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Off to Germany later on in the year for a holiday. I've have some vague recollection of family holidays when I was younger that credit cards are not very widely accepted. We usually take plenty of cash, but what it the deal?
Do supermarkets / petrol stations etc accept them and just the smaller restaurants /establishments that tend not to?
ta
Most places accept them, but Germans don't use credit cards as much as Brits so its not worth smaller establishments taking on the costs associated with handling them. Not sure about supermarkets, they don't advertise the fact if they do.
It depends on the card. My Visa Card sometimes gets refused. 🙁
Better than it used to be. But still not universally acceptable.
seeing as i'm self-employed the banks won't even offer me one....
prob for the best.
Not all places take both Visa and Maestro cards. It's worth asking to avoid embarrassment. I've used my UK visa debit card for two years with no problem at cash machines. However, Mrs R's Lloyds card caused no end a hassles.
It seems a lot easier to use cards than it was 5 years ago. I wouldn't worry about it too much.
Check with your bank before you go. Our debit card with Santander works there, but you have to tell them before so that they can authorise it for overseas use.
I certainly wouldn't rely on them. Petrol Stations (certainly big/autobahn ones) might be alright. Last time I went somewhere like Ikea they didn't accept them at all (might do now). Saturn-MediaMarkt were seriously offended the last time I tried to use one, and ditto the TV shop, although that was quite a while back. Can't say I've noticed any credit card logos at supermarket tills, although tbh I'm not really looking for them, since I tend to use EC card or cash, and usually make sure I have enough spare cash to get a tankful.
I have to say that I am a bit, and pleasantly, surprised at the German refusal to accept credit cards widely.
Never had an issue in all the times we've been over. German credit cards are automatically cleared by debit out of current accounts hence why they don't use them as much as we do. But for fuel, supermarkets etc they're accepted.