Tipping, cash and cards in the Netherlands: what visitors get wrong

Bring a contactless Visa or Mastercard (debit or credit), add it to your phone, and you can pay for almost everything in the Netherlands, including trains, trams and buses. Carry a small amount of cash for the odd market stall or toilet, but do not exchange large sums: the Dutch central bank found that only 17% of payments at the till are made in cash. Tipping is a gesture here, not a rule. Rounding up or leaving 5 to 10% for good service in a restaurant is normal, and nobody expects a tip on a coffee, a taxi or a tour.

Below are the questions our guests ask most often, with the answers our guides give on the street.

Is the Netherlands cashless?

Not quite, but it is close. In a survey published by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB, the Dutch central bank) in July 2026, 4% of the shops visited had a “PIN only” sticker, meaning card payment only. In cities of more than 175,000 people, about 9% of outlets refuse cash. Car parks, cinemas and pharmacies are the sectors most likely to be card-only. Market stalls are the opposite: of 1,000 stalls surveyed, only 15 were card-only.

So cash is still accepted in the large majority of places, and a business that refuses it is the exception. The reverse is the more useful point for visitors: you will rarely be in a situation where you need cash. Cafés, supermarkets, museums, taxis and public transport all take cards.

Two words to recognise:

• PIN: the Dutch word for paying by debit card. “Pinnen” is the verb. A sign saying “Alleen pinnen” or “PIN only” means no cash.
• Contactloos: contactless. Almost every terminal accepts a tap from a card, phone or watch.

Source: DNB on cash acceptance.

Will my foreign credit card work?

Visa and Mastercard work in most places, and the situation has improved a lot since 2023. Until then, Dutch debit cards ran on Maestro and V PAY, and many shops only accepted those brands. Dutch banks are now issuing Debit Mastercard and Visa Debit instead, and according to the Dutch Payments Association every payment terminal in the country has been updated to recognise them. The knock-on effect is that a foreign Visa or Mastercard, whether debit or credit, is accepted at far more tills than it used to be.

Some caveats:

• Credit versus debit. A merchant that accepts debit cards is allowed under European rules to refuse credit cards from European cardholders, so a few smaller shops still take debit only. For non-European visitors this matters less, because the same rules oblige merchants accepting Visa or Mastercard debit to take other card types from non-European customers. In practice, if your card is contactless and branded Visa or Mastercard, expect it to work.
• Supermarkets. For years the big Dutch supermarkets refused credit cards outright. That has changed. Albert Heijn, the largest chain, now states that Visa and Mastercard credit cards are accepted in all its AH to go convenience stores and in many regular shops, though some franchise stores decide for themselves. Foreign Maestro and V PAY cards work in all its shops.
• American Express. Accepted at some hotels, larger shops and restaurants, but far less widely than Visa or Mastercard. Do not rely on it as your only card.
• Newer terminals may be contactless only. Albert Heijn notes that its newest payment devices only accept contactless payments, with no PIN entry. If your card has no contactless chip, add it to a phone wallet before you travel.

Sources: Dutch Payments Association on the new debit cards, Albert Heijn payment methods.

Do Apple Pay and Google Pay work?

Yes, almost everywhere a card works. The Netherlands Board of Tourism notes that you can pay with cash or a debit card in most places and often with your phone via NFC, Apple Pay or Google Wallet. Our guides see phone and watch payments at cafés, market stalls and museum ticket desks every day. Contactless payments above a certain amount ask for a PIN, so know the PIN of the card behind your wallet.

Where do I get cash, and what should I watch out for?

Use a yellow Geldmaat machine. Geldmaat is the shared ATM network set up in 2019 by the three big Dutch banks (ABN AMRO, ING and Rabobank), and its machines accept practically all known debit and credit cards. There is a locator on the Geldmaat website. The number of ATMs has been falling for years as card use grows, so in smaller towns look one up before you need it rather than assuming there is one on the square.

Three things to know:

1. Choose euros, never your home currency. Some ATMs and card terminals offer to convert the amount into your own currency on the spot (so-called dynamic currency conversion). The exchange rate on that offer is almost always worse than the one your own bank would apply. When the screen asks whether you want to be charged in euros or in dollars, pounds or another currency, pick euros. This applies at shop terminals and restaurant card machines as well as at ATMs.
2. Withdraw what you need, not more. With 17% of payments made in cash nationally, a couple of hundred euros will cover a week of small purchases for most visitors. Cash left over at the end is a poor use of money.
3. Independent ATMs in tourist streets are not part of the Geldmaat network and set their own fees and rates. The yellow machines are the safe default.

Sources: Geldmaat, holland.com on cash and cards.

Which euro notes and coins are actually used?

Small ones. A few points that catch visitors out:

• €500 notes have not been issued since 27 April 2019 and are effectively unusable in shops. The €200 and €100 notes are legal but many smaller businesses will not accept them either. Ask your bank for €50 notes or smaller, or withdraw here.
• 1 and 2 cent coins are not used in the Netherlands. Cash totals are rounded to the nearest 5 cents. You will still see prices ending in 99 cents; the rounding happens on the final cash total, and card payments are charged to the cent.
• Coins matter for toilets and lockers. See the toilet question below.

Sources: ECB on the €500 banknote, holland.com on rounding.

How much do you tip in a Dutch restaurant?

Rounding up, or leaving 5 to 10% for service you were happy with, is normal and appreciated. Nobody will chase you if you leave nothing, and nobody expects 15 or 20%. The Netherlands Board of Tourism puts it as “a tip of about 10% is quite acceptable”, which is the top of the range in everyday practice rather than the norm.

