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Girocard usage hits record in Germany amid digital tipping concerns
Germany's Girocard has reached a new usage record, with 4.21 billion transactions recorded in the first half of 2026, a 4% increase from the previous year. Contactless payments are driving this growth, accounting for 92% of all Girocard transactions in June. The average transaction value has decreased to 36.12 euros as the card becomes increasingly common for small purchases at bakeries, kiosks, and vending machines. Future updates planned for 2027 include in-app payment capabilities.
Simultaneously, consumer protection groups are raising concerns regarding digital tipping on card terminals. The Federation of German Consumer Organisations (vzbv) has warned against “manipulative design tricks” used in the hospitality sector. These tricks involve presenting large, colorful preset percentage options for tips while making the “no tip” or custom amount buttons small or difficult to find. The vzbv is calling for EU-level regulation to ensure that declining a tip is as clearly visible as accepting one.
Entities
Berlin · Deutscher Hotel- und Gastronomieverband · Euro Kartensysteme · Federation of German Consumer Organisations · Forsa · Germany · Girocard · Ramona Pop · SumUp · Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 6 SOURCES] The Federation of German Consumer Organisations is advocating for a ban on manipulative design tricks at the European level. courage-lounge.de · www.ad-hoc-news.de
- [● 2 SOURCES] 76 percent of respondents support the idea that the option to give no tip or a smaller tip should be as visible and easy to select as suggested amounts. courage-lounge.de · www.ad-hoc-news.de
- [● 6 SOURCES] The option to reject a tip or set a custom amount must be clearly visible on digital payment terminals. courage-lounge.de · www.ad-hoc-news.de
- [● 6 SOURCES] Digital payment terminals sometimes use design tricks where preset percentage options are larger or more colorful than the option to decline a tip. courage-lounge.de · www.ad-hoc-news.de