Why Your Payment Card Actually Matters in Amsterdam and London
Both cities have moved away from cash almost entirely when it comes to public transit.
🇳🇱 Amsterdam — OVpay
GVB trams, metro lines, city buses and the IJ ferries all use OVpay — you tap a contactless Visa or Mastercard directly on the yellow reader when you board, and tap again when you exit. No ticket machine, no app, no paper ticket required. The fare is charged automatically and a daily cap of €10.00 applies so you never overpay.
The catch: only Visa and Mastercard contactless cards work. American Express is not accepted on any Dutch public transit service, full stop.
🇬🇧 London — TfL Contactless
Transport for London uses the same contactless tap-in tap-out system across the Underground, Elizabeth Line, buses, Overground and DLR. Again, Visa and Mastercard contactless only. Cash has not been accepted on London buses since 2014.
So your card needs to be the right type. But beyond that, the fees your bank charges on that card can quietly drain your travel budget without you noticing.
Your Three Options
Your existing bank card works on both systems as long as it is Visa or Mastercard contactless. For short trips where your bank charges no foreign transaction fees it is perfectly adequate.
The problem is that most standard bank cards — particularly from US, Australian, South African and many European banks — charge two separate fees when you spend abroad. A foreign transaction fee typically ranging from 1.5% to 3% on every purchase. And a currency conversion fee on top of that, often another 1% to 2.5%, applied when the bank converts the charge to your home currency.
On a five-day Amsterdam trip spending approximately €600 total, those fees combined can add €18 to €33 in hidden charges — they just appear as slightly higher amounts on your statement.
Before travelling, check your bank's fee schedule. If your account offers zero foreign transaction fees, your existing card may be your best option. If it charges fees, read on.
Revolut is a popular choice among travellers and for good reason. The standard free plan offers fee-free currency exchange up to €1,000 per month during weekday banking hours. The card works as a contactless Mastercard on OVpay in Amsterdam and TfL in London.
The limitations are worth knowing before you rely on it. Weekend exchanges carry an additional 1% fee. Once you exceed the monthly exchange limit the fee-free cap ends and charges apply. The free plan also limits the amount of cash you can withdraw without fees each month.
For occasional visitors making a single trip Revolut is a solid free option. For anyone making multiple trips, spending larger amounts, or wanting complete fee transparency — Wise is clearer.
Wise gives you a multi-currency account with a contactless Mastercard debit card that works on every OVpay reader in Amsterdam and every TfL reader in London.
The key difference is the exchange rate. Wise uses the mid-market rate — the rate you see on Google — and charges a small transparent conversion fee of around 0.4%. No foreign transaction fee. No hidden spread. No weekend surcharge. You see exactly what fee you are paying before any transaction.
For Amsterdam transit the Wise card taps in and out on GVB trams, metro, city buses and the IJ ferries without issue. The daily OVpay cap of €10.00 applies just as it would with any contactless card — meaning once you have spent €10.00 in a single day on GVB services, all further journeys that day are free automatically.
For London the Wise card works on all TfL contactless readers and benefits from the weekly cap system — €40.70 for Zones 1 and 2 Monday to Sunday, applied automatically.
Wise also works with Apple Pay and Google Pay so you can use your phone or smartwatch to tap in on both transit systems without carrying the physical card. Setup takes under 10 minutes.
The Direct Comparison
| Feature | Standard Bank Card | Revolut Free | Wise ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works on Amsterdam OVpay | Yes (Visa/MC only) | Yes | Yes |
| Works on London TfL | Yes (Visa/MC only) | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign transaction fee | 1.5 to 3% | None up to limit | None |
| Currency conversion | Bank rate + spread | Mid-market (weekdays) | Mid-market always |
| Weekend fees | Yes | Yes | No |
| Monthly limits | None | €1,000 fee-free | None |
| Apple Pay & Google Pay | Depends on bank | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency | Low | Medium | High |
What We Recommend for Most Visitors
For tourists visiting Amsterdam or London from the US, Australia, South Africa, Canada or most non-EU and non-UK countries, Wise is the clearest recommendation. The fee structure is transparent, the card works on every transit reader in both cities, and there are no weekend surcharges or monthly limits to manage.
If you already have a bank card with no foreign transaction fees — check your account terms — use that. If your bank charges fees, switching your transit and daily spending to Wise for your trip will save you more than the card costs to set up.
⚠️ Important for AmEx Users
Whatever card you use in Amsterdam, make sure it is Visa or Mastercard contactless. AmEx users arriving at Schiphol who plan to tap onto the NS train and GVB trams will need an alternative. Wise and Revolut both issue Mastercard contactless cards that work immediately.
Before You Travel — Download the Free Cheat Sheets
Knowing which card to use is one thing. Knowing exactly how to use it on Amsterdam and London transit — which doors to board through, how to tap out correctly, what the daily cap means in practice, and how to avoid the €70 fine for a missed tap-out — is another.