ING Punten: How ING's Rewards Program Works in the Netherlands

ING Punten is the loyalty program built into ING's banking app, giving customers access to more than 1,000 deals in the ING Shop just for using their everyday banking products. If you already bank with ING, as many expats do after opening their first Dutch account, points build up in the background without any extra sign-up cost. Here is how the program works, how to start earning, and what to watch out for.

What Is ING Punten?

ING Punten is a rewards currency issued by ING to its retail banking customers in the Netherlands. It sits inside your ING Mobile Banking app or internet banking environment, next to your regular account balance, and you redeem it in the ING Shop for discounts, gift cards, and experiences rather than for cash.

How You Earn Points

Points are earned automatically once you opt in to the program through the app. ING itself has used examples such as points for everyday card payments, a batch of points for opening a new savings account, points for sending a payment request, and monthly points for keeping a minimum balance moving through your current account. The exact activities and point values change over time, so check the "How you earn Points" section inside your own ING app for the rules that currently apply to your account.

What You Can Do With Your Points

The ING Shop lists well over 1,000 deals at any given time. Past examples have included discounted cinema tickets at Pathé, reduced-price tickets to attractions such as Walibi, and vouchers for retailers like Zalando, often combined with a small cash top-up for bigger-ticket items. New deals rotate in regularly, so it is worth a quick look before you buy something you were going to buy anyway.

Good to Know

• Points generally have no cash value. They cannot be exchanged for euros or transferred to someone else's account.
• Your points balance carries an expiry date, visible against your balance in the app, so do not let a large balance sit unused for too long.
• If you close your ING payment account, any remaining points are typically forfeited, so it is worth spending them down first.
• When you redeem a voucher through a partner, that partner's own terms (validity, returns, blackout dates) apply on top of ING's.

A Natural Pairing With Your ING Account

If you are still deciding where to open your first Dutch bank account, our "Open a Bank Account" guide covers ING alongside the other major banks, and this points program is one more reason many expats land on ING. If you also shop at Albert Heijn or fill up at Shell, the AirMiles program works on a similar principle, just built around shopping instead of banking.

References

• Earn points and save on your expenses (ING)
• Met deze ING-producten en activiteiten spaar je ING Punten (ING)
• Enorm veel voordeel met ING punten (Studentenwegwijzer)