Starting July 1, 2023, Mastercard will begin processing its Maestro debit card service. This means that banks will no longer be able to issue new cards that are compatible with the Maestro system, except for certain exceptions. This change primarily affects holders of a Girocard, also known as an “EC card,” in Germany.
The Girocard payment system is limited to payments within Germany. To make Girocards work at cash registers and ATMs worldwide, many German banks have equipped them with the Maestro system, indicated by the Maestro logo on the front of the card. Mastercard is now phasing out this secondary function, but the Girocard itself, supported by the German banking industry, will continue to be available.
Bank customers do not need to worry about sudden problems when using their cards abroad. Following Mastercard’s announcement in autumn 2021, banks, savings banks, and Mastercard have taken precautions and adjusted their card offerings. Existing Girocards with the Maestro function can still be used for payments abroad until the card expires, which is usually up to four years. Mastercard will deactivate the Maestro network in July 2027, but it may remain in operation for a few months longer as some credit institutions have negotiated extensions with Mastercard.
Certain banks, such as Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, and HypoVereinsbank, have negotiated to continue issuing Girocards with the Maestro function after June 30th. For customers of these banks, nothing will change for the next four years. Other banks, like Sparda Hessen and some savings banks, have already exchanged Girocards for new cards with the Maestro function before the deadline.
Apart from Maestro, there are other systems that make the Girocard suitable for use abroad. Visa offers V Pay, a co-badge system that allows national systems like the Girocard to be used outside of Germany. Various Volksbanks, Raiffeisenbanks, savings banks, and the Postbank issue cards with V Pay. Some savings banks, including Berliner Sparkasse and 1822direkt, have announced a switch to V Pay, indicating that Visa is committed to maintaining this system.
However, V Pay is primarily limited to Europe. Alternatively, Girocards can be equipped with fully-fledged debit cards from Mastercard and Visa, which have a 16-digit card number and can be used for payments abroad and online. These cards immediately debit funds from the checking account. Over 200 savings banks, around 30 Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken, online banks like ING, DKB, Comdirect, and neobanks like N26 and Revolut offer this option to their customers.
Neo-banks do not offer the Girocard at all, while customers of other institutions can choose to add it to their account, often for a fee and without a co-badge, limiting its use to within Germany.
