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Girocard
girocard is an interbank network and debit card service connecting virtually all German ATMs and banks. It is based on standards and agreements developed by the German Banking Industry Committee. German girocards are usually co-branded with Mastercard's Maestro/ Cirrus or Visa's V Pay logo, allowing cardholders to use them in other European countries. As another co-badging option, combined girocard/ JCB cards were introduced in 2016. The German Savings Banks Association has announced that upcoming Sparkassen-Cards will also function as full Debit Mastercard cards in addition to girocards and will have a 16-digit Mastercard number. Some banks are phasing out girocards. DKB, for instance, has announced that instead of a girocard and a Visa credit card, it will soon be issuing its customers a single Visa Debit card. History Originally, German banks formed an interbank network connecting virtually all German ATMs. The network used Eurocheque guarantee cards as ATM cards and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
ATM Usage Fees
ATM usage fees are the fees that many banks and interbank networks charge for the use of their automated teller machines (ATMs). In some cases, these fees are assessed solely for non-members of the bank; in other cases, they apply to all users. Two types of consumer charges exist: the surcharge and the foreign fee. The surcharge fee may be imposed by the ATM owner (the ''deployer'' or independent sales organization) and will be charged to the consumer using the machine. The foreign fee or transaction fee is a fee charged by the card issuer (financial institution, stored value provider) to the consumer for conducting a transaction outside of their network of machines in the case of a financial institution. Australia A number of ATM networks are operated in Australia, the largest are: Commonwealth Bank / Bankwest network with 3,400 machines, Westpac / St George Bank / BankSA / Bank of Melbourne with 2,800 machines, ANZ with 2,300 machines, the rediATM network with 1,800 machine ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Interbank Network
An interbank network, also known as an ATM consortium or ATM network, is a computer network that enables ATM cards issued by a financial institution that is a member of the network to be used to perform ATM transactions through ATMs that belong to another member of the network. However, the functions which may be performed at the network ATM vary. For example, special services, such as the purchase of mobile phone airtime, may be available to own-bank but not to network ATM cardholders. Furthermore, the network ATM owner may charge a fee for use of network cards (in addition to any fees imposed by the own-bank). Interbank networks enable ATM cardholders to have access to ATMs of other banks that are members of the network when their own bank's ATM is unavailable. This is especially convenient for travelers traveling abroad, where multinational interbank networks, like Plus or Cirrus, are widely available. Interbank networks also permit, through different means, the use of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debit Card
A debit card, also known as a check card or bank card is a payment card that can be used in place of cash to make purchases. The term '' plastic card'' includes the above and as an identity document. These are similar to a credit card, but unlike a credit card, the money for the purchase must be in the cardholder's bank account at the time of a purchase and is immediately transferred directly from that account to the merchant's account to pay for the purchase. Some debit cards carry a stored value with which a payment is made (prepaid card), but most relay a message to the cardholder's bank to withdraw funds from the cardholder's designated bank account. In some cases, the payment card number is assigned exclusively for use on the Internet and there is no physical card. This is referred to as a virtual card. In many countries, the use of debit cards has become so widespread they have overtaken checks in volume, or have entirely replaced them; in some instances, debit ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maestro (debit Card)
Mastercard Maestro is a brand of debit cards and prepaid cards owned by Mastercard that was introduced in 1991. Maestro is accepted at around fifteen million point of sale outlets in 93 countries. Starting July 1, 2023, Mastercard will phase out Maestro across Europe. European banks and other card issuers will be required to replace expired or lost Maestro cards with Debit Mastercard. Functionality Maestro debit cards are obtained from associate banks and are linked to the cardholder's savings account, current account or any of several other types of accounts, while prepaid cards do not require a bank account to operate. Maestro cards can be used at point of sale (POS) and ATMs. Payments are made by swiping cards through the payment terminal, insertion into a chip and PIN device or by a contactless reader. The payment is authorized by the card issuer to ensure that the cardholder has sufficient funds in their account to make the purchase. The cardholder then confirms th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
CashPool
CashPool is a cooperation of a multitude of smaller or virtual German private banks, in which they mutually waive ATM usage fees for their customers. It is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing German ATM or Maestro/Cirrus networks. With more than 3200 ATMs, the cooperating banks' ATM networks form the smallest ATM group in Germany. The cooperation was founded in 2000. Its primary competitor in Germany is Cash Group. Background Most banks in Germany, while connected through the German ATM network, charge ATM usage fees for customers of other banks. In 1998, the six largest German private banks established Cash Group, mutually waiving these fees within the Group. After the formation, other private banks tried to join Cash Group but were not accepted into the Group. Being smaller than the six large private banks, they operated fewer ATMs and thus would have unilaterally benefited from the use of the other bank's larger networks. As a consequence, several of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
German Banking Industry Committee
