Fix payment trouble in Germany.

Cash only or Girocard only

Read the payment sign before ordering or queueing

Nur Barzahlung means cash only. Nur Kartenzahlung means card payment only. Girocard means the German debit-card system. You may still see the older term EC-Karte used informally.

• Ask which cards are accepted instead of assuming every Visa or Mastercard product will work.
• Check for a minimum card-payment amount before ordering.
• Keep more than one payment option during long travel days.

Foreign card declined

Do not treat one decline as a complete diagnosis

Try one reasonable alternative: insert instead of tapping, use a second card, or pay cash if available. Then check your banking app for a security alert, limit or pending transaction.

• Do not repeatedly approve the same failed transaction without reading the terminal.
• Keep the receipt if the terminal failed after appearing to accept payment.
• Contact the issuer if the card fails at several unrelated businesses or ATMs.

ATM conversion and fees

Check the currency choice before you press confirm

An ATM or card terminal may offer to convert the amount into your home currency. Compare the displayed markup and total. Selecting euros avoids that machine or merchant conversion, but your own provider may still charge withdrawal or foreign-transaction fees.

• Read the full operator-fee screen before confirming.
• Check whether the amount is shown in euros or your home currency.
• Use your issuer's fee information rather than assuming an ATM is free.

Hotel deposit or pre-authorisation

A reserved amount may not be the final charge

Hotels may reserve an amount for extras or possible damage. Ask how much is being held, whether it is separate from the room payment and when the hotel expects to release it.

• A debit-card hold can temporarily reduce money available in your account.
• Keep the check-in document and final hotel invoice.
• Ask the hotel first if the final charge and reserved amount appear at the same time.

Ticket machines and small payments

A failed payment is not a valid ticket

Check the payment icons on the exact machine. If it fails, try another supported method, another machine, the operator's app or a staffed sales point where available.

• Do not board based only on a failed payment attempt.
• Keep an error receipt or photo if the machine appears broken.
• Confirm the ticket was actually issued or loaded into the app.

Restaurant tips

Ask whether the tip can be added by card

Payment practice varies. If you want to tip by card, tell the server the total you want to pay before the transaction is completed, or ask how the restaurant handles card tips.