Accept girocard payments

Accept girocard with myPOS and offer your customers their preferred payment method. Whether contactless payment at the till, card payments in store, or mobile wallets — with myPOS you process girocard transactions reliably. Keep a direct eye on your revenue, and manage your business finances centrally in one place.

The girocard is Germany's national debit card system and the most frequently used cashless payment method at German checkouts. Thanks to the integration with the certified network operator LAVEGO, myPOS guarantees secure and reliable processing. girocard transactions are processed in accordance with the standards of the German Banking Industry Committee (Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft).

What is the girocard?

The girocard is the leading national debit card system in Germany, managed by the German Banking Industry Committee (Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft), the association of Germany's main banking groups. As the most-used cashless payment method in bricks-and-mortar retail, the girocard is generally linked directly to the cardholder's current account.

With around 100 million cards in circulation and roughly 8.3 billion transactions in 2025 (EURO Kartensysteme / Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft), almost every bank customer in Germany holds at least one girocard and uses it regularly to pay. It is in demand, for example, in retail, in hospitality, at the hairdresser, in taxis, and in pharmacies.

Many girocards in Germany are so-called co-badge cards: they combine the national debit scheme with an additional brand such as Debit Mastercard, Visa Debit or — on older cards — V-Pay. This also makes payments abroad and in e-commerce possible. The former Maestro function was discontinued by Mastercard in 2023. Cards already issued, however, remain valid until their expiry date.

Some banks now also issue standalone Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit cards without a girocard function. For payments in German retail, co-badge cards can in principle be processed either via the girocard network or via the respective international card network. Which method is used depends on the terminal, the acquirer, and the customer's choice.

How does a girocard payment work?

myPOS processes girocard payments securely and easily, guaranteeing a fast checkout for both your customers and your business.

The customer holds the card contactlessly against the terminal or inserts it. Alternatively, they use a girocard stored in a mobile wallet (e.g. Apple Pay, Google Pay, the Sparkassen app), provided the issuing bank supports this function. The process works directly at the point of sale, e.g. in the shop or on the move with a mobile terminal.

The myPOS Flexi terminal reads the girocard and encrypts the sensitive data. Thanks to the security standards of the girocard network (EMV chip, PIN authorisation or contactless payment to the NFC standard), the payment information is protected at all times.

Via the LAVEGO integration, the system queries the issuing bank through the girocard network. After checking the account balance, the bank confirms the payment. The direct connection to the girocard network enables reliable payment processing.

After authorisation, the funds are immediately available in your myPOS business account. You have instant access to your revenue and retain full control over your liquidity in real time. For properly processed payments — in particular online authorisation with chip and PIN — the girocard payment guarantee applies.

How do you accept girocard payments?

From opening your account to your first girocard payment, everything runs through a single platform with myPOS in just a few steps.

First, open your myPOS account free of charge to manage your payments and revenue centrally. For girocard acceptance, we recommend the myPOS Flexi. This mobile all-in-one card terminal with integrated Wi-Fi, 4G and a receipt printer is ideal for retail, hospitality, service providers, and mobile business models.

As soon as your account is verified and your terminal is activated, you can accept girocards issued in Germany by savings banks (Sparkassen), cooperative banks (Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken) and private banks. The funds are available directly in your myPOS account after each payment.

You also benefit from additional services, including an app for tracking your sales in real time as well as advanced analytics and reporting functions.

girocard card girocard card

Why myPOS is worth considering for your business

myPOS offers more than just a card terminal: you get a central solution for payments and business finances, developed specifically for German retail and optimised for the girocard network.

Various payment channels

Accept girocard payments

According to EURO Kartensysteme's 2025 girocard annual figures, around 88.5 percent of all girocard transactions were contactless. With myPOS Flexi, you offer your customers the fast, contactless checkout they expect. This is ideal for cafés, restaurants and bakeries, as well as for retailers and service providers with high customer footfall.

Multi-currency account

Multi-currency acceptance

In addition to the girocard in Germany, myPOS also supports international payments in various currencies. Benefit from fee-free transfers between your myPOS accounts as you expand your business internationally.

Real-time crediting of funds

Instant settlement

After each confirmed girocard payment, the amounts are immediately available in your myPOS business account. Track your revenue in real time, retain full control over your liquidity, and manage payments and finances in one place.

Transparent and competitive prices

Attractive rates

Choose the account plan that suits your business — from the One plan (0 €/month, 1.29% per transaction), the Plus plan (19 €/month, 0.89%), or the Pro plan at 39 €/month with 0.79%. You benefit from predictable monthly costs with no hidden fees. myPOS can be cancelled monthly.

FAQs

Your questions answered

The girocard network is the national, cross-bank debit card system of the German Banking Industry Committee (Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft, DK), which enables payments and cash withdrawals directly from a current account. It connects retailers, banks and consumers in Germany for secure payments with a PIN at the POS terminal and at cash machines.

Many girocards, as national debit cards, are co-badge cards that additionally carry an international card scheme such as Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit. In German retail, transactions can in principle run via either method. With co-badge cards, both retailers and customers have a right of choice under EU Regulation 2015/751 (the Interchange Fee Regulation). By contrast, with pure credit or debit cards from Visa and Mastercard, processing takes place exclusively via the respective international network.

Yes. The girocard network is known for its high level of security and low fraud rates. girocard transactions use modern security technologies such as the EMV chip, PIN authorisation and secure contactless payment to the NFC standard. Combined with the data encryption of myPOS terminals, your transactions are protected at every step. With rule-compliant acceptance, the girocard also offers a payment guarantee.

The girocard payment guarantee applies in particular to online authorisation with chip and PIN, provided the requirements of the girocard rulebook are met. Possible chargebacks, as with credit cards, do not arise. In exceptional cases — e.g. rule violations, technical errors or double charges — chargebacks cannot, however, be entirely ruled out.

Yes. The myPOS Flexi accepts contactless girocard payments via NFC. Your customers simply hold their girocard, or a smartphone with a stored girocard, against the terminal to pay.

The myPOS Flexi, a mobile all-in-one card terminal with integrated Wi-Fi, 4G and a receipt printer, supports girocard acceptance. As part of the myPOS platform, the device is ready to use straight away and is suitable for retail, hospitality, service providers and mobile business models.

myPOS offers you girocard transactions on transparent terms. The exact fee depends on your chosen account plan. With the One plan (no monthly base fee) you pay 1.29% per girocard payment. In the Plus plan it is 0.89% (19 €/month) and in the Pro plan 0.79% with a 39 € monthly base fee. There are no additional, hidden fees. A complete overview can be found on our pricing page.

Yes. myPOS can be connected to all German bank accounts. After each confirmed girocard payment, the amounts are immediately available in your myPOS account. From there, you can make transfers to your reference account at any time and manage your revenue via your myPOS merchant account.

From small businesses through local retailers to SMEs, myPOS offers solutions for all companies in Germany. For girocard acceptance, the myPOS Flexi is a suitable solution.

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