Overview
- Fourteen consumer and social organisations issued a joint appeal urging the federal government to secure payment choice and protect free access to cash.
- Surveys report worsening access in Germany, with longer trips to ATMs, rising withdrawal fees and instances where people could not pay in cash.
- Retailers warn that shrinking cash use makes cash handling disproportionately costly, and some businesses have moved to card-only models such as Dortmund’s FZW club since January 1, 2026, with limited exceptions.
- Key institutions reaffirm support for cash, which remains unrestricted legal tender in Germany, and the government is exploring a requirement that merchants offer at least one electronic option alongside cash.
- Fact-checks rebut claims of surveillance or confiscation linked to a digital euro, noting ongoing design work including potential offline use, and clarifying that the EU’s €10,000 cash cap targets money laundering rather than everyday cash use.