The Sparkasse is providing the successor to the Girocard with a new function.
Cards with a Visa co-badge can now also be used with Apple Pay and Google’s mobile payments.
This is already possible for Sparkasse cards with a Mastercard co-badge. However, each savings bank decides for itself which version the customers receive.
Only last year did the savings banks the successor to the classic Girocard in the form of the Sparkasse card. This now has a new function. Cards equipped with a Visa co-badge can now also be used at Apple Pay and Google’s mobile payment are used, reports the “IT Finanzmagazin”.
Sparkasse cards with a Mastercard-Co-Badges, on the other hand, have been able to do this for some time. However, the decision as to which version is issued to customers is the responsibility of each individual Sparkasse.
Maestro system will be retired by June 30th
The reason for the introduction of the new cards is that the previous Maestro system, which enabled payments with the Girocard abroad, will be discontinued on June 30, 2023. With the Sparkasse card, the previous functions are to be retained and new features are to be added.
This also means that there will be no pure debit cards from Mastercard or Visa at the savings banks. The Girocard payment system will continue to be integrated into all Sparkasse cards. This is mainly due to the fact that the Girocard is the most frequently used cashless payment method in German retail.
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