

iDIN can already be used on more than 300 websites. These organizations have chosen to allow their customers to log in, identify themselves, or confirm their age securely and easily using the trusted login method provided by their bank. iDIN: Where can I use iDIN?(opens in new window)

iDIN was developed by banks for consumers. With iDIN, you can securely log in, identify yourself, and/or confirm your age with government agencies, insurance companies, and online stores in the same way. In addition, an age check can be performed upon delivery to your door by scanning the iDIN QR code. This is because you are using your bank’s secure and trusted login method. This means you have far fewer usernames and passwords to remember.

The aim of this European Accessibility Act is to ensure that people with disabilities throughout the European Union have the same (online) opportunities and user experience as people without disabilities. The EAA applies to a wide range of products and services, from ticket machines to e-books. The members and partners of the Dutch Payments Association focus on making banking services, ATMs, and other payment terminals (hardware and software) accessible to consumers. The Dutch Payments Association coordinates and supports these efforts.

De Nederlandsche Bank issues licenses to payment service providers that are allowed to offer their services in the Netherlands. The correct license or exemption in combination with a BIC that is suitable for the Netherlands is sufficient to be allowed to issue Dutch IBANs. Issuing payment institutions are Dutch or foreign banks, payment institutions, and electronic money institutions.

A payment service provider is an organization that processes or facilitates payments on behalf of customers. This could be a bank, for example, but also a fintech company that offers payments accounts, transfers money, or issues payment cards.
They are supervised by DNB as banks, payment institutions, or electronic money institutions and must comply with European regulations.

The Financial Supervision Act stipulates when someone is entitled to a payments account and when that right no longer applies. Most consumers can open a payments account, even if they have made a mistake in the past. However, the payment service provider may impose conditions. Information about basic payments accounts and basic bank accounts(opens in new window) . Individuals on a sanctions list do not have access to a payments account.

The Accessible Banking program is a support program in which banks and social organizations work closely together to make digital products and services more accessible and to offer more help to customers who have difficulty using digital services. The aim is to enable as many bank customers as possible to manage their everyday payments and banking affairs themselves. This means they must also be able to find the right information and the many forms of support quickly and easily. The program will run until 2030 and has its own website(opens in new window) with more information.

Research conducted by DNB(opens in new window) (2023) showed that around 2.6 million Dutch people are unable to manage their banking and payment affairs completely independently, for a variety of reasons. They are also often unable to find the existing support options and assistance available to them. The research also showed that people in vulnerable positions are more dissatisfied with everyday banking matters than the average Dutch citizen. That is why banks want to offer more help and raise awareness of this among this target group.

The main problems are transferring money, viewing statements and, to a lesser extent, checking balances and withdrawing cash. Most people generally have no trouble paying in stores. The Monitor Toegankelijk Bankieren(opens in new window) (2025) explores this issue in depth.

In 2023, the banks set up the Accessible Banking program to improve products and services and make help easier to find. They are working together on this program, with Geldmaat and numerous interest groups and social institutions. The program has its own website(opens in new window) with more information.

Tap-to-pay is a quick and easy way to pay by briefly holding your debit card, credit card, mobile phone, or smartwatch close to the payment terminal at the counter. If you pay tap-to-pay with a physical card, you usually don’t need a PIN code for amounts up to €50; for amounts above €50, you always have to enter your PIN code.

For instant payments, payment orders are exchanged and settled immediately per transaction. This means that once the instant payment transfer has been completed, the beneficiary can use the amount immediately and, if necessary, spend it straight away. When entering the payment order, the bank indicates whether it will be processed as an instant payment.

For traditional transfers, payment orders are exchanged in groups several times per working day, from Monday to Friday. As soon as the receiving bank receives the payment orders, they are processed and credited to the beneficiary’s account. The maximum processing time is one working day. It is therefore possible that a payment entered during the day on a working day will be processed within an hour. A payment order entered after closing time on Friday will usually only be processed on Monday.

This is an account-to-account cash transfer in euros to or from a payments account outside SEPA, whereby the bank within SEPA uses a standardized format. The advantage of a SEPA OLO is that all the necessary data for this international transfer is included in that standard format. This allows the payment to be exchanged in a uniform manner between banks that support SEPA OLO. Thanks to this standardization and the use of the instant payment route, the transaction is processed quickly and the beneficiary usually has access to the money almost immediately.

There is no general answer to this question. Costs may be charged by both your own bank and the recipient’s bank. Your own bank can best inform you about the costs that apply in your specific situation.

