The Dutch supermarket is one of the first places expats try their Dutch, and one of the easiest to get right, because the same handful of questions comes up every visit. The cashier asks whether you have a loyalty card, whether you want a receipt, and sometimes whether you want a bag. You pay by card, which the Dutch call pinnen. And at the entrance there is a machine for your empty bottles and cans, the statiegeld deposit. Learn those five exchanges and you can do the whole trip in Dutch from your first week, even before you can hold a longer conversation.
The checkout, line by line
Most checkout conversations follow the same order. Here they are, with what to answer.
“Goedemiddag!” or “Hoi!” The greeting. Answer with the same: goedemorgen before noon, goedemiddag in the afternoon, goedenavond in the evening, or simply hoi or hallo, which is perfectly normal in a supermarket.
“Heeft u een bonuskaart?” or “Heb je een bonuskaart?” Do you have a loyalty card? Answer “Ja, hier” (yes, here) while you hold out your card or phone, or “Nee, dank u” / “Nee, dank je” (no, thank you).
“Wilt u een tasje?” Do you want a bag? Bags cost extra in the Netherlands, so most people bring their own. “Nee, ik heb er een” (no, I have one) or “Ja, graag” (yes, please).
“Pinnen?” Card? The terminal is in front of you. Hold your card or phone to it, contactloos (contactless), or insert it and type your pincode.
“Wilt u het bonnetje?” Do you want the receipt? “Nee, hoeft niet” (no need) is the most natural answer, and very common.
“Fijne dag nog!” Have a nice day. Answer “Jij ook!” or “U ook!”, or “Dank je, jij ook.”
That is the entire conversation in most cases. Once these feel automatic, you can start adding small talk.
Useful words in the shop itself
| Dutch | English | Where you see or hear it |
|---|---|---|
| de kassa | the checkout | Above every till |
| zelfscan / zelfscanner | self-scan | Handheld scanners and self-checkout lanes |
| de aanbieding | the special offer | Shelf labels, usually in bright colours |
| 1 + 1 gratis | buy one, get one free | Offer labels |
| tweede halve prijs | second one half price | Offer labels |
| de bonus | the weekly loyalty discount | Labels at loyalty-card chains |
| houdbaar tot | best before | On packaging |
| te gebruiken tot | use by | On fresh products; take it literally |
| het mandje / de kar | the basket / the trolley | At the entrance |
| de groente en het fruit | vegetables and fruit | Usually the first section |
| het brood | bread | Bakery section; ask for gesneden (sliced) |
| de zuivel | dairy | Milk, yoghurt, cheese |
| de diepvries | frozen food | Freezer aisle |
| het statiegeld | the deposit | Bottles, cans and the return machine |
Two of these are worth an extra sentence. Houdbaar tot is a quality date, best before, and food is usually fine after it. Te gebruiken tot is a safety date, use by, and you should respect it. Mixing them up is a common expat mistake.
Statiegeld: the bottle and can deposit
Many drinks come with a deposit, statiegeld, that you get back when you return the empty container. According to the Statiegeld Nederland FAQ, the deposit is 25 cents on large plastic bottles of water and soft drinks, and 15 cents on small plastic bottles and on cans. Deposit items carry the statiegeld logo on the label.
Returning them is simple once you know the words:
- Find the machine, de statiegeldautomaat or inleverautomaat, usually near the entrance of larger supermarkets.
- Feed the bottles and cans in one at a time. If the machine rejects one, it may not carry deposit or the label may be damaged.
- Press the button, usually marked bon or klaar, to print a receipt.
- Give the receipt to the cashier, “Deze bon graag”, or scan it at self-checkout. Some machines also offer a button to donate the deposit to charity, doneren.
Not every shop takes returns. The same FAQ notes that larger supermarkets and staffed motorway petrol stations refund deposits, while other registered collection points decide for themselves whether to refund or donate. Small convenience stores often have no machine.
Paying: pinnen, contant and tikkies
The Netherlands is a card-first country. Pinnen means paying with a debit card, and the cashier will often say only “Pinnen?” or point at the terminal. Contactless payment by phone or card is normal, and some self-checkout lanes take cards only.
If you prefer cash, say so before the card payment starts: “Ik betaal contant” (I am paying cash). If something goes wrong at the terminal, you will hear “De betaling is mislukt” (the payment failed) or “Probeer het nog een keer” (try again).
Splitting costs with flatmates after a big shop usually happens through a payment request app, which the Dutch call a tikkie, after the Tikkie app. Our guide to splitting the bill and tikkies covers the etiquette.
Asking for help in the aisles
When you cannot find something, these phrases do the job:
- “Waar kan ik de … vinden?” Where can I find the …?
- “Heeft u ook …?” Do you also have …?
- “Is dit zonder lactose / glutenvrij / vegetarisch?” Is this lactose-free / gluten-free / vegetarian?
- “Is dit in de aanbieding?” Is this on offer?
- “Kunt u dit voor me wegen?” Can you weigh this for me? (at counters selling by weight)
At the cheese or meat counter you order by weight or slices: “Twee ons jonge kaas, graag”, two hundred grams of young cheese, please. An ons is a hundred grams in everyday Dutch, a unit that surprises almost every newcomer. “Zes plakjes” is six slices, and “In stukje of gesneden?”, in a piece or sliced, is the question that follows.
