How to pay in Germany

Bassmann · Post by **Bassmann** » 2008-07-31, 18:31

Hej!

Sorry, but I am not able to ask in swedish...

What kind of plastic money do swedish tourists usually have?

Thats why I ask: We have in Germany several automatic filling-stations where only ec- oder maestro-cards are accepted. There is only that machine and no one around, who could help. Would it be useful to make a list of those filling-stations?

By the way, there are other automatic-stations, where you won't get gas without a certain "tank-card". I made a list in the international part of http://www.erdgasfahrer-forum.de/viewforum.php?f=20

Have a lot of fun!
Bassmann

pebelund · Post by **pebelund** » 2008-07-31, 19:13

VISA is probably the most used card in Sweden...and a few Maestro or Mastercard also...

Bassmann · Post by **Bassmann** » 2008-08-01, 00:30

Visa doesn't work there.

Maestro might work - but who knows?

There You might see the problem.
We Germans can't find, where the foreign customers might have problems, that is, why I ask. Our cards work, even if our banking-cards don't meet the standard of "Maestro". And we had some foreign customers, who tried to pay using their "Maestro" but it didn't work in spite of the fact, that our "EC-Card" didn't show any problems. EC-Card is "Euro-Card", it is an older german standard, which is very popular here. The terminal will try to connect to a server, which reads Your credits and will open the gate to get fuel... Afterwards Your account at Your bank is being lowered (oops, my vocabulary...) immediately, not next month.

Up to now I feel that it might be useful to make a list of those ec-card-automated filling-stations. If You look at that -coming- list, You might know that You might meet problems in payment... It might work using Your "maestro", but it is not sure that it will work.

You would help, if you would tell us about problems with Your maestro-card at http://www.erdgasfahrer-forum.de/viewforum.php?f=20
Tak so mycket!

Yours
Bassmann

CNG-Driver · Post by **CNG-Driver** » 2008-08-02, 17:26

First of all I like to explain why the foreign bank cards are not accepted at a German EC terminal.
The German banking industry operates a debit card system called EC(Electronic Cash).
The EC(Electronic Cash) card which includes the Maestro card(ec card and bank customer card) will only allow a electronic cash transaction if the cardholder and the POS(Point of Sale)are located in Germany.
The EC card will be replaced by the new Girocard in several steps until the end of 2010.
The Girocard meets international standards for electronic cash and it ensures that you get direct cash access from your bank account at home as well as abroad inside the EU(European Union)plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

What could you do in the meantime?
Take your bank card(Maestro mark included)with you and look at the signs for Maestro(it is the debit card from MasterCard) at the petrol stations. The Maestro card should work in Germany as well as in all other 100 countries around the world.
The Visa card could be helpful for all other petrol station during business hours, if Visa is accepted.

http://p3.focus.de/img/gen/0/5/HB05lQfv ... 1300xA.jpg

http://www.bankforeningen.se/Viktiga%20 ... /SEPA.aspx

http://www.girocard.eu/index_en.html

taz · Post by **taz** » 2008-08-04, 00:50

When i was filling up my car in germany 10-15 fillings this vaccation my VISA card did work fine. I used it at automatic stations too and it worked fine.. I had problems at small fillingstations within some small city:s but then i payed with Euro instead..

Germany is ok when it comes to pay with cards.. But France and Spain is Terrible!!! Seems like the "digital" evulution has not arrived there yet. Even at some macdonalds restaurants you can not pay with cards! Even in big shopping centras!! Stoneage!!!