Submitting an NS claim yourself or having it handled automatically: which is smarter?
June 10, 2026 · 4 min read
After a train delay of 30 minutes or more, you're entitled to money back. There are two ways to get that money. You submit the claim yourself with NS, or you let a service handle it for you automatically. Doing it yourself is free, but it costs time and energy. Having it handled automatically costs a commission, but you never have to think about it. Which is smarter depends on how often you travel and how much effort you want to put in. Below we lay both routes side by side, honestly.
How it works: two routes to the same money
The compensation is the same either way. You get 50% of your fare back for a delay of 30 to 59 minutes, and 100% from 60 minutes. The delay counts at your final destination, not at your departure. You can read more about that in when you get money back for a train delay. Your rights as a train passenger are also laid down at the European level; you can read more about that in our article on the European regulations for rail travel. So the difference between the two routes isn't in the amount. It's in who does the work.
| Submit it yourself | Have it handled automatically | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | Free | Commission, only on a successful claim |
| Work per claim | You fill in every form yourself | Link your card once |
| Chance you forget | You have to remember it yourself | Delays are found automatically |
| Multiple trips or people | Each claim separately | Runs along by itself |
| Knowledge needed | You look up your own travel details | Not needed |
Submitting your NS claim yourself
You submit a claim yourself through the form on the NS website. You enter your travel details, state the length of the delay and fill in your bank account number. For a single ticket, you use your order number. If you travel on balance or with OVpay, you enter the trip manually. You have to submit the claim within three months of your trip. After that, your right expires.
When doing it yourself is fine
For a single, sizeable delay, claiming yourself is perfectly doable. You have the details fresh in your mind, the form takes a few minutes, and you pay no commission. Travel rarely and have the time? Then this is the logical choice.
Where you run into trouble
It gets more tiresome if you travel more often. You then fill in the same form again and again. You have to remember every claim yourself and keep it within the deadline. If you travel with several people, everyone claims separately. And the form pays out nothing under €2.30, so on cheap trips you sometimes end up with nothing. If you miss a connection because of a delay, the total delay counts at your final destination. That makes it extra tricky to work out.
Having your claim handled automatically
The automatic route is exactly what trein-vertraging.nl exists for. You link your card once. After that, we find your delays automatically and submit the claim for you. The money comes in by itself. You can read exactly how that works in this article about automatic payouts.
What it costs
You only pay us a commission if your claim succeeds. If it doesn't work out, it costs you nothing. So you always come out ahead with money you might otherwise have left on the table.
When this is smarter
Travel often, use multiple cards or travel with others? Then everything runs along by itself. Easily forget things like this? Then that's exactly where this route saves money, because a forgotten claim earns nothing. Whether you travel on an OV-chipkaart or have switched to OVpay, the claim works the same. It also works with a business OV-chipkaart.
Worked example: what do you net?
Run the numbers. Say you hit a one-hour delay four times a year, on a €10 trip. Claiming yourself then earns you €40 a year, spread across four forms you mustn't forget. Have it handled automatically and you keep the same amount minus the commission, but without the time or the risk of missing a claim. The tipping point isn't in the amount per claim. It's in how often you travel and how easily you forget. Someone who claims once a year does fine on their own. Someone with a delay every month soon leaves money on the table by forgetting.
Which suits you?
For most passengers, claiming automatically is the smartest choice. You never miss a claim, you don't lose any money, and you don't have to do anything. Claiming yourself works too, but it only pays off if you travel rarely, have the time and keep remembering. One forgotten claim and your advantage is already gone.
The compensation is the same either way. The difference is how much work and risk you want to carry yourself. Travel often or forget quickly? Then the automatic route pays for itself.