Over eight billion payments: Girocard expands its leading role

The Girocard remains the benchmark in the German payment card business. In 2025, the debit card of the German banking industry was used around 8.3 billion times. This represents an increase of 4.8 percent compared to the previous year. However, revenue of around 308 billion euros is only slightly above the previous year's level.

In parallel, acceptance in retail grew significantly. In 2025, customers paid at up to 1,344,000 active terminals for the first time, an increase of 11.3 percent. Whether in retail, gastronomy, or services, the card thus remains almost universally usable. The Girocard also remains attractive for merchants because it incurs comparatively low fees and offers a payment guarantee.

Lower amounts are also increasingly being settled with the Girocard. Bakeries, kiosks, and vending machines are increasingly accepting card payments. As a result, the average transaction amount continued to fall and was 37.25 euros in 2025 (compared to 38.85 euros in 2024).

From plastic card to wallet: The future is digital

Contactless transactions continue to dominate: in December 2025, around 88.5 percent of all Girocard payments were processed contactlessly, a record high (86.8 percent in 2024).

In addition to the physical card, the digital Girocard on smartphones and smartwatches is gaining importance. It can be used via common wallets or directly via banking apps on iOS and Android devices. Due to new EU regulations (Digital Markets Act), banks have recently been able to offer contactless payments with the Girocard directly on the iPhone without relying on Apple Pay, for example via the VR-Banking-App of cooperative institutions, which uses the NFC interface.

The trend towards digital use is reflected in current data: According to a study by the Bundesbank, physical plastic cards are increasingly being left at home, while their digital counterparts in wallets are growing significantly. Their share increased from around 5 percent in the second half of 2022 to almost 16 percent in the second half of 2024.

Overall, it is clear: The Girocard remains the backbone of German card payment transactions, both in terms of transaction numbers and acceptance in retail. Nevertheless, international providers such as Visa and Mastercard are on the rise, especially through direct banks, and dominate at the European level with a market share of 69 percent, as the Bundesbank study shows.

(olb)