CCR World Magazine

LONDON and BERLIN -  Holders of German debit cards – known as ‘girocards’ – are now able to withdraw cash from ATMs across the UK.  The UK’s LINK ATM network has opened all 63,000 UK cash machines to all users of the German card scheme (more than 92 million) operated by the Zentraler Kreditausschuss (German Banking Community).  

Edwin Schooling Latter, Managing Director, LINK Scheme comments: “Through this new agreement we have been able to open up LINK’s UK cash machine network to cards from elsewhere in Europe.  This allows us to offer the same nationwide access that in the past only UK cardholders have enjoyed to debit cardholders from other European countries.  Germans can now use their girocards to withdraw cash across the UK. No other scheme can match this breadth of access or convenience in the UK.”

Bernd Fieseler, Managing Member of the Board of Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband (German Savings Banks Association) which currently chairs the Zentraler Kreditausschuss, adds: “The new partnership enables customers to withdraw cash from an additional 21,000 ATMs in the UK with their German ‘girocard’.  This marks an improvement of 34% in the acceptance of German girocards compared to today.”

To mark this event, a ceremonial cash withdrawal and reception was held at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge, in London.  Those present included Bernd Fieseler and Oliver Hommel representing ZKA/girocard, Diderik Schonheyder from EAPS, Edwin Schooling Latter, Managing Director LINK Scheme and Ron Delnevo, Managing Director of Bank Machine who arranged for the cash withdrawal to take place at their cash machine. 

The development has been made possible thanks to EAPS – the alliance of European debit card schemes – which facilitates pan European ATM and POS transactions by uniting independent card schemes throughout Europe under a single European framework. 

EAPS is open to new partners.  Card schemes, banks and payment institutions compliant with European requirements and the SEPA Cards Framework of the European Payments Council are encouraged to join.

(Source - UK Payments Press Release)