Why tipping is lighter here than in North America: Dutch consumer law requires prices shown to consumers to include VAT and all unavoidable charges, so the menu price is the price you pay. Staff are paid a wage that does not depend on tips. What you leave on top is genuinely a thank-you.

Practical points:

• Tipping by card works. Most card terminals let you add a tip, or you can tell the server the total you want charged (“make it 45”). Tips paid by card go to the business and are shared out with staff.
• Leaving cash on the table is fine too, and some people prefer it because it goes directly to the person who served them.
• A round number is enough. A €37.40 bill becomes €40. A €96 bill becomes €100 or €105 if the evening was very good.
• Tipping at the bar or for a coffee is not expected. Leaving the small change is a nice touch, nothing more.

Source: holland.com on tipping; the pricing rule is set out by the consumer authority ACM.

Do you tip taxi drivers, hotel staff and tour guides?

Not as a rule. Here is how it works in practice:

• Taxis. Rounding up to the next euro or two is common. A percentage is not. Taxis take cards, and the terminal may offer a tip option; declining it is not rude.
• Hotels. A few euros for a porter who carries your bags or for housekeeping after a longer stay is appreciated, but plenty of Dutch guests leave nothing and that is normal.
• Tour guides. A tip is a gesture, not an obligation, and there is no percentage. On a private tour with us, the price you paid covers the guide’s time and wage. If you had a good morning and want to hand your guide something at the end, they will be pleased; if you do not, nothing is wrong. Our guides work in English, Dutch, German, French, Italian and Spanish, and none of them counts on tips. If you are wondering what the tour price includes, our post on what a private tour costs breaks it down.

How do I pay for trains, trams and buses?

Tap in and out with the same contactless card or phone. Since the introduction of OVpay, a contactless debit or credit card from Maestro, V PAY, Mastercard or Visa works on NS trains and on trams, buses and metros across the country. You hold the card against the reader at the gate or on the vehicle when you board (check-in) and again when you leave (check-out). Fares for the day are collected the next day in a single debit with a reference starting NLOV.

The rules people trip over:

• One card per traveller. Each person needs their own card or phone; one card cannot check in a group. A family of four needs four cards or phones, or paper tickets from the machine for the children.
• Same card in and out. If you tapped in with your phone, tap out with your phone, not the physical card. The system treats them as two different cards.
• Second class, full fare. Checking in with a bank card always gives you a second-class ticket without discount.
• Some fintech cards do not work. In 2025 the Dutch transport operators blocked virtual cards from Revolut, Vivid and Paysafe on OVpay after a payment loophole; check ovpay.nl before relying on a digital-only card.

We cover the whole system, including day tickets and where the machines are, in how to use Dutch trains, trams and buses.

Source: NS on checking in with a bank card.

Do public toilets cost money?

Usually yes, and they take cards more often than you would think. At NS railway stations the Sanifair toilets at the large stations charge €1.10 and hand you a €0.50 voucher to spend at station shops; unattended toilets at medium-sized stations charge €0.50 and take contactless payment. Toilets in department stores, museums and cafés are generally free for customers, and the polite way to use a café toilet is to buy a coffee first. Keep a couple of 50 cent and €1 coins in your pocket for the older machines that still want coins.

Source: NS station toilets.

Can we split the bill?

Yes, and it is completely normal. Dutch restaurants are used to separate payments: tell the server how you want to split it and they will usually run the card machine several times. Some places prefer one payment for larger groups, so ask when you order if it matters to you. For a group dinner, one person paying and the others sending money by bank app afterwards is what Dutch friends do themselves.

Frequently asked questions

Should I bring euros from home?

A small amount, or none. Card acceptance is near universal and the yellow Geldmaat ATMs accept almost all foreign cards. If you do bring cash, bring €50 notes or smaller. Airport exchange desks and independent ATMs in tourist streets give poor rates, so if you need cash, withdraw it from a Geldmaat machine and choose to be charged in euros.

Do I need to tip a private tour guide?

No. A tip is welcome as a gesture if you enjoyed the tour, but there is no expected amount and no percentage. The tour price already pays the guide. Guests who want to say thank you usually hand the guide something at the end of the walk; guests who do not are not being rude, and the guide will not think so.

Is 10% a normal restaurant tip in the Netherlands?

It is the upper end of normal. Many Dutch diners round up to a convenient number or leave 5%, and 10% marks genuinely good service. Menu prices include VAT and any unavoidable charges by law, so nothing is added to the bill on top, and what you leave is entirely optional.

Can I pay for a tram with my credit card?

Yes. OVpay accepts contactless Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, plus Maestro and V PAY, on trains, trams, buses and metros nationwide. Tap in when you board and tap out when you leave, with the same card each time, and use a separate card for each traveller.

Are there places that refuse cash?

A few. The Dutch central bank counted 4% of outlets as card-only in 2026, rising to about 9% in the largest cities. Car parks, cinemas and pharmacies are the most common examples. Cafés and restaurants that only take cards exist, mostly in Amsterdam, and will have a sign on the door or the counter.

What happens if I forget to check out on the train?

You are charged a correction fare that is higher than the trip you made. If it happens, the NS customer service pages explain how to claim the difference back, and the process is straightforward for bank-card check-ins. The simplest fix is to make tapping out at the gate as automatic as tapping in.

Questions about paying for a tour

Our tours are priced per group and paid online when you book, so on the day there is nothing to settle and nothing to calculate. If you want to know what the price covers, or which tour suits your group, browse all our private tours or get in touch and we will answer within a working day.