# Germany and use of credit/debit cards



## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

In a PM from peejay about Germany, Pete mentioned that not many Supermarkets in Germany accept payment by card. I usually do not take much cash with me and mainly use credit or debit cards for payments in shops, restaurants, filling stations and for campsites. My question therefore is, how widely used are cards in Germany, surely they are not even more backward than the UK?

We are off there in about 10 days.

Ralph


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## Don_Madge (May 1, 2005)

ralph-dot said:


> In a PM from peejay about Germany, Pete mentioned that not many Supermarkets in Germany accept payment by card. I usually do not take much cash with me and mainly use credit or debit cards for payments in shops, restaurants, filling stations and for campsites. My question therefore is, how widely used are cards in Germany, surely they are not even more backward than the UK?
> 
> We are off there in about 10 days.
> 
> Ralph


Ralph,

We have not toured Germany as much as Pete but we have never had a problem with the plastic at filling stations or large supermarkets. We don't eat out much in Germany because of the smokers in most retaurants and cafe.

In the days before the Euro it was always a problem travelling across Europe, we had to travel through seven different countries to get to Turkey. With the Euro life is a lot easier, but at a cost.

We always carry enough Euros to cover the cost of a tank of fuel just in case of problems at the filling station.

Don


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## kazzzy (Apr 9, 2006)

I have spent nearly 4 months working in Germany since Christmas and I can tell you that most supermarkets and shops for things such as groceries do NOT accept credit cards, VISA is especially difficult to use. Debit cards are OK if the are EC (Eurocheque) cards but again most cards in the UK are not. the reason is that most Germans still use cash therefore most shops only take cash or EC debit cards. Bigger shops such as electrical shops, department stores and fuel stations etc do accept VISA so it depends on what you are purchasing. For groceries you are better off with cash. Also if you are using a restaurant again make sure they will accept cards before eating or it could be embarissing as a lot of them dont  
Of course there is normaly a cash machine around so you can always use your credit or debit card to draw cash out but watch the bank charges.
Groceries etc in Germany are much cheaper than the UK which again may be a reason why cash is the most accepted method of payment. Let me know if I can be of any futher assistance, I am in germany at the moment and it is a beutiful sunny day and 34 degrees outside  
Hope it holds for you and you have a great time I think Germany is fantastic where are you heading to ? I am working near Munich.


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

Thanks Don & kazzzy

I am surprised that cards are not more widely accepted, in Corfu last year they were accepted everywhere.

This is the plan for my travels

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-23755-.html

Ralph


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

ralph-dot said:


> My question therefore is, how widely used are cards in Germany, surely they are not even more backward than the UK?


Hi,

I am a German citizen, and yes, regarding card payment they are more backward(?) than UK! Germany is still very much a "cash-country".

To be more precise: Almost all large departement stores, as well as most upper-class restaurants, will meanwhile accept *credit* cards, at least VISA and MasterCard. Same goes for the big brand fuel stations. *Debit* card payment has also become very popular in Germany over the last years, here however many shops *only accept cards issued by a German bank.*

So it is good advice to always have some cash with you while travelling in Germany. Cash machines are abundant, and they usually accept *all* cards. (Provided you know your PIN code.)

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## RedSonja (May 22, 2006)

We had a problem paying for petrol at a small rural petrol station. They would not accept cash! only card - but not anything with visa on it. They did accept our Natwest switch card which has the maestro symbol on it. We didnt have a problem paying by debit card for petrol on the motorways. Found it strange that they wouldnt take cash at this small petrol station though. (It was just outside Bremen)

Sonja


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## philmccann (Jun 14, 2005)

HI there

We got a travel money card from the Post Office. It costs £10.00 to set it up and you can load it up with money. It works in all cash machines in Europe as far as I know. Have tried it in France Germany Spain and Portugal. There is no surcharge to use it, only the initial set up charge.
Works for me, use it all the time

Hope this helps.


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## 1946 (Jan 5, 2006)

It is the same in Holland. Big stores and restaurants will take creditcards but not the supermarkets as it is too costly for them.
In Holland you can use the chip and pin even on the buses but only if you have a Dutch debitcard. What that is concerned, they are steps ahead of Britain

Maddie


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

I will be able to use my debit card in an ATM 6 times for the price of a travel money card from the Post Office and I do not usually have any bother in other countries (well I did in Belgium in 2005).

Thanks to all, I will just take more cash than usual.

Ralph


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## Chascass (May 10, 2007)

If you open a Nationwide building society bank account, they do not charge for use of their debit card at ATM machines, or purchases with the credit card overseas.
Other banks charge 11/2 to 2% to use their cards overseas

Chas


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## Boff (May 10, 2005)

RedSonja said:


> We had a problem paying for petrol at a small rural petrol station. They would not accept cash!


That is quite astonishing and, according to German law, simply _illegal!_

All shops, petrol stations etc. in Germany that sell goods (or services) to end customers, may not refuse cash payment. All other methods of payment are optional, cash is not.

Best Regards,
Gerhard


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## gaspode (May 9, 2005)

It's the Germans that have got it right, not us.

Why should a small trader be forced to pay a percentage of his turnover to a credit card company just to compete with the big boys? The banks and credit card issuers make a nice little earner every time a sum of money moves around for doing very little indeed. It's the same money, it just keeps moving.

What happens to personal debt when the credit card culture takes over and stores and banks issue credit card accounts to people that can't possibly afford to pay them?

If the only choices available to pay for your goods were cash or debit card then a lot of money would go back into the "real" economy, goods would be cheaper, fraud would be cut to the bone and smaller traders would find it much easier to compete.

I'm not decrying credit completely but credit should be something that is applied for on a one-off basis where the borrowers ability to pay can be properly regulated.

The problem is that we've become accustomed to using credit cards and life without them seems barbaric. We always managed before they took over and many economies still do so.

RANT OVER 8)


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## ralph-dot (May 10, 2005)

Well I think its the banks in this country that have it wrong, in the last couple of years I have been using my debit card more and more when abroad, not just my credit cards, and even the smallest shops and restaurants have taken my cards (obviously I don't pay with the card for very small purchases). Places like Italy, Greece, France, Czech Republic and Belgium, so there banks are probably not charging like our banks.

Ralph


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