MasterCard/ visa debit card in Germany !

[trickydicky]

Hi, we're off to Germany and I was wondering if credit cards are widely accepted there or if not, visa debit cards.

[Robinhood]

....Germany is still more of a cash economy than the UK, but the use of credit cards is increasing.

 

Most (if not all) petrol stations will now accept them (it didn't used to be the case), many, but not all, of the non-budget supermarkets will accept them (REWE and Edeka are usually OK, though the latter is a franchise organisation, and it does vary). LIDL/ALDI and the budget ones such as Penny Markt could be a problem.

 

You should find that most tourist-oriented outlets (restaurants, etc.) will accept credit cards, but you will get suprises. Some campsites won't, and most of the smaller gasthofs and shops in towns won't either.

 

It is always best to be equipped with sufficient cash to get by.

[Len Salisbury]

I've never had a problem using Debit Visa through France, Germany or Cz Santander charge £1,25 per transaction so you might as well splash out. When I have used French Peage I find it easier to pay by card especially if toll is automated.

[Gwendolyn]

Our experience is somewhat different.

 

We've been travelling through Germany over the last few weeks and we did have problems using a Visa debit card at supermarkets and at some petrol stations and certainly at campsites. They mostly wanted a Maestro debit card. Or cash. Credit cards were mainly not acceptable.

 

Well, I say "problem" but in reality it was not, as we have encountered this situation on previous visits, and so [almost] never passed an ATM without drawing cash! We are about to move on from Austria, back through Germany, and will ensure we have enough cash once again.

 

Even the Stellplatz we used wanted cash in the machines to pay for stays. Experienced just one awkward situation. We arrived at one that didn't even give change of a note, the only other person around did not have enough change to help us, so OH had to cycle to a shop to buy something. As it was a Sunday, there was not much open, and he had to go to the centre just to buy a postcard to get some change. He was not best pleased! After that we made sure we kept plenty of coins handy.

 

We use a fee free Santander Zero Debit card. No charges at all.

 

[derek500]

Len Salisbury - 2015-06-09 11:01 PM

 

I've never had a problem using Debit Visa through France, Germany or Cz Santander charge £1,25 per transaction so you might as well splash out. When I have used French Peage I find it easier to pay by card especially if toll is automated.

 

Very expensive using debit cards (Santander and others I expect), abroad. We use our Santander 123 credit card, no service charge and interbank exchange rates.

[manxli]

Hi

 

As my wife is German we travel there a lot. I find it a bit of roulette game. Mostly foreign cards work, but occasionally they will be rejected with no reason, other than the till says 'invalid'. Usually, use of an alternative card (if you've got one) succeeds. I think it just depends on which till service provider the retailler uses.

 

However, I always make sure I have a float of enough Euros just in case. It does seem to be improving, as a petrol station, which once rejected my card, now accepts it without problem.

 

Regards

 

Alan

[Brian Kirby]

So, in summary, you should not assume you will be able to pay by card in any specific instance, and ensure you have cash to cover your foreseeable costs - which mirrors our experience last autumn on quite a wide sweep around Germany.

 

Netherlands (Amsterdam) similar. Additionally, just in case, be aware that the Dutch have pretty universally abandoned use of the 1 Euro cent coin, with many outlets refusing to accept them even if in twos or fives, as they are now getting charged by the banks for handling them.

[Bojitoes]

Hi

We have been to Germany several times during the last 3 years and would agree that the use of credit & debit cards is a bit haphazard. Also using debit cards to draw cash from an ATM can be problematic. We were in Bernkastel and found only 1 ATM which would accept a UK debit card- it was quite a concern as we were low on cash. We have identified that ATM's which display the EC symbol will accept UK cards which also have that symbol -not sure which bank issues those cards- none of ours do!

 

I do not think the problem is specific to any particular areas having encountered it in several different parts. One German I spoke to said that it was because the Germans do not trust banks and will not pay what they consider to be the large interest charge for credit- cannot say I would disagree!

Have a good trip

Bob

[trickydicky]

Thank you all. Cash it is.

[mgnbuk]

We have been going to or through Germany since 1986 & have always paid for fuel with a credit card, without ever having a problem. As has been said earlier, only larger Edeka & Globus supermarkets seem to take credit cards, some restaurants & campsites do and many attractions (museums, cable cars, scenic river cruises (for example)) do as well.

 

Debit cards are widely used in the discount supermarkets (Lidl, Aldi, Penny, Norma, NP) - unfortunately for us, until now Germany has had a "unique to Germany" debit card system - EC card or Girocard. The EC bit was originally EuroCheques & UK bank cards used to act as EuroCheque guarantee cards (hence some UK cards having the EC logo many years ago). When EuroCheques were canned, we went to Visa or Maestro debit cards, Germany continued to use the EC logo but re-branded it "Electronic cash" using a system that was unique to Germany. As far as I know, the only cards that worked were those issued by German banks to their account holders. From reading up on the current situation, it appears that Germany has now adopted the Maestro system, as it was not deemed acceptable for a Euro Zone country to have a banking system that was not accessible to other Euro Zone members. As Maestro is a Mastercard system, it would seem unlikely that Visa debit cards would be accepted in the future, but I don't know that for certain.

 

As UK debit cards have ferocious charges for foreign use, I have not been bothered by this lack of functionality in Germany. My UK cash withdrawal card works fine in Germany (this has a "Plus" logo on the back - "Plus" is an International ATM standard), though I now use a FairFX Mastercard Euro pre-charged card that also works fine in German ATMs. As the FairFx card charges on a "per use" basis, and as cash is always accepted, I take out €350/400 from an ATM when ready cash reserves fall below €100. I use a Mastercard where possible, but always have sufficient cash to cover if not.

 

It is certainly worthwhile accumulating a stock of 50 cent, 1€ and 2€ coins for stellplatz barrier machines, parking ticket machines and electricity meters, water and waste points on stellplatze. I have yet to see a machine that took notes and gave change in those situations - probably because the amounts concerned are usually small.

[Len Salisbury]

I shall be going to Santander today and clarify Debit Card/Credit Card charges for abroad.

[AliB]

Len Salisbury - 2015-06-11 9:42 AM

 

I shall be going to Santander today and clarify Debit Card/Credit Card charges for abroad.

 

You also need to establish how they calculate the given exchange rate. Some organisation have low or zero charges but give a poor rate of exchange.

[Gwendolyn]

AliB - 2015-06-11 9:54 AM

 

Len Salisbury - 2015-06-11 9:42 AM

 

I shall be going to Santander today and clarify Debit Card/Credit Card charges for abroad.

 

You also need to establish how they calculate the given exchange rate. Some organisation have low or zero charges but give a poor rate of exchange.

 

Santander Zero debit [not credit] card is a no fee card and gives the interbank rate. The account is no longer available to new customers, which is why we hang on to it, despite having a better day to day current account. We use it only for overseas travel, transferring funds to the account from our other account when we go away.