Germany and Credit Cards

[kelly58]

Is it true or a myth that UK credit cards are not accepted in Germany , if we have not sold our motorhome by September we are planning a trip to Wolfsburg to the VW factory . Also has anyone any recommendations for Stellplatz along the route between Calais and Wolfsburg ?.

[Robinhood]

....there are a number of threads on here covering the subject which can be found by Search - one of the most recent being:

 

http://www.outandaboutlive.co.uk/forums/Motorhomes/Motorhome-Matters/Germany-and-cards/34086/

 

My own experience of Germany, over a good few years, was summarised as follows in a different thread:

 

"Germany certainly is not a "credit card economy"; it used to be difficult to find a petrol station that took any kind of card, though now virtually all do. Many supermarkets (still including Aldi and Lidl it would seem) don't take credit cards, but REWE (consistently in our experience), and Edeka (more often than not - they are a "franchise" type organisation), do. Certainly, many small businesses will not take credit cards, but on restaurants, campsites, etc., our experience for the last few years is that they do more often than not. We do make sure we always have cash to fall back on.

 

I've never had any problem with Banks and Visa debit cards for ATM cash withdrawal. "

 

 

 

[StuartO]

No it's not true, UK credit cards are accepted in Germany. They even have electricity there.

 

Recommending Stellplatz isn't very practical because there are thousands and your route and pace of journey haven't been specified but there is a good one at Mettlach, just north of the A8 after Luxembourg we we use regularly as a first night staging post.

 

It's on a car park near a supermarket near the river and a stroll from the town, which has a few bars and restaurants. There is an honesty system for paying which involves phoning a German number on your mobile but the notices are in German and a bit of a challenge. If you take on drinking water (which is free) give the tap a really good cleaning; the taps for rinsing toilette cassette and drawing water are close together.

 

Oh, and in th town there is a Factory Outlet Shop for Villroy & Boch ceramics. My OH got really carried away so best to call at Mettlach outbound from UK promising to return and then by pass it coming home!

[aande83]

I have travelled throughout Germany as recently as 2 months ago. I use various cards including my debit card and credit cards which also includes my pre-paid FairFX Euro card.

If you wish to use your cards at a petrol station then be advised that they will NOT be accepted at the 24 hour pumps where. You input your card details at the pump; you will have to fill up at a station where there is a Cashtill operator accepting payments on the premises. This restriction applied at all petrol stations I attempted to fill up in Belgium Luxembourg Germany Denmark Sweden and Norway earlier this year. My brother lives in Southern Germany and had no problem anywhere! He has explained that they have Euro Cheques on the continent which are Different!!? Second issue is if you travel to certain areas in Germany ie Bodensee they ONLY accept cash so you need to find a hole in the wall before sitting down to a meal!!

[maggyd]

As we don't use credit cards I cant tell you BUT they don't like Visa !! even debit card! that is our experience once buying a replacement Tom Tom and again when buying the bike rack Maestro no problem. At the time we bought the new TomTom I did try with a Visa credit card that Nationwide had talked me into that was rejected as was the debit card we had to pay cash.

[rupert123]

aande83 - 2014-08-08 10:56 AM

 

I have travelled throughout Germany as recently as 2 months ago. I use various cards including my debit card and credit cards which also includes my pre-paid FairFX Euro card.

If you wish to use your cards at a petrol station then be advised that they will NOT be accepted at the 24 hour pumps where. You input your card details at the pump; you will have to fill up at a station where there is a Cashtill operator accepting payments on the premises. This restriction applied at all petrol stations I attempted to fill up in Belgium Luxembourg Germany Denmark Sweden and Norway earlier this year. My brother lives in Southern Germany and had no problem anywhere! He has explained that they have Euro Cheques on the continent which are Different!!? Second issue is if you travel to certain areas in Germany ie Bodensee they ONLY accept cash so you need to find a hole in the wall before sitting down to a meal!!

A pre paid euro card will usually not work at 24 hour pumps anywhere. The reason is when you put a debit card into an automated pump it does not check back to the bank to see if funds are in place. The assumption is made that the bank will pay out even if the card goes overdrawn but a pre paid card cannot go overdrawn so pumps will not accept them, you will probably get the same result if you try and pay an automated toll road with one. I have found no problems with cards in Germany in recent years although many small outfits still do not accept them but times are changing fast. As for your lake Constance thing I have not found this, I used a card for fuel and campsites, no problem.

[EJB]

We pass through and/or visit Germany every year.

Often fill up in Belgium at an automated payment garage.

 

We pay by Barclaycard/Visa everywhere.

 

PS. Also in all the other countries mentioned!

 

[Brian Kirby]

Whether a business will accept credit cards will be decided by them. Germany is a large country, not that long since re-unified. It must be expected that the acceptability of credit cards will vary from region to region, and from business to business. This is true everywhere, but the Germans have a long standing (post Weimar hyperinflation) aversion to credit, and have not generally taken to credit cards as readily as other EU states. So, whereas many retailers will accept them, many others will not, and it would be wise to expect to have to pay in cash far more often than is general elsewhere.

 

Make sure you take plenty of cash, or the means to obtain cash, rather than relying on a credit card. If relying on debit cards and ATMs (holes-in-the-wall), check the card issuers terms, charges, and exchange rates, and also check for affiliated banks whose ATMs do not make additional charges for card use. If intending to use a credit card to get cash (generally inadvisable), read very carefully how the charges are applied since interest is likely to be charged from the date of the transaction, possibly at an unfavourable exchange rate, coupled with additional fees/charges.

[Bulletguy]

StuartO - 2014-08-08 8:37 AM

 

No it's not true, UK credit cards are accepted in Germany. They even have electricity there.

 

 

PMSL!! Excellent!! :D :D

[maggyd]

kelly58 - 2014-08-08 8:10 AM

 

Is it true or a myth that UK credit cards are not accepted in Germany , if we have not sold our motorhome by September we are planning a trip to Wolfsburg to the VW factory . Also has anyone any recommendations for Stellplatz along the route between Calais and Wolfsburg ?.

 

 

Kelly when you come back PLEASE update this thread and tell us how you got on.

 

But my advise be prepared for all eventualities. :-)

[EMS]

It is not just credit cards, often it is all cards.

I have often not been able to use my French debit card so be prepared to pay cash.

There is rarely a problem to get cash with cards in Banks, either credit or debit.

 

When in Alsace France we stopped for lunch and I espied a source of wine and after sampling said wines I chose enough for a few months as we were returning to UK. luckily my wife was driving that day!

Then the problems started none of our cards were accepted and I had to reduce the selection to match the cash in hand!

 

Very worried we stopped at the next garage to top up with fuel and to verify there was not a problem with the cards, the chosen Euro card worked first time so with relief we carried on. So there must have been a problem with the computer link to their Internetsupplier/bank.