Cashless payments

If you pay for an item in Germany using a bank card instead of cash, the payment will be processed in one of two ways. The banking industry has developed a system known as "electronic cash" which guarantees the payment to the merchant. In this case, you will be asked to enter your PIN (personal identification number). An online inquiry is then sent to your bank, which authorises the transaction.

There are also various direct debit systems in which you will be asked for your signature when using your bank card to pay for goods or services. These systems enable merchants to generate a direct debit with the help of your card. The payment is then debited from your account. Since it is possible for customers to cancel a direct debit, the merchant has no guarantee of payment.