Mastercard has announced that, from July 1, 2023, Debit Mastercard will replace all Maestro debit cards in the Netherlands. V PAY will also be phased out, before ultimately being replaced by new Visa Debit cards.

Mastercard phasing out Maestro debit cards from July

Many people with bank accounts in the Netherlands currently have Maestro-branded debit cards, which sadly aren’t compatible with various online payment systems, and aren’t usable for payments outside of Europe. 

From this summer, those with Maestro debit cards will switch over to a new system, called Debit Mastercard. The new card will offer more options and benefits to users, such as being able to use their card at more than 80 million acceptance points around the world and complete online transactions without having to rely on platforms like iDEAL.

Similarly, those with V PAY debit cards will soon instead be offered Visa Debit cards - although a hard date for this transition is yet to be announced.

What does the switch to Mastercard and Visa Debit mean for you?

So what does this mean for you? Well luckily, as an account holder at a Dutch bank, you won’t have to do very much; once your current debit card expires, or if you need a replacement card for any reason, from July 1 the replacement card sent by your bank will be a Mastercard Debit. 

Banks have already been given the option to switch over to the new debit cards, although few have opted to do this so far; currently, only Rabobank has made the switch from Maestro to Mastercard Debit.

Until you get a new card, you will still be able to use your Maestro or V PAY card at terminals and cash machines in the Netherlands.

Thumb: Robinotof via Shutterstock.com.