Cookie Statement NSInternational.com and NSInternational app
Last modified: 26 February 2026, 12:40
At NSInternational.com of NS Groep N.V. we use cookies and similar technologies on our website and emails. Cookies are small text files stored on your computer, phone or tablet. This allows us to recognise you on a future visit and to remember, for example, your login details and language preference. This helps us to assist you more quickly and effectively.
In addition to cookies, we also use other technologies, such as local storage, tracking pixels, JavaScript and third-party software development kits (SDKs). These technologies collect additional data about your use of our website and emails. Because they work in a similar way, we collectively refer to them as 'cookies'. Do you have questions about how we handle your data? We are happy to explain clearly and are here for you.
Prefer no cookies? Or change cookie settings?
You decide which cookies you enable, except for the functional and limited analytical cookies. These cookies ensure our website works properly and cannot be disabled. Please note that if you change your cookie settings on our website, this does not automatically apply to the app. You will need to adjust your cookie settings there separately.
You can also always change or withdraw your consent for NSinternational.com by clicking the 'Cookie settings' link at the bottom right of every page. In the NS International app, you can do this as follows:
- iOS: You can always withdraw your consent for personalisation via your iPhone settings. Go to Settings -> Privacy -> Tracking -> NS International App and disable app tracking.
- Android: You can always withdraw your consent for personalisation via the settings in the NS International App. Go to the More menu -> Notifications & privacy and disable personalisation.
Cookies from partners
Our partners also place cookies via our website. Through these, they receive data about your click and search behaviour. This allows us to show you personalised recommendations and advertisements, including outside nsinternational.com. These partners also use your data for their own purposes. Would you like to know how they do this? Please refer to the privacy and cookie policy of the relevant company. Below you will find a list of these companies and links to their policies.
What do we use cookies for?
We use cookies for various purposes. We explain which technologies we use per purpose. Occasionally a new technology is added that is not yet listed in the overview, but we do our best to keep everything up to date.
Functional cookies
Functional cookies ensure our website works properly and remember your settings. Your consent is not required for these cookies. We process minimal information for a limited period so that we protect your privacy effectively.
We use them for example to:
- Remember which products you have in your shopping cart;
- Remember data you enter during login or ordering, so you do not have to re-enter it each time;
- Save your settings, such as language and cookie preferences;
- Secure our website and detect problems;
- Distribute load evenly across our website, keeping it functional and accessible;
- Detect errors and bugs;
- Store your browser settings so the website is displayed optimally on your screen.
These cookies are important for smooth and secure use of our services.
| Party placing the cookie | Cookie name | Category | Domain | Purpose | Data processed | Retention period |
| Akamai | bm_sz | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used by Akamai for website security, including detecting and blocking automated or fraudulent traffic. | Browser fingerprint, IP address, request patterns | Session |
| Akamai | bm_sv | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used by Akamai for website security, including detecting and blocking automated or fraudulent traffic. | Session validation token, IP address | Session |
| Akamai | bm_mi | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used by Akamai for website security, including detecting and blocking automated or fraudulent traffic. | Bot detection signals, behavioural patterns | Session |
| Akamai | ak_bmsc | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used by Akamai for website security, including detecting and blocking automated or fraudulent traffic. | Browser characteristics, session information | Session |
| Akamai | _abck | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used by Akamai for website security, including detecting and blocking automated or fraudulent traffic. | Device fingerprint, behavioural analysis for bot detection | 1 year |
| DataDog | _dd_s | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Collecting and analysing performance and availability data from websites, servers and applications, enabling technical teams to detect and resolve issues. | Session ID, page load times, JavaScript errors, user agent | Session |
| Internal application | userType | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Determining user type, primarily to distinguish internal users (e.g. call centre) from other users. | User type classification (internal/external) | Session |
| Internal application | _svs | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Stores consent given via the cookie banner (e.g. analytics: true, marketing: false). | Cookie consent preferences per category | 1 year |
| Internal application | lastPageview | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Records last page view, required for correctly measuring anonymised statistics about website usage, such as page views and sessions. Expires after 1 session. | URL and timestamp of last page visit | Session |
| Internal application | LOGGED_IN_USER_REMOVED, NOTIFICATION_CLOSED_SEASON, storeDataSource | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Required for correct website operation (user status). | Logged in or not, notification seen or not. | Session |
| Internal application | NSI-searchPreferences, NSI-searchPreferencesReturnFlow | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | Remembering your journey planner search query for ease of use. | Departure station, arrival station, date/time. | Permanent |
| Internal application | conversationid | Functional | https://www.nsinternational.com | ID of the (provisional) booking, to show the correct booking to the customer during the flow. | ID of provisional booking | Session / Short term |
Limited analytical cookies
We use limited analytical cookies to see how our websites, apps and emails are used. This helps us better understand what works well and what we can improve. The data collected on the basis of limited analytical cookies is not directly traceable to you as an individual or has minimal impact on your privacy. Limited analytical cookies are always active. For example:
- We measure how many people visit our websites and apps, how long they stay and which pages they view. This allows us to make our websites more user-friendly and to identify technical issues.
