Financial Cards and Payments in Germany

January 2026
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Overview:

Understand the latest market trends and future growth opportunities for the Financial Cards and Payments industry in Germany with research from Euromonitor International's team of in-country analysts – experts by industry and geographic specialisation.

Key trends are clearly and succinctly summarised alongside the most current research data available. Understand and assess competitive threats and plan corporate strategy with our qualitative analysis, insight and confident growth projections.

If you're in the Financial Cards and Payments industry in Germany, our research will help you to make informed, intelligent decisions; to recognise and profit from opportunity, or to offer resilience amidst market uncertainty.

The Financial Cards and Payments in Germany report includes:

  • Analysis of key supply-side and demand trends
  • Detailed segmentation of international and local products
  • Historic volume and value sizes, company and brand market shares
  • Five year forecasts of market trends and market growth
  • Robust and transparent research methodology, conducted in-country

This report answers:

  • What is the market size of Financial Cards and Payments in Germany?
  • What are the major trends key to understanding Financial Cards and Payments in Germany?
  • How has COVID-19, recession and macroeconomic volatility impacted the market?
  • How long will the market take to recover? What are the opportunities now?
  • How will political context and shifting cultural values shape future growth?
  • Where is future growth expected to be most dynamic?

Financial Cards and Payments in Germany - Industry Overview

Financial cards market showing signs of consolidation

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Card portfolios shift toward wallet-ready debit cards as legacy formats fade
Phone-first payments and Tap to Pay broaden acceptance
Partnerships simplify product sets
Focus set to remain on debit cards for everyday purchases
Card holders set to benefit from a simpler and more secure online experience
Sparkassen remains the leading card issuer thanks to wide reach
Hanseatic finds success with streamlined operations and services
Table 1 Number of POS Terminals: Units 2020-2025
Table 2 Number of ATMs: Units 2020-2025
Table 3 Value Lost to Fraud 2020-2025
Table 4 Card Expenditure by Location 2025
Table 5 Financial Cards in Circulation by Type: % Number of Cards 2020-2025
Table 6 Domestic versus Foreign Spend 2025
Table 7 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 8 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2020-2025
Table 9 Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 10 Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 11 Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 12 Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2020-2025
Table 13 M-Commerce by Category: Value 2020-2025
Table 14 M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2020-2025
Table 15 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 16 Financial Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 17 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 18 Financial Cards: Card Payment Transactions Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 19 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 20 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Accounts 2025-2030
Table 21 Forecast Financial Cards Transactions by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 22 Forecast Financial Cards by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 23 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 24 Forecast Consumer Payments by Category: Number of Transactions 2025-2030
Table 25 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: Value 2025-2030
Table 26 Forecast M-Commerce by Category: % Value Growth 2025-2030

COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER

Summary 1 Research Sources

Charge Cards in Germany - Category analysis

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Travel and entertainment the key focus of charge card spending
Travel-focused issuance and wallet-ready activation
Transaction volumes increase as travel and entertainment spend recovers
Gradual recovery in usage as travel and experiences grow
Tokenised, low-friction online checkout supports regular card use
Wider acceptance via softPOS and growth of virtual corporate cards
Visa leads the network but American Express shows momentum
Volksbank and Amex deliver positive results
Table 27 Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 28 Charge Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 29 Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 30 Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 31 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 32 Commercial Charge Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 33 Commercial Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 34 Commercial Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 35 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 36 Personal Charge Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 37 Personal Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 38 Personal Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 39 Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 40 Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 41 Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 42 Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 43 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 44 Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 45 Commercial Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 46 Commercial Charge Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 47 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 48 Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 49 Personal Charge Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 50 Personal Charge Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 51 Forecast Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 52 Forecast Charge Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 53 Forecast Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 54 Forecast Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 55 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 56 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 57 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 58 Forecast Commercial Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 59 Forecast Personal Charge Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 60 Forecast Personal Charge Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 61 Forecast Personal Charge Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 62 Forecast Personal Charge Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030

Credit Cards in Germany - Category analysis

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Credit card usage focuses on e-commerce, travel and subscriptions
Credit cards repositioned toward online payments, travel and subscriptions
Improved access and acceptance boosts credit card transactions
Card usage set to gradually normalise as rates stabilise
Online checkout set to become token-first and low friction
Mobile wallets and softPOS expanding acceptance
Commercial credit providers expand via virtual cards and tighter controls
Speed of issuance and frictionless payments key to success
Table 63 Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 64 Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 65 Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 66 Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 67 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 68 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 69 Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 70 Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 71 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 72 Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 73 Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 74 Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 75 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 76 Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 77 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 78 Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 79 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 80 Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 81 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 82 Commercial Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 83 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 84 Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 85 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 86 Personal Credit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 87 Forecast Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 88 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 89 Forecast Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 90 Forecast Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 91 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 92 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 93 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 94 Forecast Commercial Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 95 Forecast Personal Credit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 96 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 97 Forecast Personal Credit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 98 Forecast Personal Credit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030

