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Hi,

I got the personal OV Chipkaart a while ago and this is what I did:

 

This worked quite well for some time. 

And then I had to get NS Flex because I needed discount on weekends on trains, so I signed up for https://www.ns.nl/en/nsflex/webshop#/bestelling/producten/2 and added it to my card.

While NS did warn me during this signup that I have a discount subscription on my card already, and hence they are turning off BTM on my card, what I did not know was that I can no longer expect NS Flex to fund my bus travel.

 

And today, I was in shock when my card suddenly stopped working in buses and I had to buy new tickets in each of the bus I was travelling in (costly mistake).

 

Anyway, after reading a lot of posts here, I understood that NS turns off BTM if there is another subscription product active on your card already, and then you can’t use NS Flex for travel in BTM and you need balance on your card.

 

My question is this - how can I make hassle free travel on buses again? Am I supposed to load balance online (or at supermarkets in OV Chipkaart machines?) (because I can no longer add balance on NS machines, because it says I am on NS Flex!)?

Or can simply I re-activate auto reloading feature on OV chipkaart website and would I be able to enjoy both NS flex 40% discount and Hermes discount while travelling on buses?

Both would work: loading balance yourself at non-NS machines, or reactivating automatic reloading. The latter would be the most hassle free. In any case, you will receive invoices for your train travels, and the BTM travels will be paid with the balance on the card.

Thanks @Tochjo!

I will enable automatic reloading again!

How hard would it be for NS to NOT disable automatic reloading if it was already enabled AND the card has a BTM discount subscription?

Cutting off the automatic reload in such cases is only going to give rude surprise to many people like me :/

NS-systems suffer from 100s of apparently easy to solve but in practice very hard to fix minor and a few major faults and very illogical setups. Tipical govmt official-style: always thinking of more potential problems that may, perhaps, possibly arise when they would do what you think is so easy.

When purchasing NS Flex, the balance from the card is always removed even though you still need it for BTM!

In order to remove the balance, automatic reloading must be stopped as well. If you turn automatic reloading back on you are good to go. Your discount product for bus still works.

Besides purchasing tickets for all bus trips, you chould have gotten a Day Pass Noord Brabant, which costs € 7,18 (valid after 9:00).

When purchasing NS Flex, the balance from the card is always removed even though you still need it for BTM!

In order to remove the balance, automatic reloading must be stopped as well. If you turn automatic reloading back on you are good to go. Your discount product for bus still works.

Besides purchasing tickets for all bus trips, you chould have gotten a Day Pass Noord Brabant, which costs € 7,18 (valid after 9:00).

What do NS Flex do with the balance they remove? Do you have to claim it to them or it will be used to pay for your next trips?

Thanks @Tochjo!

I will enable automatic reloading again!

How hard would it be for NS to NOT disable automatic reloading if it was already enabled AND the card has a BTM discount subscription?

Cutting off the automatic reload in such cases is only going to give rude surprise to many people like me :/

Hi, did this work for you? How did you enable the automatic reloading back, via the OV chipkaart website?

What do NS Flex do with the balance they remove? Do you have to claim it to them or it will be used to pay for your next trips?

It will be returned to you on the invoice after the first month. If the amount due is larger than the balance, your invoice will be less. If the amount due was less than the balance, the difference will be transferred to your bank account.
 

Hi, did this work for you? How did you enable the automatic reloading back, via the OV chipkaart website?

Yes, enabling automatic reload again can be done after loading NS Flex via the OV-chipkaart website.

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