What is iDEAL?

iDEAL is an online payment system used in The Netherlands that doesn't require Dutch people to use their debit or credit cards. Rather than having to put in your card information when ordering something online, iDEAL allows you to pay directly from your personal online banking account, where you can simply directly transfer the money directly to the business you are ordering from.

iDEAL is simply a quick and easy way to transfer money without having to put in any of your information. When you are in the process of ordering something online, the iDEAL platform knows who you want to transfer the money to and the amount to transfer and when you are paying, they automatically directed to a payment confirmation screen on your online banking. There you will not have to put any of your information, simply press confirm and there you go, and online payment has been made!


So you can get an idea of how popular iDEAL is in The Netherlands, in the first half of 2021, 96% of all online shoppers in The Netherlands used iDEAL in order to pay for their online purchases. Let it be known that this is not just for online goods! You can also use iDEAL for utilities, phone bills, fines, car registration, subscriptions and basically anything that requires a bill. iDEAL is ideal because there are no fees and, in contrary to credit cards, you cannot go into debt.

How Do You Use iDEAL?

iDEAL is very simple to use. In the following steps we will show you just how easy:

  • Select iDEAL at checkout
  • When you are looking through the payment options, choose for iDEAL as a payment method


  • Select your bank
  • You will be shown a list of banks that are also collaborating with iDEAL. All you have to do is select your bank, and you will be redirected to your online banking.


  • Confirm your transaction information
  • When you are redirected to your online banking, you will be shown a confirmation screen. This screen will have the transaction amount and the name of the merchant in which you are purchasing from. You may need to scan a QR code to access this information.


  • Complete the security process
  • Being redirected to your online banking is the first step of the process; this could have been a face scan, your password, or your pin-code The second step depends on your bank, this can also be a pin-code, face recognition, a text message with a pin-come, etc.


  • Finalising the payment
  • The bank will directly deduct the money from your account


  • Seller receives the money
  • The seller will get an immediate confirmation that the payment has been made.


  • Redirect back to the seller's page
  • You will then be automatically redirected to the sellers' page, where there will be a confirmed order screen waiting for you!


  • Et voilà!!
  • Easy!

What is iDEAL?

Create an Account With YoungCapital

Do you want to stay informed about our vacancies? Create a free account within 2 minutes and find the perfect job for you.

Frequently asked questions

  • Why does The Netherlands use iDEAL?

  • Generally, the Dutch consumers are very keen towards online shopping, and they all have a very high preference for iDEAL because of how easy it is to use, how reliable it is and how safe it is!

  • Does PayPal accept iDEAL?

  • Typically speaking, no. You are not allowed to offer the iDEAL payment method through e-mail link services, unless you get a written permission from PayPal.

  • How do you accept iDEAL?

  • iDEAL is known as a single use payment method where customers have to confirm and authenticate their payment. When paying with iDEAL, customers are redirected from their website in order to authorize their payment. After it is authorized, they are immediately redirected to the initial website, where a notification appears stating whether their payment was successful or not!

  • What is Tikkie?

  • Tikkie is a way of requesting money or sending money. It is usually used between friends to split bills or send your friend money, but it can also be used by businesses. Tikkie is only used for sending money and requesting money, and the transaction itself is processed through iDEAL.

Contact the Multilingual team

The Multilingual team will help you with advice, working and finding you a job in The Netherlands.

Living in The Netherlands