Browse Topics
Tools
Editor's choice

Learning Dutch is a must!

Sint comes to town

A guide to childcare in the Netherlands

Dutch u-turn on soft drugs tolerance

Yoga--a beginner's guide and where to take classes in the Netherlands

Report: Expatica's "i am not a tourist" Fair 2009

A parent's guide to the Dutch education system

Amsterdam grapples with integration since filmmaker's murder

Wilders debate: shouting or convincing?

Internaxx Stock Market
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.3 0.50
DAX 5252.45 1.50
IBEX 30 10726.8 0.59
CAC 40 3377.59 1.40
FTSE 100 4564.5 0.79
AEX 276.85 0.95
DJIA 9096.72 -0.13
Nasdaq 1975.51 0.39
FTSE MIB 20341.67 1.65
TSX Composite 10570.54 -1.74
ASX 4148.9 -0.60
Hang seng 20135.5 -2.37
Straits Times 0.00
ISEQ 20 442.48 0.27
You are here: Home Moving to Getting Started Credit cards not accepted

29/07/2003Credit cards not accepted

Having a hard time kicking the charge card habit? Andrew Conaway finds out why Nederlanders don't like to buy on credit.

 

The Dutch don't like to buy on credit.

"I think it's in our genes," laughs Arthur Van Essen, marketing manager for American Express Services in Amsterdam.

"The Dutch have an aversion to buying things on credit. We don't have that tradition of the Americans, for example, of paying for things on revolving credit. We tend to spend only what we have."

While Mr. Van Essen won't give any figures, citing the competitive nature of the credit card business, he says he is generally happy with the "dramatic growth" that his business is experiencing in Holland.

"While credit card use is not up to the level of, let's say, the UK," he adds, "There are many opportunities here, especially with the many new industries and of course the Internet which is gaining here also," he comments. "So while you can never sit back, we are quite happy with our level of acceptance."

Van Essen does add, however, that merchant acceptance also isn't at the "level we want it to be".

"But we see that as an industry problem rather than an American Express problem," he adds.

Marcel Woutersen a spokesman for Interpay, one of the largest processors of credit cards, including MasterCard, for many banks in Holland says that there are about 2.8 million Mastercard credit cards in circulation and almost 80,000 merchants have signed up to accept them.

"It's well known that the Dutch don't use credit cards, we use credit cards for vacation and petrol," said Woutersen, "But we are typically a debit card country."

A study done by Hoofdbedrijfschap Detailhandel(HRD), a Dutch Retail Association might provide a clue as to why acceptance isn't as pervasive as in other parts of the world. By their estimates an average credit card transaction costs about EUR 2.5 — a significant amount compared to EUR .22 for a debit card transaction and an even lower EUR .01 for a cash transaction.

0 reactions to this article

Inside Expatica
Healthcare in the Netherlands

Healthcare in the Netherlands

Here’s a current guide to health insurance, doctors, dentists and pharmacies.

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Dutch immigration and residency regulations

Lost in the Dutch immigration system? Look no further than this guide compiled for our Survival Guide 2009.

The Netherlands at a glance

The Netherlands at a glance

Some basic facts and figures about living and working in the Netherlands.

Giving birth in the Netherlands

Giving birth in the Netherlands

The challenges and benefits of the maternity system in the Netherlands and how it differs to other countries.