Skip to content

For the first time, contactless payments have overtaken card-based payments

Published on:

In 2025, nearly 6 out of 10 debit card payments in the Netherlands were contactless (made using a smartphone or smartwatch). In 2024, more than 4 out of 10 debit card payments were contactless. In 2025, the number of contactless debit card payments made without a card exceeded the number of contactless debit card payments made with a card for the first time. This is evident from nation wide debit card statistics that the Dutch Payments Association has resumed publishing periodically starting this year.

Klant houdt een smartphone tegen een betaalterminal terwijl een medewerker het pinapparaat vasthoudt, tijdens een contactloze mobiele betaling.

In total, Dutch cardholders made 5.83 billion payments using their debit cards, smartphones, or smartwatches at Dutch points-of-sale over the past year, totaling €150 billion. The number of debit card payments was thus 1.2% higher than a year earlier, while the total amount spent rose by 2.2%. Consumers make more than a third of all debit card payments at supermarkets. The hospitality sector accounts for one in seven debit card payments.

In 2025, Dutch cardholders inserted a physical debit card into the payment terminal for less than 5% of all debit card payments. In 2024, that figure was over 6%. Cardholders are particularly likely to insert their debit card for large amounts, even though tap-to-pay with a physical debit card is possible for any amount, including very large sums of thousands of euros. For amounts over €50, however, the cardholder must always enter the correct PIN. When using a physical debit card, Dutch consumers spend an average of over €51, while tap-to-pay (with a card or mobile) averages nearly €25. At car dealerships, inserting a physical debit card results in an average transaction of nearly €702, whereas tap-to-pay averages €94.

From now on, the PIN numbers will be published again on PIN.NL(opens in new window) , once every quarter.

Related articles