- With A/B testing we compare different versions of our websites, apps and emails. This helps us choose what works best for you.
- We use cookies to track which advertisements lead to a purchase. This allows our affiliate partners to receive a commission via the affiliate programme. We also display advertisements and links from other organisations.
| Party placing the cookie | Cookie name | Category | Domain | Purpose | Data processed | Retention period |
| Amplitude | AMP_MKTG_* | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Records anonymised statistics about website usage, such as page views and sessions. | Marketing campaign attribution, UTM parameters, referrer | 1 year |
| Amplitude | AMP_* | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Records anonymised statistics about website usage, such as page views and sessions. | Device ID, session ID, user actions, timestamps | 1 year |
| Amplitude | AMP_TLDTEST | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Records anonymised statistics about website usage, such as page views and sessions. | Technical test only to determine which top-level domain accepts cookies | Session |
| Amplitude | AMP_TEST | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Records anonymised statistics about website usage, such as page views and sessions. | Technical test only to determine whether cookies can be placed | Session |
| TradeTracker | uf | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Tracking which conversions can be attributed to the affiliate network. | Affiliate ID, click ID, timestamp of click | 1 year |
| Internal application | NSIGE-… | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Determining which test group you are assigned to for website experiments. | Experiment ID, variant ID (which version you see). | Permanent (duration of experiment) |
| Amplitude | AMP_unsent_... | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Queue (buffer) for statistics not yet sent to the server. | Click behaviour, page views, events. | Short term (cleared after transmission) |
| Amplitude | EXP_... (bijv. EXP_9cef...) | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Determining which test group you are assigned to for website experiments. | Experiment ID, variant ID (which version you see). | Permanent (duration of experiment) |
| Qualtrics | QSI_History, QSI_HistorySession | Limited analytical | https://www.nsinternational.com | Managing surveys (preventing you from being shown the same question repeatedly). | History of surveys shown, interactions. | Permanent (often 1 year) |
Personal information and recommendations within our online channels
You decide whether to enable cookies for personal information and recommendations. We only use these cookies, including those of third parties, with your consent. This allows us to show you personal information and recommendations that are better suited to you.
NS collects information about how you visit our emails and website, such as click behaviour and pages visited. Where possible, we combine this with your personal data in our customer systems, jointly for NS Domestic and International, when you have given consent across various NS online channels to use your data for personal information and recommendations. This is possible if you have a Mijn NS or Mijn NS International account and are logged in. This data is used within NS customer systems to determine which information is relevant to you.
Personalisation on our website, app and in emails
We tailor the content of our website, app and email campaigns to your usage. This includes your searches, button clicks and purchases of international train tickets. We use this to show you relevant banners and messages.
Measuring effectiveness
We use scripts on websites and apps to measure which products and recommendations best suit our travellers. This allows us to make our websites and apps increasingly personalised and relevant.
In emails we use a tracking pixel. This allows us to see whether you have opened the email and clicked on links. This helps us better assess which messages are relevant to you, for example when sending newsletter reminders.
| Party placing the cookie | Cookie name | Category | Domain | Purpose | Data processed | Retention period |
| BlueConic | BCSessionID | Personalisation | https://www.nsinternational.com | The BCSessionID cookie is a technical cookie used primarily by the BlueConic platform to recognise individual visitors and track their behaviour during a website visit. | Session ID, behaviour within session, pages visited | Session |
| BlueConic | bc_tstgrp | Personalisation | https://www.nsinternational.com | Distinguishing test groups in BlueConic, allowing the impact of personalised experiences to be measured over a longer period compared to a test group. | Test group assignment (ID or variant) | 1 year |
The legal basis for processing is: consent.
Relevant advertisements outside our online channels
You decide whether we use cookies for relevant advertisements outside our online channels. We only do this if you have given prior consent. Through these cookies, which are also placed by our partners, we collect data about your click and search behaviour. This allows us to show you more relevant advertisements.
NS collects information about how you visit our emails and website, such as click behaviour and pages visited. Where possible, we combine this with your personal data in our customer systems. This is possible if you have a Mijn NS or Mijn NS International account and are logged in. This data is used within NS customer systems to determine which information is relevant to you.
