Money in Germany: Euros, Credit Cards, Cash, Tipping and Taxes

Germany uses the euro (EUR). Hotels and chains often accept credit and debit cards, while a small restaurant or shop may accept only cash or a German domestic debit card. Bring some euro cash and a backup payment method, and check the total cost, including bottle deposits and local accommodation tax.

Potsdamer Platz, Berlin, Germany · packing4two

Euros and everyday denominations

Germany uses the euro, EUR or €, divided into 100 cents. Regular coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, plus €1 and €2. Common banknotes are €5, €10, €20, €50, €100 and €200. The €500 note is no longer issued but retains its value and legal-tender status; it is inconvenient for small purchases.

Ordinary euro coins from other euro-area countries are valid too. Smaller notes and a few coins are more useful for daily spending than relying on change from a large banknote. The converter gives an indicative value before your provider’s fees.

Keep a cash reserve

Cards work in many hotels, supermarkets and chain shops. Ask before ordering at a small café, bakery, stall or independent restaurant. Nur Barzahlung means cash only.

A reserve of €100–200 for a couple can be a practical starting point for incidental expenses, adjusted to the route rather than treated as a daily budget. Carry a separate backup card and avoid keeping the whole holiday budget in cash.

Girocard is not every debit card

Girocard is a German debit-payment system. An EC-Karte or girocard acceptance sign does not automatically mean that an overseas Visa or Mastercard is accepted. Check the logos or ask specifically about your card.

Apple Pay and Google Pay still depend on the underlying card and terminal support. A phone wallet does not automatically overcome a domestic-card-only restriction. Keep the physical card and PIN available for transactions that cannot be completed by tapping.

ATMs, conversion and deposits

Request euros at an ATM and review the operator fee. A proposal to charge your home currency is a separate conversion service; usually it is worth choosing EUR and comparing your own card terms instead of accepting automatically.

At an exchange counter, compare the euros actually received after every charge. Keep available credit for hotel and rental-car authorisations as well as the expected bill. A pending deposit is not necessarily a final charge, but can temporarily reduce your spending capacity.

Taxi and ride-app payments

Where available, use the Freenow app or Uber app to select the service and payment method before requesting a ride. Confirm the price information and pickup location. Do not pay a fare again in cash when it is already set to charge through the app.

For a street taxi, establish whether your card is accepted before travelling. Fare and payment arrangements vary by city and service. Use the authorised airport queue and retain a receipt or trip record in case a payment needs checking.

How to leave a tip

Around 10% is a common restaurant tip for good table service; a sensible rounding-up amount also works for a smaller bill. It is voluntary, not another compulsory tax. Check any service already added and state the total you want charged before paying.

For a €46 bill, for example, you could ask to pay €50. Rounding a taxi fare or adding a little for helpful service is optional. A fixed restaurant percentage need not be added to every counter-service coffee.

Pfand: the refundable bottle deposit

Marked single-use bottles and cans in the DPG system normally carry a €0.25 deposit on top of the drink price. Reusable containers can have different deposits. This is a deposit, not a hidden sales tax.

Return eligible containers to an appropriate machine or collection point, keep the voucher and redeem it under the shop’s rules. Avoid crushing containers in a way that prevents the barcode or deposit marking from being read.

VAT is generally in the consumer price

Standard VAT is 19%, with a reduced 7% rate for qualifying categories. From January 2026, restaurant and catering food services use 7%, while drinks are excluded from that reduction. Ordinary consumer prices generally include VAT rather than adding a US-style sales tax at checkout.

A €119 price subject to 19% VAT contains €19 of tax, not 19% of €119. Do not subtract 19% from a label to predict a refund. Deposits, voluntary tips and local accommodation taxes are separate questions.

Local accommodation tax

Germany has no single nationwide visitor-tax amount. Berlin charges 7.5% of the net accommodation price, excluding extras such as breakfast, under the rate in force since January 2025. Check whether the booking total includes it or payment is separate.

Parking, breakfast and the family-room arrangement can also change the final bill. Compare like-for-like guest numbers and services, not just the first price displayed in search results.

A transport ticket can be a subscription

DB is Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s railway company. Its DB Navigator app plans journeys and sells different ticket types. Deutschland-Ticket is a personal subscription for local and regional public transport, not a pass for every train: ICE, IC and EC long-distance services are generally excluded.

With DB, cancel by the tenth day of the month for the subscription to end that month; later cancellation can mean another monthly charge. Compare it with day or group tickets for a short visit and keep the cancellation confirmation.

Tax-free shopping and departure paperwork

Travellers resident outside the EU may qualify for tax-free goods purchases from €50.01, subject to the retailer’s participation and proper documentation. Residence matters, not simply citizenship; Northern Ireland residents are excluded from this tourist arrangement. Export the goods by the end of the third month following the purchase month.

Keep goods, receipts and forms available for customs validation before checking a bag containing them. For an onward connection inside the EU, clarify the export point. Customs validates export; the retailer or refund company handles the refund and may deduct fees. Consumed meals and accommodation are not goods exported in luggage.

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