girocard

A girocard, also referred to as a bank card or “Girokarte” in German, is issued by banks and savings banks. With more than 100 million girocards in circulation, it represents the most popular card in Germany. Until 2009, the girocard was known as the “EC card” and is often still called this colloquially. The girocard is the debit card used in the German banking industry, which means it is only found in Germany.

The girocard enables customers to pay for transactions without using cash. If the girocard contains a symbol with four waves in addition to the chip on the card, then customers can also use the card to make contactless payments. If the girocard is co-branded by one of the credit card companies Visa (V-Pay) or Mastercard (Maestro), then it can also be used to make cashless payments and cash withdrawals abroad. However, the Maestro function was discontinued in July 2023. Since then, no new cards issued display the Maestro symbol. A girocard generally needs to be renewed every four years. The bank automatically sends customers a new card when the expiration date is approaching.

Payments by girocard can only be made if sufficient funds are available in the associated checking account. If a customer tries to make a payment by girocard but the amount cannot be debited, they may be subject to a sanction if willful intent—when a customer is aware they have insufficient funds while making the payment—can be proven.

Transactions are secured using the EMV technology standard, which means that instead of containing a magnetic strip, cards have an EMV chip which guarantees every transaction made with the girocard. All data are transferred in encrypted form, reducing the risk of identity theft or other types of fraudulent activity.