Overview

• Bavaria introduced the Bezahlkarte in March 2024, completing its rollout by June 2024, with over 70,000 cards in use by March 2025.
• Voluntary departures of asylum seekers in Bavaria rose by nearly 30%, from 5,984 in July–December 2023 to 7,778 in the same period in 2024, though causality remains unproven.
• The card replaces cash benefits with in-kind payments, limiting monthly cash withdrawals to €50, aimed at preventing misuse and reducing migration incentives.
• Critics, including the Bavarian Flüchtlingsrat, argue the system is discriminatory, lacks scientific backing, and complicates everyday activities like flea market purchases.
• Plans to expand the Bezahlkarte nationwide are underway, though implementation in other German states has faced delays and legal challenges.