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From zero to five billion in five years

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The five billionth contactless payment was made this month, five years after the first contactless payments in the Netherlands. Contactless payments now account for 59 per cent of all debit card payments.

The fastest growth was in public transport. Almost three times as many contactless payments were made on buses and trams in 2018 as in 2017, making public transport by far the sector with the fastest growth. Across all sectors, the number of contactless payments increased by half in 2018.

To mark the five billionth contactless payment, it was ceremonially captured in a photograph today on Arriva bus 140 from Tilburg to ’s-Hertogenbosch. “Contactless payments are particularly useful on buses,” says Arriva driver Lisa Werner. “They are much faster and safer. Robbers can no longer get anything from me. Contactless is extremely convenient for these small amounts, usually without a PIN.” At the end of 2016, Arriva Netherlands became the first public transport company in the Netherlands to introduce cashless payments on all its buses.

Gerreke van Otterlo makes the five billionth contactless payment at the card reader beside Arriva bus driver Lisa Werner.
Gerreke van Otterlo makes the five billionth contactless payment with driver Lisa Werner on an Arriva bus in ’s-Hertogenbosch. Photo: Sandra Peerenboom

Most contactless payments at supermarkets, hospitality venues and vending machines

Most contactless payments are made at supermarkets, hospitality venues and vending machines. More than half of all contactless payments (in Dutch) take place in these three retail sectors: 1.24 billion payments in 2018.

A total of 4.33 billion debit card payments were made at points of sale last year. Of these, 2.24 billion were contactless.

More information about contactless payments is available at pin.nl (in Dutch) .

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