Credit /Debit Cards in Germany

[Bletchleyite]

There was a statistic oft quoted on travel blogs that the average German carries something of the order of €110 cash on them - I think the UK equivalent was something like £20. It's definitely something cultural.

Averages are interesting there - it's probably the case that those who carry cash typically have at least 50 quid, but I'd also propose it's likely that almost every adult Londoner under about 30 just doesn't carry any at all, there's basically nowhere you actually need it in London. Go up north and "cash only" is rather more common.

As for Germany I find it quite conservative - if I go back there now (having studied there in 1999-2000) I find so much hasn't changed, whereas the UK looks totally different in most ways from what it did in the 1990s, aside from housing estates which tend to look largely like when they were built. It'll be this conservatism that means a preference for the way it was always done i.e. cash.

 

[johncrossley]

Averages are interesting there - it's probably the case that those who carry cash typically have at least 50 quid, but I'd also propose it's likely that almost every adult Londoner under about 30 just doesn't carry any at all, there's basically nowhere you actually need it in London.

Sometimes if you are spending less than £1 in an independent shop they won't accept cards. That's probably about it. Maybe some market stalls in Croydon are cash only.

 

[sh24]

I'm over 50 and don't carry cash in the UK at all. Get tripped up every 6 months or so (normally a fish and chip shop which says too much about my travel dining habits). I spend a chunk of the year in South Africa and it's amazing how little cash I use here. Car guards and very rural shops only.

 

[The exile]

There was a statistic oft quoted on travel blogs that the average German carries something of the order of €110 cash on them - I think the UK equivalent was something like £20. It's definitely something cultural.

It is indeed - and borne out by the denominations which ATMs dispense. The majority (if not all) are stocked with 100EUR notes while at some larger branches you’ll find machines labelled as having 200EUR notes.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 29 May 2026 ==

Averages are interesting there - it's probably the case that those who carry cash typically have at least 50 quid, but I'd also propose it's likely that almost every adult Londoner under about 30 just doesn't carry any at all, there's basically nowhere you actually need it in London.

Bet quite a lot have a £20 note folded in their phone case! Seem to see that a lot.

 

[rvdborgt]

It is indeed - and borne out by the denominations which ATMs dispense. The majority (if not all) are stocked with 100EUR notes while at some larger branches you’ll find machines labelled as having 200EUR notes.

The German Volksbank ATMs often have lots of choice. The larger ones tend to have all denominations, and this included €500 notes when they were still issued by the banks.

 

[The exile]

The German Volksbank ATMs often have lots of choice. The larger ones tend to have all denominations,

Have no idea which bank(s) I’ve seen with the notices about 200EUR notes, I’m afraid. Never really been relevant as they are a bit out of my day-to-day league. I did once have the joy of trying to cope with a DM1000 note, though….

 

[AdamWW]

Sometimes if you are spending less than £1 in an independent shop they won't accept cards. That's probably about it. Maybe some market stalls in Croydon are cash only.

Or £2. And a bottle of milk is £1.99...

 

[bahnause]

Or £2. And a bottle of milk is £1.99...

Some shops still have a minimum of 20USD/GBP/EUR. Legally speaking, this is permissible as long as the customer is informed, but it violates the agreements with the card issuers. In such cases, I offer to pay the minimum amount and then recover the difference from the card issuers. They might have a word with this business.

 

[riceuten]

France seems to have a minimum of €1, which is fair enough - I bought a tin of coke on a card in Poland and it worked, despite only being 2zl (about 40p/50 cents)

 

[Bald Rick]

Averages are interesting there - it's probably the case that those who carry cash typically have at least 50 quid, but I'd also propose it's likely that almost every adult Londoner under about 30 just doesn't carry any at all,

I know only a couple of people under the age of 60 who carry cash. One is the child of a milkman and apparently it’s genetic…

Or £2. And a bottle of milk is £1.99...

