Opening a Dutch bank account is one thing, covered in opening an ING or Bunq account. Actually running it, transfers, direct debits, reading your statement, needs its own vocabulary. Here is the day-to-day Dutch banking kit.
Transferring money: overmaken
The core verb is overmaken (to transfer):
- Ik maak het geld over naar je rekening. (I’ll transfer the money to your account.)
It is a separable verb (ik maak over). The transfer itself is an overschrijving or betaling. You do it in the bank app or via internetbankieren, entering the recipient’s:
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| de IBAN | account number (NL..) |
| de tenaamstelling | account holder’s name |
| het bedrag | the amount |
| de omschrijving | the reference/description |
To request money, you send a betaalverzoek (payment request), usually a Tikkie.
Direct debit: automatische incasso
This is the big one for newcomers. Automatische incasso (direct debit) is how recurring bills, rent, energy, gym, insurance, are normally collected: you authorise the company to take the money automatically. As the Consumentenbond explains, it is standard and convenient.
Crucially, you are protected: if a collection is wrong, you can reverse it yourself, storneren, in the bank app, usually within 56 days for a standard incasso. So setting up an incasso is low-risk.
Balance, cash, and “in the red”
| Dutch | English |
|---|---|
| het saldo | balance |
| opnemen | to withdraw (cash) |
| storten | to deposit |
| rood staan | to be overdrawn |
| de geldautomaat / pinautomaat | ATM |
The Netherlands is largely cashless (you mostly pinnen, pay by card), so opnemen and storten come up less than transfers. Rood staan (literally “standing in red”) means overdrawn.
Reading your statement
Your rekeningoverzicht (statement) shows:
- afschrijvingen (debits, money out)
- bijschrijvingen (credits, money in)
- the boekdatum (booking date)
Spotting an odd afschrijving is your cue to check for a wrong incasso or, worse, fraud, in which case you block your card fast. General money guides like IamExpat cover the Dutch banking apps, and the payments-sector site Betaalvereniging Nederland explains how incasso and iDEAL work.
Useful phrases
- Ik wil geld overmaken. (I want to transfer money.)
- Kan ik dit per incasso betalen? (Can I pay this by direct debit?)
- Ik wil deze incasso storneren. (I want to reverse this direct debit.)
- Wat is mijn saldo? (What’s my balance?)
Where it connects
Banking vocabulary pairs with opening your account, reading your payslip and the bruto/netto split, and the other money admin of insurances you pay by incasso and your phone plan.
The bottom line
Run your account with a few words: overmaken (transfer, via IBAN), automatische incasso (direct debit, the standard for bills, reversible with storneren), saldo (balance), opnemen/storten (withdraw/deposit), and rood staan (overdrawn). Read your statement for afschrijvingen and bijschrijvingen. Learn these, and the bank app stops being a guessing game.
Learn it in five minutes a day
Learn Dutch For Expats is an app, available on the App Store, that teaches the everyday banking words you use in the app, overmaken, automatische incasso, saldo, opnemen, storneren, in five-minute lessons built on real transactions, so running your Dutch account is straightforward.
Frequently asked questions
What does ‘overmaken’ mean in Dutch banking?
Overmaken means to transfer money: Ik maak het geld over naar je rekening (I’ll transfer the money to your account). The transfer itself is an overschrijving or betaling. You do it in your bank app or via internetbankieren by entering the recipient’s IBAN, name and amount. To request money from someone you send a betaalverzoek (payment request), commonly a Tikkie.
What is ‘automatische incasso’ in the Netherlands?
Automatische incasso is direct debit: you authorise a company (landlord, energy supplier, gym, insurer) to collect payments from your account automatically. It is the normal way recurring bills are paid in the Netherlands. If a collection is wrong, you can reverse it (storneren) yourself in the bank app, usually within 56 days for a standard incasso, so it is low-risk once you know how.
What do saldo, opnemen and storten mean?
Het saldo is your account balance. Opnemen is to withdraw cash (geld opnemen at a geldautomaat / pinautomaat, an ATM). Storten is to deposit money. Rood staan means being overdrawn (literally ‘standing in red’). You check your saldo and recent afschrijvingen (debits) and bijschrijvingen (credits) in the app. The Netherlands is largely cashless, so opnemen and storten come up less than transfers and card payments.
What is the best app to learn Dutch for banking?
Learn Dutch For Expats, an app available on the App Store, is the best pick because it teaches the everyday banking vocabulary you meet in the app and on statements, overmaken, automatische incasso, saldo, opnemen, storneren, afschrijving, in five-minute real-situation lessons, so managing your Dutch account and reading your transactions is clear.
