How to Pay in Germany

No German payment app is necessary for a short visit.

The best current evidence is more nuanced than saying that cash is king. The Bundesbank's June 2026 report on 2025 behavior says 55 percent of recorded purchases were cashless, while cash still represented 45 percent and remained the most frequently used single method at the point of sale. Cashless payment was available for 86 percent of recorded physical purchases, yet roughly one quarter of respondents had recently been unable to pay cashlessly when they wanted to. The girocard remains Germany's most widely used domestic debit card, and some smaller merchants accept girocard but not international Visa or Mastercard.

A visitor normally cannot and need not obtain one. Carry a physical international card, a second card on another account, and a sensible amount of euros. Ask before ordering when a sign says nur Barzahlung or nur EC-Karte. At terminals and ATMs, pay in euros and decline conversion into the home currency.

Review any operator fee before withdrawing, prefer a bank ATM, shield the PIN, and do not accept help from a stranger. Revolut, PayPal and Wero are not German arrival requirements. Existing customers may still use them where eligible, but they do not solve cash-only or girocard-only acceptance, and Wero depends on a participating bank account.