DE v13.3.0

Germany (DE) · Module Detail

Germany: Scheme & Network Compliance

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Germany operates the domestic girocard debit scheme (umbrella brand of the German Banking Industry Committee / DK, formerly 'electronic cash'), independently overseen by the Bundesbank under an MoU with the DK; international schemes (Visa Europe, Mastercard Europe) are overseen by Eurosystem teams. The DK sets technical terminal standards via Technical Annex (TA 7.2) and the DC POS 3.0 approval procedure. EU Interchange Fee Regulation (Reg (EU) 2015/751, in force 9 Dec 2015) caps consumer interchange at 0.3% (credit) / 0.2% (debit); PSD2 bans surcharging on regulated cards. PCI DSS 4.0.1 is mandatory since 31 March 2025 for entities handling card data; girocard processors operate to PCI DSS Level 1.

Standing sub-brief · as of 27 June 2026158 words · last cycle 2026-07-07

Scheme & Network Compliance

The Bundesbank independently oversees the domestic girocard debit scheme — the umbrella brand of the German Banking Industry Committee (DK) — via an MoU with the DK, while international schemes (Visa Europe, Mastercard Europe) are overseen by Eurosystem expert teams. The DK sets terminal standards via Technical Annex TA 7.2 and the DC POS 3.0 approval procedure. The EU IFR caps interchange at 0.3% credit and 0.2% debit; girocard runs around 0.2-0.3%, well below the roughly 1% international level. PCI DSS 4.0.1 has been mandatory since 31 March 2025, and girocard processors operate at PCI DSS Level 1. girocard's sub-1% interchange and the DK terminal-approval regime shape merchant acceptance economics and POS hardware compliance for both bank and non-bank participants in Germany.

no periodic updates on record for this sub-brief

1 earlier update recorded under a different module label

An early cycle filed this entry under this module code with a heading naming another subject. Kept for the record; not this module's latest position.

Periodic update · new data 2026-07-08

AML/CFT Licensing Conditions & Fit-and-Proper

No material signal was identified for Germany under W4 (AML/CFT Licensing Conditions and Fit-and-Proper) this cycle. BaFin's PSD3-anticipatory posture on new authorisation files is noted as carrying implicit fit-and-proper and AML/CFT-condition implications, but no DE-specific W4 development was resolved.

Outlook

PSD3 transposition will carry AML/CFT licensing-condition implications. This module will be updated when DE-specific material is available.

Sources and findings (4)
  1. T1https://www.bundesbank.de/en/tasks/payment-systems/oversight/card-payments-626460retrieved
  2. T3https://hyperswitch.io/blog/popular-payment-methods-in-germanyretrieved
  3. T3https://secupay.com/en/knowledge/point-of-sale/new-regulations-for-pos-terminals-ta-7-2-and-dc-pos-3-0retrieved
  4. T2girocard.eu — Annual figures 2025 press release