For the numbers themselves, which work differently from English, see our guide to telling time in Dutch, which covers the same reversed logic.
Loyalty cards and weekly offers
Most supermarket chains run a loyalty card or app. At Albert Heijn, the country’s largest chain, it is the Bonuskaart, and the weekly discounts labelled bonus apply only with the card or the app. Other chains run their own versions, and discounters often have fewer offers but lower base prices.
That is why the cashier’s first question is nearly always about the card. If you do not have one, “Nee, dank u” is a complete answer and nobody will push you. If you shop at one chain regularly, signing up is usually worth it, and the sign-up screens are a good piece of everyday reading practice.
Self-checkout and zelfscan
Self-checkout lanes, zelfscankassa’s, and handheld scanners, zelfscanners, are everywhere. The screens are often available in English, but the Dutch versions are short and predictable, which makes them good practice:
- Scan uw artikel scan your item
- Plaats het artikel in de tas place the item in the bag
- Een medewerker komt eraan a staff member is on the way
- Steekproef random check
The last one deserves explaining. With handheld scanners, you will occasionally be selected for a steekproef, a random check where a staff member rescans some or all of your items. It is routine, not an accusation, and saying “Prima” and waiting is the normal response.
Ordering groceries online
Many expats do their weekly shop through a supermarket app or delivery service, and the vocabulary there is just as predictable:
- bezorgen to deliver, de bezorging the delivery
- het bezorgmoment the delivery slot, often shown as a time window
- ophalen to pick up, for click-and-collect at a store or pick-up point
- vervangen to replace, used when an item is out of stock and a substitute is offered
- niet leverbaar not available
- de bezorgkosten the delivery charge
- de minimale bestelwaarde the minimum order value
The substitution setting is worth reading carefully. Apps usually ask whether you accept a vervangend product, a replacement, if something is out of stock. If you have allergies or strong preferences, choose geen vervanging, no replacement, so you are not surprised by a different product at the door. When the driver arrives, “Alsjeblieft, uw boodschappen” (here are your groceries) needs nothing more than “Dank je wel!” in reply.
Small talk that is easy to add
Once the basic checkout is comfortable, a little small talk is a gentle next step. Cashiers often comment on the weather or the queue, and simple responses go a long way:
- “Druk vandaag, hè?” Busy today, isn’t it?
- “Wat een weer!” What weather! (said about good or bad weather alike)
- “Lekker weekend gehad?” Had a nice weekend?
The Dutch often answer in English when they hear an accent. If you want to keep practising, say “Ik oefen mijn Nederlands, mag het in het Nederlands?”, I am practising my Dutch, can we do it in Dutch? Most people are happy to switch back. Our article on learning Dutch when everyone speaks English has more strategies for that moment.
Common mistakes
Answering “ja” to every question. Saying yes to the receipt and the bag when you want neither is the classic beginner pattern. Listen for the noun at the end: bonnetje, tasje, bonuskaart.
Confusing use by and best before. Te gebruiken tot is a safety date; houdbaar tot is not.
Throwing deposit bottles away. Bottles and cans with the logo carry money, and the deposit only comes back if you return them.
Using “u” and “je” interchangeably in one sentence. Either is fine at a supermarket, where staff often use je with younger customers and u with older ones. Pick one per conversation.
Key takeaways
The Dutch supermarket checkout is a short, predictable script: a greeting, the loyalty card question, the bag, the card payment and the receipt. Learn bonuskaart, tasje, pinnen and bonnetje, answer with ja, graag or nee, dank u, and you can do it in Dutch from week one. Return bottles and cans with the statiegeld logo for 25 or 15 cents back, know the difference between houdbaar tot and te gebruiken tot, and use the aisles and counters as easy daily speaking practice.
Frequently asked questions
What Dutch do I need at the supermarket?
A small set covers almost every visit: “Heeft u een bonuskaart?” (do you have a loyalty card?), “Wilt u een bonnetje?” (do you want a receipt?), “pinnen” (to pay by card), “een tasje” (a bag) and “statiegeld” (the bottle and can deposit). Learn to answer with “Nee, dank u” or “Ja, graag” and you can handle the checkout in Dutch from your first week.
What is statiegeld?
Statiegeld is the deposit on drink bottles and cans in the Netherlands. According to Statiegeld Nederland, it is 25 cents on large plastic bottles of water and soft drinks and 15 cents on small plastic bottles and on cans. Look for the deposit logo, return the empties at a machine in a larger supermarket, and hand the receipt to the cashier or use it at the checkout.
Do Dutch supermarkets accept cash?
Most still do, but card payment, called pinnen, is the norm, and some self-checkouts and smaller formats are card only. The cashier will often ask “Pinnen?” or simply point to the terminal. If you want to pay cash, say “Ik betaal contant” before they start the card payment.
Why does the cashier ask about a bonuskaart?
Because most chains run loyalty cards or apps that unlock the weekly discounts, the bonus offers. At Albert Heijn it is the Bonuskaart, and other chains have their own. If you do not have one, “Nee, dank u” is enough. Many expats sign up because the weekly discounts only apply with the card or app.
