Girocard hits 4.21 billion payments in first half of 2026
Contactless accounted for 92 percent in June, the average ticket was 36.12 euros, and in-app payments are planned for spring 2027.
Illustration: a hand holds a plain card above a payment terminal at a supermarket checkout, with the conveyor belt blurred in the background.
Germany's girocard handled 4.21 billion payments in the first half of 2026, roughly 4 percent more than in the same period a year earlier.
At a glance
- 4.21 billion girocard payments in the first half of 2026, about 4 percent above the same period last year.
- Turnover: 151.9 billion euros, up from 150.7 billion euros in the first half of 2025.
- In June, 92 percent of all girocard payments were made contactless.
- Average ticket: 36.12 euros. Around 100 million cards are in circulation.
- Almost 1.4 million terminals in retail. In-app payment is planned from spring 2027.
Germany's girocard set a new high in the first half of 2026, with 4.21 billion payments running over the scheme — about 4 percent more than a year earlier. The figures come from Euro Kartensysteme, the body that operates the scheme on behalf of the German banking industry. For context, the card handled 8.3 billion payments across all of 2025.
More payments, barely more money
Turnover processed over the card reached 151.9 billion euros in the half year, compared with 150.7 billion euros a year earlier. That is a far smaller increase than the jump in transaction count.
The average ticket explains the gap: it stood at 36.12 euros. Germans are reaching for the card more often, but for smaller amounts — the everyday purchases that used to be settled in cash.
| Metric | First half of 2026 |
|---|---|
| Payments | 4.21 billion |
| Turnover | 151.9 billion euros |
| Average ticket | 36.12 euros |
| Contactless share (June) | 92 percent |
Contactless is now the default
In June, 92 percent of all girocard payments were made contactless. Tapping the card is no longer the exception at the checkout — it is the standard behavior. The supporting infrastructure is wide: retailers operate almost 1.4 million terminals, and roughly 100 million girocards are in circulation.
What is planned for 2027
Christopher Kirsch, who leads product development for the girocard at Euro Kartensysteme, points to additional use cases intended to make the card more attractive. From spring 2027, the card is meant to work for payments inside merchants' own apps.
Also announced for next year is use in travel bookings, such as rental cars and hotel reservations, where a credit card is usually required today. Both are announcements rather than features that customers can use now.
What the reports leave open
Both reports analyzed here cite the same Euro Kartensysteme figures. Neither says what share of contactless payments is made by smartphone or smartwatch rather than with the physical card.
These sources also give no detail on how the planned in-app payment will work technically or which merchants will support it. Anyone trying to judge the reach of the new functions has no reliable number to work with yet.
FAQ
How many girocard payments were made in the first half of 2026?
4.21 billion payments, about 4 percent more than a year earlier. Across all of 2025 the total was 8.3 billion.
What share of girocard payments is contactless?
In June 2026, 92 percent of all girocard payments were made contactless.
Will the girocard work for in-app payments?
It is planned from spring 2027. Travel bookings such as rental cars and hotels are also announced for next year.
