Museumkaart app
Museumkaart has long been the key to the Dutch museum world. But it is easy to leave a card at home. So together with the Museumvereniging, we created a digital Museumkaart: an app you always have with you, and that works at hundreds of museums, even without internet.
- download the app
The Museumkaart has become a fixture in the Dutch museum world. What started as a physical pass has grown into one of the country’s most successful cultural subscriptions. More than a million cardholders have access to hundreds of participating museums. But times change. Not everyone routinely carries cards anymore. As a result, the Museumkaart sometimes gets left at home at exactly the moment someone decides to visit a museum on the spur of the moment. A phone, however, is always close by. Together with the Museumvereniging, we have given the Museumkaart a modern update: a digital card in the form of a new app. In short, the Museumkaart you always have with you.
From physical card to digital infrastructure
The idea behind the Museumkaart app is that it can fully replace the physical card, remains secure and tied to an individual, and works at all participating museums in the Netherlands even without an internet connection. At the same time, we rebuilt the entire purchase journey and My Account environment to make sure the digital foundations were in place.
A crafted piece of technology
Based on the design by the agency Fabrique, we built native iOS and Android apps, connected to a robust .NET backend. That backend acts as a central hub between the app, the Museumvereniging systems and external partners. The front end brings multiple underlying systems together and turns a fragmented landscape into one coherent digital infrastructure.
Access to hundreds of museums
One of the biggest technical challenges in this project sits right at the museum entrance. The digital card has to work with a wide range of ticketing systems and scanners, without relying on an active internet connection. The app generates temporary barcodes that can be validated offline and read by all existing scanners. When a user switches to the digital card, verification takes place, validity is checked and the number of device changes is limited. The physical card is also automatically deactivated.
More than just a digital card
Between the launch in late 2024 and early 2026, more than half a million users installed the app. It gives the Museumvereniging a direct communication channel with digital cardholders. Users are opening the app more often, managing their card digitally and receiving up to date information about museums and exhibitions. At the same time, digitisation reduces plastic production and postal deliveries.
A look to the future
In the coming years, the Museumkaart app will continue to grow into a fully fledged platform. Think renewals in app, more personalised suggestions and targeted communication based on visit behaviour. The result is a user friendly experience that brings visitors and museums closer together.
"“The Museumkaart is keeping up with the times, which is why there is now a digital Museumkaart too. Having your card close at hand at all times makes life that bit easier. The digital card was developed in collaboration with Q42, a trusted partner for many years in building user friendly, future proof digital solutions.”"
Ellen Bakema, product owner at Museumvereniging.
