Digital payment types in Germany

Statistics report on which cashless payment methods and brands are used the most in Germany

Digital payment types in Germany

One of Europe's most populated markets, Germany historically prefers cash. Is this changing, due to the rise of BNPL or or digital payment methods?

This report aims to provide a comparative overview of how different cashless, or digital, payment methods within Germany compare against each other. Which payment method do consumers in the country prefer to use either in POS or online shopping? Which brands do they use? And how does Germany deal with potential payment disruptors, such as buy now, pay later, cryptocurrency, or real-time payments?

The main structure of this report focuses on industry-important metrics for each payment method. The metrics are as follows:

  • Adoption and/or penetration;
  • The biggest brands within certain payment methods;
  • User count and/or user demographics;
  • Value of transactions, in domestic currency and/or U.S. dollar;
  • Number of transactions per user.


With those metrics, the following payment methods are discussed:

  1. Credit cards;
  2. Debit cards;
  3. Mobile payments at POS, also called contactless or mobile proximity payments;
  4. Payments in e-commerce, with any device;
  5. Buy now, pay later (BNPL);
  6. Cryptocurrency as a payment method;
  7. Account-to-account (A2A) payments;
  8. Real-time (instant) payments;
  9. (Digital) remittances.


The report, finally, closes off with a chapter on figures that help contextualize digital payments in the country - such as the market size of e-commerce, how many people do not have access to financial services, or the size of cross-border remittances from and towards the country.

The report is designed to be comparable with other "Digital payment types" studies that cover different countries across the world.

Table of contents

Market share

7
  • Premium Statistic Annual level of cash payments in Germany 2007-2021
  • Premium Statistic Annual currency in circulation (CIC) to GDP ratio of Germany 2001-2022
  • Premium Statistic Most used in-store (POS) payment methods in Germany 2017-2023, with 2027 forecast
  • Premium Forecast Payments at points of sale by type in Germany 2023
  • Premium Statistic Most used e-commerce payment methods in Germany 2017-2023, with 2027 forecast
  • Premium Forecast Most common online payments by type in Germany 2023
  • Premium Statistic Penetration of crypto as a means of payment in selected countries worldwide in 2023

Penetration

8
  • Premium Forecast Penetration rate of credit cards in Germany 2014-2029
  • Premium Forecast Penetration rate of debit cards in Germany 2014-2029
  • Premium Statistic Quarterly adoption of mobile payments at POS in Germany 2018-2023
  • Premium Forecast Mobile payments by situation in Germany 2022
  • Premium Statistic Payment types accepted by all e-commerce vendors in Germany in 2022 and 2024
  • Premium Statistic Annual crypto adoption development in Germany 2020-2023, by metric
  • Premium Forecast Domestic and cross-border e-commerce revenue share 2023, by country
  • Premium Statistic Quarterly market share of outgoing digital remittances in Germany 2016-2023

Biggest brands

6
  • Premium Statistic Biggest international and domestic payment card schemes in Germany 2016-2022
  • Premium Forecast Most used mobile payments by brand in Germany 2023
  • Premium Forecast Most used online payments by brand in Germany 2023
  • Premium Statistic Biggest buy now, pay later (BNPL) apps in Germany 2015-2023, based on downloads
  • Premium Statistic Biggest cryptocurrency wallets in Germany 2015-2023, based on downloads
  • Premium Statistic Quarterly market share of outgoing remittance brands in Germany 2011-2023

Users

7
  • Basic Statistic Annual credit card and debit cards issued in Germany 2000-2022
  • Premium Statistic Triennial credit card penetration in Germany 2011-2024, by demographic
  • Premium Statistic Triennial debit card penetration in Germany 2011-2024, by demographic
  • Premium Statistic Preference for payment by smartwatch in Germany in 2023, by age and gender
  • Premium Statistic Top 10 countries worldwide based on number of buy now, pay later (BNPL) users 2022
  • Premium Statistic Quarterly number of crypto users in Germany 2021-2022
  • Premium Statistic Crypto adoption in Germany as of November 2022, by age and gender

Transaction value

6
  • Premium Statistic Annual credit card spending in Germany 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
  • Premium Statistic Annual debit card spending in Germany 2000-2022, in local currency and USD
  • Premium Statistic Global QR payment market size in 2020 with forecasts to 2025, by region
  • Premium Statistic Mobile payment market size in 10 countries in Europe in 2020, with a 2025 forecast
  • Premium Statistic Annual buy now, pay later (BNPL) spending in Germany in 2023, with a 2029 forecast
  • Basic Statistic Annual ATM cash withdrawal value in Germany 2000-2021, in local currency and USD

Number of transactions

5
  • Premium Statistic Annual number of credit card transactions in Germany 2012-2022, per capita
  • Basic Statistic Size of a credit card transaction in Germany 2012-2022, in local currency and USD
  • Premium Statistic Annual number of debit card transactions in Germany 2000-2022, per capita
  • Basic Statistic Size of a debit card transaction in Germany 2000-2022, in local currency and USD
  • Premium Statistic Annual number of real-time payments in Germany in 2022, with a 2027 forecast

Miscellaneous

7
  • Basic Statistic Annual number of POS terminals in Germany 2000-2022
  • Premium Statistic Triennial unbanked population share in Germany 2011-2024, by demographic
  • Premium Forecast Internet users in Germany 2014-2029
  • Premium Forecast Mobile internet usage reach in Germany 2014-2029
  • Premium Statistic E-commerce market volume in Germany 2006-2022
  • Premium Statistic Main cross-border online shopping origin markets in Germany 2022, by market share
  • Premium Statistic Annual value of outgoing and incoming remittance flow in Germany 2021, by country

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