Girocard

The Girocard is Germany’s primary interbank network and debit card system, serving as the backbone of the nation's retail banking infrastructure. Originally developed to unify the German banking sector's payment systems, it was formerly known as Electronic Cash. The system is universally accepted across German retailers and ATMs, often co-branded with international schemes like Maestro or V Pay to facilitate global usage.

Owned and managed by EURO KARTENSYSTEME GmbH on behalf of the German Banking Industry Committee, the brand represents a collaborative effort by German private banks, cooperative banks, and public savings banks. While the physical cards are manufactured by various security technology companies based in Germany and the EU, the digital infrastructure and intellectual property remain firmly under German ownership, ensuring national control over payment processing standards.