The transition from iDEAL to Wero will start in early 2026. Merchants and consumers will soon see a new logo: iDEAL | Wero. By the end of 2027 at the latest, every iDEAL merchant will have switched to Wero. After that, the iDEAL brand will gradually disappear.

iDEAL is an established Dutch payment method via bank transfer. Wero is a new European payment solution based on instant payments and open banking.

Yes, provided it is used responsibly. Pay attention to the terms and conditions and pay on time to avoid additional costs.

A digital wallet is an app in which you store payment methods (such as a credit card) and which you can use to make tap-to-pay or online payments.

Probably not. The ECB is investigating alternative technologies. DLT is being tested in experiments, but is not a starting point for the digital euro itself.

We are not actively involved in crypto initiatives, but are monitoring developments from a distance. Our focus is on ensuring the smooth functioning of regular payments.

No. Blockchain is a specific form of DLT in which transactions are linked in blocks. DLT is the umbrella term for all types of shared databases.

Crypto refers to digital currencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Blockchain is the technology that makes these currencies possible: a shared, immutable ledger of transactions.

• Select Return Debit Card/Refund from the payment terminal menu. An access code/password is required to access this function.
• The customer inserts their debit card into the payment terminal and confirms the transaction amount. This can also be done contactless. The debit card may be different from the one originally used to make the payment. This means that someone else can return a product and use their own debit card for the return transaction.
• The message “refund” or “repayment” on the payment terminal and the return receipt indicate that the return payment has been successful.
• An authorized cashier signs this return receipt. The cashier gives this return receipt to your customer.
• The amount will be credited to their bank account the next business day.

Your bank will settle your return PIN transaction with your PIN turnover. Please contact your bank for details. You can view all transactions, both incoming and return PINs, in detail in your payment terminal’s journal.

Merchants can sign a contract with card payment service providers. Card payment service providers can be banks, but also other parties besides banks. Your own bank can help you get started.

A European credit transfer is a payment in euros between IBAN accounts within the SEPA area. Most banks offer this service via online banking, mobile apps, or transfer forms.

If you transfer money to the wrong IBAN, the money will go to the account holder of that IBAN. First, request a refund by sending a message in a second transfer of 1 euro cent to the same IBAN. If the recipient does not respond, you can ask your own bank about the Procedure for Undue Payments. Under certain conditions, this allows your bank to ask the recipient of the payment to refund the amount. If the recipient does not respond within three weeks, your bank may provide you with the recipient’s name and address details. You can then try to recover the amount from the recipient through a bailiff.

Instant Payments are direct transfers where the amount is credited to the recipient’s account within seconds, around the clock and every day of the year, even between different banks and to other EU countries.

Contact your bank immediately. They can advise you on the steps to take and may launch an investigation.

The Procedure for Reversal Entries is intended for situations in which a bank has accidentally executed an incorrect or duplicate transfer, for example due to a technical malfunction. In that case, the bank can use this procedure to transfer the amount back to the original account. This only happens if it is clear that the error lies with the bank and not with the account holder.

Always try to resolve the issue with the payment service provider first. If you cannot reach an agreement, you can submit your complaint to the Financial Services Complaints Institute(opens in new window) (KiFiD).

In principle, every EU resident is entitled to a payments account. This right may be revoked in the event of certain legal violations. For more information, visit basisbankrekening.nl(opens in new window) .

No, the Dutch Payments Association is not a bank and does not offer accounts. The Dutch Payments Association cannot open a payments account for someone else or apply for one with payment service providers that do offer payments accounts (such as a bank).

Visit the overstapservice.nl(opens in new window) to find out what the participating banks will arrange for you and what you need to do yourself.

Only companies registered with the Chamber of Commerce can enter into a contract for iDEAL, card payments, or direct debits. In the case of an account-to-account transfer, the IBAN Name Check tells you which company you are paying. With the company’s trade name, you can look up the address details yourself at the Chamber of Commerce. You can then reclaim your money through a bailiff. You should also file a complaint (online) against the company and report it to your bank. If there are multiple complaints against the company, its payment service provider may terminate all payment services.

No, it is not required to do so, but under certain conditions, your bank will assist you in this matter. Here you can read how and under what conditions you can request the name and address details of someone whose IBAN you know from your own bank.

The bank must cooperate with a government claim from the Dutch Tax Administration or CJIB. Your bank cannot reverse this debit. The Dutch Tax Administration or CJIB will enforce the government claim if the citizen does not pay after receiving a reminder and a writ of execution. The amount of a single claim may be debited from your account in several smaller amounts. You cannot prevent this. You need part of your income to live on. This part may not be debited. You can check this amount at uwbeslagvrijevoet.nl(opens in new window) . If you have less than the seizure-free amount left, please call the Tax Information Line(opens in new window) .