Debit Cards in Germany - Category analysis

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Banks respond to the shift towards Tap to Pay
Banks replace older cards to support Tap to Pay functionality
Shift to contactless payments fuels strong growth in debit card transactions
Everyday debit card use set to deepen as mobile acceptance broadens
Instant payments and “wero” set to broaden pay-by-bank options
Access to mobile wallets set to improve alongside increased security measures
Sparkassen expands access and usage
N26 regains growth momentum with focus on instant digital issuance
Table 99 Debit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 100 Debit Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 101 Debit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 102 Debit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 103 Debit Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 104 Debit Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 105 Debit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 106 Debit Cards Payment Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 107 Forecast Debit Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 108 Forecast Debit Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 109 Forecast Debit Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 110 Forecast Debit Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030

Pre-Paid Cards in Germany - Category analysis

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Pre-paid cards disappearing from the market
Phasing out of Geldkarte function leads to decline in pre-paid cards in circulation
Transaction volumes decline as consumers switch to other payment methods
Legacy formats keep declining while multi-retailer gift cards set to gain share
Benefit cards could lift open loop volumes, but rollout and design remain uncertain
Digital delivery and acceptance will dictate what survives in the pre-paid market
Public transport demand helps VDV retain its lead as Geldkarte is phased out
Transport retains an important role in card issuance
Table 111 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 112 Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 113 Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 114 Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 115 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 116 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 117 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 118 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 119 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 120 Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 121 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 122 Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 123 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 124 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 125 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 126 Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 127 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 128 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards by Operator 2020-2024
Table 129 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 130 Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transaction Value by Operator 2020-2024
Table 131 Forecast Pre-paid Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 132 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 133 Forecast Pre-paid Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 134 Forecast Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 135 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 136 Forecast Closed Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 137 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 138 Forecast Open Loop Pre-paid Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030

Store Cards in Germany - Category analysis

KEY DATA FINDINGS

Store cards disappearing from the market with little hope of a revival in fortunes
Store cards give way to retailer apps and co-branded payment cards
Store cards lose relevance in an increasingly digital world
Store card transactions set for continued decline as retailer apps take the lead
Co-branded, wallet-ready cards become the preferred retailer payment model
Security, new standards and softPOS make app checkouts smoother and greener
Strongest players win through digital engagement, not plastic
Simple rewards, digital receipts and wallet provisioning drive adoption
Table 139 Store Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2020-2025
Table 140 Store Cards Transactions 2020-2025
Table 141 Store Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 142 Store Cards Transactions: % Growth 2020-2025
Table 143 Store Cards: Number of Cards by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 144 Store Cards: Payment Transaction Value by Issuer 2020-2024
Table 145 Forecast Store Cards: Number of Cards in Circulation 2025-2030
Table 146 Forecast Store Cards Transactions 2025-2030
Table 147 Forecast Store Cards in Circulation: % Growth 2025-2030
Table 148 Forecast Store Cards Transactions: % Growth 2025-2030

COUNTRY REPORTS DISCLAIMER

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The following categories and subcategories are included:

Financial Cards and Payments

    • ATM Cards
      • Commercial Charge Cards
      • Personal Charge Cards
      • Commercial Credit Cards
      • Personal Credit Cards
      • Commercial Debit Cards
      • Personal Debit Cards
      • Closed Loop Pre-Paid Cards
      • Open Loop Pre-Paid Cards
    • Store Cards
      • Commercial Card Payment Transactions
      • Commercial Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
      • Commercial Paper Payment Transactions
      • Personal Card Payment Transactions
      • Personal Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
      • Personal Paper Payment Transactions
        • Commercial Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
        • Personal Electronic Direct/ACH Transactions
          • Commercial Cash Transactions
          • Commercial Other Paper Transactions
          • Personal Cash Transactions
          • Personal Other Paper Transactions
      • Mobile Proximity Payments
      • Mobile Remote Payments

Financial Cards and Payments

Payments are tracked based on the country of residence / account issuance and include outbound spend while excluding inbound spend.

See all of our definitions
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This report originates from Passport, our Financial Cards and Payments research and analysis database.

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