We love the Netherlands. Really. We do. But one thing we don't love quite so much is that credit cards are not used or accepted as widely in the Netherlands as they are in other places in Europe, and this can cause some frustration for the non-resident traveler.
The Dutch are apparently a debt-adverse people and are not particularly fond of credit cards in general. (Interestingly, the Dutch word for debt-- "schuld"--also means "guilt.") Instead, the majority of Dutch use a form of debit card offered by Mastercard called "Maestro". Maestro is a payment platform which directly moves funds from an individual's bank account to a merchant in one step, versus the two-step system used by other debit and credit cards from Visa, Mastercard, and the like. The Maestro system means lower transaction costs for the merchant, which means that many merchants--especially in areas outside of the normal tourist haunts--will not accept foreign credit or debit cards.
A similar situation can occur when attempting to shop online, which is normally credit card nirvana. In this case, the Dutch have a system called iDEAL, which utilizes online banking to make a direct transfer to internet vendors via an individual's Dutch bank account. The common thread with both Maestro and iDEAL is that a Dutch bank account is required, which is not something the typical short-term visitor to the Netherlands is either going to want, or be allowed, to acquire.
I encountered this problem during my first visit to the "Plus" grocery store in Maasbracht. I had just run my 20 or so items through the checkout and was met with a look of dismay--or maybe horror--from the checkout clerk when I pulled out my Visa card. Nope, couldn't use it at the register. She had to send me over to the customer service counter where, fortunately, they were able to process a Visa credit card transaction. Lesson learned, I withdrew a wad of euros from the local ATM and have since used only cash to purchase my groceries at that store. The local restaurants are more accepting of foreign credit cards, although the "signature required" statement that pops up with U.S. credit cards is regarded with some bemusement. (Frankly, I find it strange as well. Just require the pin; it's a much more secure transaction that way.)
A bigger problem can occur when there isn't an alternate way to pay for a good or service. We ran into this issue when trying to figure out how to use the bus service to get from Maasbracht to the town of Roermond to catch a train. The buses haven't accepted cash fares since 2018, and the pay-on-board feature requires a Dutch bank card. We tried buying an e-ticket on the transportation company's website, but our credit cards were rejected. We tried installing the recommended transportation booking and purchasing app, but were told it wasn't available for our nationality. We finally discovered that the bookstore in Maasbracht was a site where we could purchase the kind of chip card that is widely used throughout the Netherlands for trains, buses, trams, and the metro. Yes! Eight euros apiece for the card, and then we needed to "top it up" with some euros at at the chipcard service kiosk. Would it let us use our credit card to do so? No it would not. Dutch bank cards only, and no cash options. We will forever be grateful to the wonderful employee who was willing to take cash from us and then use her bank card to put 20 euros on each of our chip cards.
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| So much effort to get something so small |
If we had been in a bigger town with a rail station and more services we would have been OK. We have been able to use our credit cards (with pin) in the ticket dispensing machines at rail stations to purchase individual trip tickets. But Maasbracht is not such a town, and although we were ultimately successful in catching our bus, it wasn't an easy process. But get to Roermond we did, caught our trains, and are now in a hotel just outside of Amsterdam's Schipol Airport.
We're away from the boat for about 8 days to spend some time in the west of the Netherlands with Lon's Canadian cousin Frank Cedar. We travelled with Frank to Poland and Ukraine to visit Wojtowicz relatives a few years ago, and Frank has stayed with us several times at our various homes in Florida. He was hoping to spend some time with us this year cruising on C.A.R.I.B. III, but as our projects aren't yet completed we can't offer him that experience. However, since this is his first trip to the Netherlands, we decided to meet up with him and share some sightseeing experiences in Amsterdam, Haarlem and environs before traveling back to Maasbracht. We're hoping the boat will still be livable so that he can at least spend a few nights aboard, even if not cruising, and get a chance to see a part of the Netherlands that's a bit off the usual tourist routes.
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