Why Bavaria is taking a special path

The chairman of the Advisory Council (SVR) for Integration and Migration agrees: “The payment card can standardize the practice of benefit payments and make administration easier,” explains Hans Vorländer. People would no longer have to spend cash, but would have their credit transferred directly to a card in order to buy goods or withdraw a small amount in cash. However, according to Vorländer, the prerequisite is that a payment card is used uniformly by the federal states. “The fact that Bavaria and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania are introducing their own payment card shows that the whole thing may once again become a patchwork full of different practices.” In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the card is scheduled to be advertised in February.