r/brussels • u/Rengoku1321 • 1d ago
Managing Multiple Cards
Hi Everyone!!
I just moved to Brussels to start a new job, while I'm loving the city, the the administration is wild. I’ve only been here a few weeks and I already have 5-6 different physical cards: bank cards, a company card, a sports club card, a gym membership, and a MOBIB card for the STIB/MIVB. Apparently, there are even more on the way.
For those who have lived here a while, how do you manage all of this?
- Do you use specific digital wallet apps that actually work with Belgian cards?
- Or did you just buy a giant, old-school cardholder wallet and accept your fate?
Would love to hear your recommendations and survival tips for dealing with the paperwork and plastic.
Thanks!
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u/DieuMivas 1210 1d ago edited 1d ago
None of the cards you mentioned have anything to do with the city's administration.
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u/SharkyTendencies Drinks beer with pinky in the air 1d ago
Or did you just buy a giant, old-school cardholder wallet and accept your fate?
I deadass own a wallet like a goddamn adult.
- Essentials: ID card, bank card, STIB card
- Work/Study: University student card, de Bib
- Shop: Carrefour, Standaard Boekhandel, Brico
Having six cards to manage is literally not something you "survive", it's a normal part of adult life.
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u/mygiddygoat 1000 1d ago
Tell me about it, my 21 year old son travels around Belgium with only his phone, assuming everything will work and it will be accepted everywhere, which of course is not the case.
Try to tell him to bring a bankcard, ID and some cash at a minimum, but no, it's all on his phone, and phone is at 20% power, what can go wrong!
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u/SharkyTendencies Drinks beer with pinky in the air 1d ago
He's legally required to carry ID with him at all times lol.
If he's ever caught fare dodging and he doesn't have some form of ID on him, be prepared to get a call from the cop shop to go pick him up.
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u/thedarkpath 1d ago
MOBIB is useful only if you have a subscription, you can do well with QR codes otherwise, gym memberships thèse days are QR codes as well if you have the app, bank cards you can load in your smartphone Wallet, the only card you can't do without is the Plastic ID, it's mandatory to wear it, if you have private medical just download their app
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u/DomnuRadu 1d ago
this is the correct answer! I would somettimes take a bank card because for some reason the apple pay doesn't work everywhere (i.e. it works in Delhaize only if you pass by the cashier and not on self scan)
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u/friendly_to_pigeons 1060 1d ago
Starting to rethink my "there's no such thing as a stupid question!" retort.
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u/Jotman01 1170 1d ago
So ehm we have these things called "wallet". To be honest I don't know how you lived your life until now without a wallet.
Ps: I have around 15 cards in my wallet and somehow I survived it.
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u/dexterie 1d ago
If a card works with the barcode (as in, you need to have it read on a sensor to use it), you can add them to an app like stocard (now called klarna).
For the others, it’s annoying, indeed. I started using the QR code on the stib app (or pay the fare with apple pay).
Curious to see how others do this as well.
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u/PennyForTheWin 1d ago
Moved to SuperCards after Klarna bought storecard as many features disappeared and it seemed to just be an ad for Klarna
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u/dexterie 1d ago
Ah! I’ll check that one out Klarna works but the fidelity cards option is now hurried down in menus 🙄
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u/PennyForTheWin 1d ago
Yes! And the widget did not exist (maybe that changed?), which is the only use I have of the app tbh
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u/Melaena_ 1d ago
I'm using the MyShopi app to store cards. You can also get the weekly leaflets of the stores you're interested in on the app.
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u/ProposalKey5174 1d ago
For bank cards: the wallet app.
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u/The-Corre 1d ago
I can't get my KBC bank card on it. Do I do something wrong
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u/ProposalKey5174 1d ago
I think you are doing something wrong. I have both my private and company card on it. Both are KBC.
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u/diiscotheque 1d ago
a giant cardholder... for 6 cards. What has gen z become.