The most common payment methods in Germany

In Germany, it’s convenient to have several payment options: cash for small purchases, girocard for everyday shopping, Visa or Mastercard for travel and online shopping, and SEPA transfers and direct debit for recurring bills. There isn’t a single universal method everywhere: a small bakery might prefer cash, a local store might prefer girocard, and an online store might prefer PayPal or Kauf auf Rechnung.

Overview of the main payment methods

Payment Method	Where It’s Most Often Needed	What to Check in Advance
Euro cash	markets, bakeries, tips, small services, places without a card terminal	check if small bills and coins are available
girocard / EC card	supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, vending machines, local stores	does the bank issue a girocard specifically, rather than just a Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard
Visa / Mastercard	online shopping, travel, hotels, subscriptions, car rentals	a debit card or a true credit card with a credit limit
SEPA transfer	one-time payments, IBAN transfers, service payments	correct IBAN, recipient’s name, and payment description
SEPA Direct Debit	rent, insurance, internet, cell phone service, sports clubs	who has issued a SEPA mandate and when the payment will be debited
PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay	online purchases, apps, contactless payments	which account or card the wallet is linked to
Purchase on account	German online stores	payment deadline and account details on the invoice

Cash: Why It’s Still Needed

Cash hasn’t disappeared from everyday life in Germany. People often use it to pay for coffee, pastries, market purchases, small repairs, private services, and tips. Even if you almost always use a card, having a small supply of euros comes in handy in situations where the terminal isn’t working or the seller only accepts cash.

According to Bundesbank data on payment behavior, cash remains the most frequently used method of payment at the register in terms of the number of transactions, although card and mobile payments continue to grow. Therefore, the practical approach is simple: don’t rely solely on your wallet, and don’t rely solely on your smartphone.

You can withdraw cash at an ATM, and in many supermarkets, you can also do so at the register when making a purchase. The terms depend on the bank, the card, and the store chain, so it’s best to check withdrawal fees in your bank’s app.

girocard and the familiar name “EC-Karte”

Many people in Germany still say “EC-Karte” out of habit, but the official term is “girocard.” It’s a German debit card linked to a checking account: funds are debited from the account rather than provided as a loan by the bank.

For in-person purchases within Germany, girocard remains the most reliable cashless option. It is accepted at supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, home goods stores, vending machines, many restaurants, and service providers. Payments are typically made contactlessly using a card or smartphone, and a PIN is required only when the terminal or bank requires it.

Before opening an account, it’s worth checking which cards are included in the package. Some banks issue a girocard, others add a Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard to it, and some focus exclusively on international debit cards. This is important: if a terminal only accepts girocard, an international debit card may not work.

After new Maestro cards were discontinued, banks began replacing the international functionality in various ways: through new co-badged solutions, separate international debit cards, or credit cards. When living in Germany, it’s important to check not the name of the old network, but specifically where your card works: in German stores, online, and abroad.

Visa, Mastercard, and Credit Cards

10_PUBLISHED/content/en/Credit Cards in Germany Types of Cards, Fees, and Options in 2026s in Germany are primarily used for online purchases, travel, airline tickets, hotels, subscriptions, international payments, and deposits. Visa and Mastercard are increasingly accepted at chain retailers, but at small shops and local restaurants, girocard may still be the main cashless option.

It’s important to distinguish between three things:

• Visa Debit and Debit Mastercard deduct funds from your checking account and are suitable for most everyday payments.
• A charge card accumulates payments over the course of a month and debits the total amount later in a single payment.
• A classic credit card provides a credit limit, which is especially useful for renting a car, booking a hotel, and securing a deposit.

For everyday life, a Girokonto, a girocard, and an international debit card are usually enough for many people. For travel, it’s more convenient to have a separate credit card, because not all services accept debit cards as a form of security.

SEPA Transfer and Direct Debit

10_PUBLISHED/content/en/Money transfers in Germany and SEPA IBAN timing fees and securitys via SEPA are the backbone of recurring payments in Germany. Rent, utilities, insurance, internet, cell phone service, taxes, daycare, sports clubs, and subscriptions are often paid not by card, but by bank transfer or direct debit.

Überweisung is a transfer that you initiate yourself. It’s used for one-time payments, sending money to a friend, paying via IBAN, or transferring funds between your own accounts. In online banking, you usually just need to enter the recipient’s name, IBAN, amount, and Verwendungszweck—the payment description.

Lastschrift works the other way around: you give the recipient a SEPA mandate, and the organization automatically debits the money on the agreed-upon date. This is convenient for recurring payments, but you need to keep track of your mandates: check your statements and cancel debits from service providers you no longer use.

Another option is Echtzeitüberweisung, an instant SEPA transfer. In the eurozone, such transfers are gradually becoming a mandatory banking feature: funds must arrive within seconds, and the fee must not exceed the fee for a standard SEPA transfer from the same payment service provider.

PayPal, purchase on account, and mobile wallets

German online stores often offer several payment methods: PayPal, purchase on account, direct debit, Visa, Mastercard, bank transfer, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Therefore, German e-commerce isn’t limited to simply entering a card number.

PayPal is popular because of its speed, its ability to link to a bank account or card, and its convenient returns process. Kauf auf Rechnung—payment by invoice after receiving the goods—also remains a common option: the buyer receives the goods and then pays the invoice by the specified due date. With this method, it’s important not to miss the payment deadline (Zahlungsfrist), otherwise the store or payment service may charge late fees and impose penalties.

Apple Pay and Google Pay aren’t separate bank accounts, but rather a convenient interface for a card or banking solution. In stores, they work wherever contactless payments are accepted using a linked card, and in apps and online stores, they appear as separate payment buttons.

What to Choose After Moving

Newcomers to Germany are better off not looking for a single “perfect” card, but rather putting together a practical combination:

• Open a Girokonto as soon as possible, because without it, it’s inconvenient to pay rent, insurance, and other bills;
• Check whether your bank issues a girocard and how much it costs;
• Keep a small amount of cash on hand for places without a card terminal and for tips;
• Have an international debit or credit card for online shopping and travel;
• Only set up PayPal or a mobile wallet after verifying which account or card they’re linked to;
• Check your statements regularly, especially if you’ve issued multiple SEPA mandates.

Common Mistakes

• Open an account with only an international debit card, only to find out at the register that they only accept girocard.
• Consider a Visa Debit card as a full-fledged credit card for car rentals or hotel deposits.
• Sign a Lastschrift mandate and forget about who can debit your account and when.
• Completely avoiding cash and ending up at a place without a working terminal.
• Pay via “Kauf auf Rechnung” and fail to keep the invoice or transfer confirmation.

Conclusion

In Germany, a combination of several tools works best: a Girokonto with a girocard for everyday offline payments, an international card for online shopping and travel, SEPA transfers and Lastschrift for recurring bills, PayPal or a mobile wallet for convenience, and a small supply of cash for everyday situations. This combination covers almost every scenario—from the supermarket and rent to online shopping and trips abroad.