German card payments surge 11 percent to 14.5 billion in 2025
German card payments rose by 11 percent to 14.5 billion transactions in 2025, accounting for 43 percent of all non-bank payments, according to Bundesbank data. SEPA instant payments more than doubled during the year.
Cards lead, instant transfers double
Card payments by German payment service providers reached 14.5 billion transactions in 2025, an 11 percent increase from the previous year, according to the Deutsche Bundesbank's latest payment statistics.
Cards accounted for 43 percent of all non-bank payments.
Direct debits rose 1 percent to 10.0 billion transactions, representing 30 percent of payments, while credit transfers increased 3 percent to 7.8 billion transactions, holding a 23 percent share.
Meanwhile, SEPA instant payments experienced explosive growth, surging 102 percent to 680 million transactions.
Their share of electronically initiated credit transfers doubled from 4.9 percent to 9.4 percent, with total value jumping 141 percent to 610 billion euros.
Shift in physical and digital infrastructure
While digital payment volumes expanded rapidly, physical banking infrastructure contracted.
The number of domestic ATMs operated by German providers fell 3 percent to 48,000 at the end of 2025, down from 49,700 a year earlier.
ATMs with transfer functions dropped 4 percent to 21,700 devices.
Conversely, merchant payment terminals expanded by 11 percent to reach 1.3 million units nationwide.
Traditional credit transfers retained dominance by transaction value, accounting for roughly 66 trillion euros or 90 percent of all payments.
Cash machines shrink as instant pay surges
The data highlights an accelerating structural shift toward instant digital payments in Germany.
While ATM networks continue their steady contraction, merchants are aggressively expanding terminal availability.
Instant payments are no longer a niche, having crossed a crucial adoption threshold in 2025.
Source: Kartenzahlungen stark nachgefragt
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