You‘re shopping in the wrong place if milk is £1.99! Funnily enough I bought 4 pints for £1.65 (without cash) a couple of hours ago…

 

[AdamWW]

You‘re shopping in the wrong place if milk is £1.99!

I didn't say I shopped there...

 

[doc7austin]

Some shops still have a minimum of 20USD/GBP/EUR. Legally speaking, this is permissible as long as the customer is informed, but it violates the agreements with the card issuers. In such cases, I offer to pay the minimum amount and then recover the difference from the card issuers. They might have a word with this business.

How do you recover the difference from the card issuer ?

 

[sheff1]

Sometimes if you are spending less than £1 in an independent shop they won't accept cards. That's probably about it. Maybe some market stalls in Croydon are cash only.

A number of London pubs are cash only.

 

[Bald Rick]

A number of London pubs are cash only.

Which ones?

Other than Sam Smith’s pubs (before my boycott of them 5 years ago over that issue, subsequently reinfocred by reading about the proprietor), I have not found a cash only pub in London. And I have been to a lot!

 

[Thames99]

Which ones?

Other than Sam Smith’s pubs (before my boycott of them 5 years ago over that issue, subsequently reinfocred by reading about the proprietor), I have not found a cash only pub in London. And I have been to a lot!

The Brownswood is a free house in N4 and is cashless

The Brownswood – Pub & Guest Rooms

thebrownswood.co.uk

and I've been to a couple of others in the Stoke Newington area. I believe that being card only in some pubs in the area followed robberies of cash and concerns around the safety of staff.

 

[bahnause]

How do you recover the difference from the card issuer ?

Customer service is happy to help. They want you to use the card s much as possible.

 

[Bald Rick]

The Brownswood is a free house in N4 and is cashless

The Brownswood – Pub & Guest Rooms

thebrownswood.co.uk

and I've been to a couple of others in the Stoke Newington area. I believe that being card only in some pubs in the area followed robberies of cash and concerns around the safety of staff.

Cashless, yes there’s some of them, but the query was about Cash only.

 

[DavidGrain]

I have not carried cash abroad since I started travelling again after Covid. So far this year, I have had 2 trips to Germany within the past month. No problems on a trip to Saarbrucken (flying to Frankfurt and then train) but on a trip to Hamburg returning last week, I twice had a problem in the public toilets although the barriers allegedly accepted cards.
On a trip to Sweden about 3 years ago, I returned home to the UK via Copenhagen and Amsterdam airports purchasing refreshments on the journey. In a few hours 3 countries, 3 currencies all paid for using a card.

 

[DeverseSam]

The German Volksbank ATMs often have lots of choice.

and possibly the only ATMs in Europe that allow the customer to choose (Scheinauswahl?)

 

[rvdborgt]

and possibly the only ATMs in Europe that allow the customer to choose (Scheinauswahl?)

There are some more banks to offer that, but indeed many don't. Also the Belgian CASH ATMs offer this choice.

 

[riceuten]

and possibly the only ATMs in Europe that allow the customer to choose (Scheinauswahl?)

I remember the ones in Belgium did something similar. But yes, the various Sparkasse's do something similar, which is helpful

 

[Mirjamsterdam]

There are some more banks to offer that, but indeed many don't. Also the Belgian CASH ATMs offer this choice.

The Dutch Geldmaat ATMs also offer this option (but I rather doubt they dispense €200 notes!)

 

[Thames99]

Cashless, yes there’s some of them, but the query was about Cash only.

Oops sorry, apologies fore reading too fast and jumping to the wrong conclusion!

 

[sheff1]

Which ones?

Other than Sam Smith’s pubs (before my boycott of them 5 years ago over that issue, subsequently reinfocred by reading about the proprietor), I have not found a cash only pub in London. And I have been to a lot!

I think things might have been overtaken by events. Ramble Inn Tooting which I am pretty sure was still cash only last year has apparently now started taking cards. My spy tells me that a couple of pubs in Kentish Town which were cash only until recently also now take cards. Not a surpise really.