If you often travel with a travel discount, you should pay attention: you now need a code for a travel discount. This is how it works.
Additional travel discount
The NS offers the service for travelers with a travel discount: this means that the season ticket holder can allow up to three people to travel at the same time with a forty percent discount. This is on the condition that you travel outside off-peak hours: on working days outside the morning and evening rush hours. The discount does not apply from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM and from 4:00 PM to 6:30 PM. It is also important that you sit or stand next to the person you are traveling with (or at least in the same compartment) during the journey.
Abuse
The NS states that the shared travel discount is often abused: passengers often ask other travelers whether they have a season ticket and then pretend that they are traveling together. They then simply buy a ticket with a joint travel discount and only look for a passenger with a season ticket on the train. Passengers with a joint travel discount are also often unable to indicate who they are traveling with, or they often tell conductors that the person has already got off. They are also often unable to mention the name of the season ticket holder with whom they are traveling, according to Nu.nl.
Solution
To prevent this abuse from now on, the NS has decided that they will no longer offer ride-along tickets in the station vending machines, but season ticket holders will have to create a code in the NS app. They can then share this code with three people traveling with them. Fellow travelers can use the code to buy a ticket with a forty percent discount on the NS website or in the NS app. The code is valid for three days, ending the next day at 4:00 AM when the code is validated.
Additional help
Because the NS realizes that not everyone immediately understands the changes they have to make, they make employees available who can help buy a ticket including a travel discount. For example, think of people who are not handy with technology, or people who are used to traditional people: it can sometimes be quite difficult to switch to digital tickets. The NS service desk helps these people buy the suitable ticket to help them get on their way.
On the road together
Have you already planned a trip, trip or festival and are you going with friends or family? Then remember that a travel discount still exists and is cheaper than you think.
