Girocard hits record with 4.21 billion payments

Hold a card, smartphone or smartwatch briefly near the terminal — and the purchase is paid for. In June, 92 percent of all Girocard payments in Germany were processed contactlessly. For small amounts, entering a PIN is not required; the payment data is encrypted as it is transmitted between the device and the checkout terminal.

Girocard is also growing overall. In the first half of 2026, consumers used it around 4.21 billion times. That was four percent more than in the same period a year earlier and a new record. A total of 8.3 billion transactions had been recorded in 2025.

The bigger change is visible in small purchases. There are now almost 1.4 million payment terminals in German retail, and Girocard is being used more often at bakeries, kiosks and vending machines. The average payment amount fell to 36.12 euros in the first half of 2026. Transaction volume totaled 151.9 billion euros over the same period.

For users, this means that the announced features are intended to expand Girocard’s uses beyond paying at the checkout. According to Euro Kartensysteme, in-app payments are expected to become possible from spring 2027, meaning payments made directly in merchant apps. It is also planned to use Girocard for car-rental bookings and hotel reservations instead of a credit card next year.

Girocard is already widely used: Around 100 million Girocards are in circulation in Germany. The new functions, however, have only been announced and are not yet available as a nationwide service. Christopher Kirsch, Director of Girocard Product Development at Euro Kartensysteme, outlined the plans to the German Press Agency in Frankfurt in June.