The German Banking Industry Committee (GBIC) (german: Die Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft / ''DK''), known until 2011 as the Central Credit Committee (german: Zentraler Kreditausschuss / ''ZKA'') is an industry association of the German banking industry. Its decisions are held normative for the national banking sector – either directly by interbank treaties or indirectly by preparing a corresponding ministerial or Bundesbank decision. History The Central Credit Committee was founded in 1932 as a common interest group of the five federal interest groups that represent the financial sector in Germany. Until August 2011, the association was known as the Central Credit Committee (german: Zentraler Kreditausschuss / ZKA) when it adopted a new name (after almost eighty years). Structure The five founding associations are: * Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (BVR, ; est. 1864 as ) * Bundesverband deutscher Banken (BdB, ; est. 1901 as ) * Bundesverband Öffen ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
V Pay
V Pay is a Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) debit card for use in Europe, issued by Visa Europe. It uses the EMV chip and PIN system and may be co-branded with various national debit card schemes such as the German Girocard or Italy's PagoBancomat. Overview The V Pay debit card system competes with the Mastercard Maestro debit card product. However, unlike Mastercard Maestro, V Pay cards cannot be used in non-EMV environments, limiting its acceptance to those countries and merchants that use this system. Also unlike Mastercard Maestro, which is issued and accepted globally, V Pay is designed as a specifically European product, and is not issued or accepted outside European countries except for some islands which are part of European countries, such as Saint Martin. However, some cards are co-branded with the Visa Electron system, which allows using them outside Europe. V Pay cards began to be accepted at merchants in France and Greece in 2005, and acceptance had since expan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south; it covers an area of , with a population of almost 84 million within its 16 constituent states. Germany borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr. Various Germanic tribes have inhabited the northern parts of modern Germany since classical antiquity. A region named Germania was documented before AD 100. In 962, the Kingdom of Germany formed the bulk of the Holy Roman Empire. During the 16th ce ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sparkasse (Germany)
The ''Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe'' ("Savings Banks Financial Group") is a network of public banks that together form the largest financial services group in Germany and in all of Europe. Its name refers to local government-controlled savings banks that are known in German as , plural . Its activity is overwhelmingly located in Germany. History The first savings banks in Germany were founded in the 18th century in its major trading cities. One of the first institutions with the business model of modern savings banks was the ''Ersparungscasse der Hamburgischen Allgemeinen Versorgungsanstalt'' in Hamburg in 1778. Founders were rich merchants, clerks and academics. They intended to develop solutions for people with low income to save small sums of money and to support business start-ups. In 1801 the first savings bank with a municipal guarantor was founded in Göttingen to fight poverty. In 1838, Prussia adopted the first savings banks legislation (), which subsequently served as a mode ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bankcard-Servicenetz
The Bankcard-Servicenetz () is a German ATM card interbank network group provided by the Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken services group. Technically it is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing girocard network. Member banks of this cash credit group charge ATM usage fees at a low level and most customers of the co-operative banks enjoy free withdrawal from their accounts. With 19,200 ATMs the Bankcard-Servicenetz group is the second largest ATM group in Germany (after the savings banks network). In March 2012 more than 99% of the co-operative banks associated in the Federal Association of German 'Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken' Co-operative Banks participated in the Bankcard-Servicenetz network. The federal association publishes a list of banks that are ''not'' offering this service. Unlike other ATM groups like the Cash Group and CashPool, the ATM service network of Bankcard-Servicenetz is not free of charge – the service fee is not waived but the compact rest ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cash Group
Cash Group is a cooperation of the four largest German private banks (Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, HypoVereinsbank, and Postbank) and their subsidiaries, in which they mutually waive ATM usage fees for their customers. It is not an interbank network but uses the pre-existing girocard network. With more than 7000 ATMs, the cooperating banks' ATM networks form the third largest ATM network in Germany. The cooperation was founded in 1998 and is generally not open to other members. Its primary competitor in Germany is CashPool. Background Most banks in Germany, while connected through the girocard network, charge ATM usage fees for customers of other banks. Prior to 1998, the charge was fixed to 4,00 DM (2,05 €) or 1%, whichever was higher. However, this agreement was terminated by the Sparkassen (public banks), who jointly operate the largest German ATM network, arguing that the cost of operating ATMs was unfairly laid on them when virtual banks entered the market. As a cons ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volksbanken Und Raiffeisenbanken
The German Cooperative Financial Group, german: Genossenschaftliche FinanzGruppe Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken, sometimes referred to in English as "Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken Cooperative Financial Network", is a major cooperative banking network in Germany that includes local banks named Volksbanken ("people's banks") and Raiffeisenbanken ("Raiffeisen banks"), the latter in tribute to 19th-century cooperative movement pioneer Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen. The Cooperative Group represents one of the three "pillars" of Germany's banking sector, the other two being, respectively, the of public banks, and the commercial banking sector represented by the Association of German Banks. The Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (BVR) is the nationwide representative body of the Cooperative Financial Group. It operates under the Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband, the umbrella organization of the German cooperative movement. History Founders' era ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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