Advertisements via social networks and other websites, apps and platforms
We share which advertisements may be relevant to you with 4 partners using cookies from those partners, which collect click and search behaviour. These partners can use this to show you more relevant advertisements on their platforms, apps and websites. We do this for (social) media platforms and advertising networks such as Meta and Google. We also advertise on other websites, such as Buienradar.nl and NU.nl. The advertising network determines when you see an advertisement. Sometimes they use your behaviour and characteristics to create similar audiences on third-party platforms, so that we can show relevant advertisements to similar users. We also ensure that you do not see advertisements that are not relevant to you, for example if you have already purchased a travel product.
Effectiveness of advertisements outside our online channels
NS shares information with these partners about how you visit our website in order to determine the effectiveness of advertisements on (social) media platforms and websites and apps outside NS.
Privacy and cookie policy of NS partners
Our partners may also use the data NS has shared for their own purposes and may combine it with other data they hold about you. They have their own Privacy and Cookie Policy for this. Which companies do this and how, can be found in this Cookie Statement under the section 'Cookies from partners'.
| Party placing the cookie | Cookie name | Category | Domain | Purpose | Data processed | Retention period |
| Google Ads | _gcl_au | Advertising | https://www.nsinternational.com | Used to recognise visitors for advertising and remarketing purposes. | Google Click ID, timestamp, conversion attribution | 3 months |
| Meta | _fbp | Advertising | https://www.nsinternational.com | First-party Facebook Pixel advertising cookie. Used by Facebook to track visits to websites in order to deliver a range of advertising products, such as real-time bidding from third-party advertisers. | Browser ID, pages visited, timestamps, interactions | 2 months |
| Microsoft Ads | MUID | Advertising | bing.com | This domain is owned by Microsoft – it is the site for the Bing search engine. | Microsoft User ID, browser data, search and browsing behaviour | 1 year |
| Google Ads | _gcl_ls | Advertising | https://www.nsinternational.com | Stores click information (gclid) in localStorage as a fallback option when third-party cookies are blocked. Enables Google Ads conversions to be measured across browser sessions and domains. | Google Click Identifier (gclid), time of click, potentially campaign/source parameters. | Session / Short term |
The legal basis for processing is: consent.
Software Development Kits (SDKs)
In the NSInternational App we use Software Development Kits from third parties to collect information for various purposes. Below you can see which SDKs we load.
| Tool | SDK name | Purpose | Category | Data processed |
| Firebase | Cloud Messaging | Push notifications | Functional | Firebase-generated device IDs, basic device information, crash traces |
| Firebase | Crashlytics | Crash reporting | Functional | Firebase-generated installation IDs |
| GA4 / Firebase | Analytics for Firebase | Analytics | Limited analytical | Session ID |
| Blueconic | Blueconic | Providing personalised experiences | Personalisation | Blueconic ID |
| Qualtrics | Qualtrics Feedback SDK | Collecting feedback from users | Limited analytical | Intercept ID, completed survey response |
What data do we and our partners process using cookies?
NS and our partners process user data from your computer, mobile phone and tablet using cookies and similar technologies, such as:
- Information about your web browser, device, operating system and screen resolution. Also data such as your country of origin, language settings and where you came from (the referring URL).
- Unique codes associated with your device, browser or network, such as a (anonymised) IP address or a transaction ID or user ID.
- How you use our website or read emails, such as which pages you view, what you click on, how you scroll, search and what purchases you make.
We collect, share or process your user data only to the extent necessary for the purposes described in this cookie statement. Depending on the technical application on the website or email, we may also process other categories of data. If this is the case, such use will be further explained.
If you accept your cookies for personal information and recommendations and/or advertisements via social networks, we may link this user data to other data we hold about you. We do this when you log in to your Mijn NS(I) account on the website or app.
About browser settings
Do you not want websites to store cookies on your device or computer? Adjust your browser settings. You will then receive a warning before cookies are placed. You can also set your browser to refuse all your cookies or only third-party cookies. Cookies that have already been placed can be deleted. Please note that you must adjust these settings separately for each browser and each device you use. We want to let you know that if you refuse cookies, our website may sometimes not function properly. Some features may then be unavailable or you may be unable to view certain pages at all. Even without cookies you will continue to see advertisements, but these will no longer be tailored to your interests and will be repeated more frequently.
How you enable, disable and delete cookies differs per browser. Click on one of the links below to go directly to your browser's help guide. Or check the help function of your browser for further explanation.
If you want to disable cookies from specific parties, you can do so via youronlinechoices.com.
Changes to the cookie statement
Our cookie statement may change from time to time when necessary. In the event of changes, we will inform you via, for example, our newsletter or our website. This way you will always be kept up to date with the latest information.
How long do we retain your data?
Cookies come in different types and are stored on your device (computer, phone, tablet) for different periods depending on their function. Cookies are stored on your device for varying periods depending on their purpose.
Contact
Do you have a question or complaint about NS's use of cookies? Please get in touch by sending an email to: fg@ns.nl.