Geldkarte

The money card is an electronic purse in Germany. The money card is issued by the participating credit institutions and banks; thereby assumes the EURO card systems GmbH, a joint venture between the German banking industry, the key tasks of the system in the common interest of German banks and savings banks.

• 7.1 Privacy
• 7.2 susceptibility
• 7.3 Lack of transparency
• 7.4 Interest -free credit for providers
• 7.5 loss
• 7.6 Limitation on Germany
• 7.7 Non-transferability of credits
• 7.8 Lack of acceptance

General

As electronic wallet money card enables cashless payments offline without user identification (without PIN verification and without signature ) of small amounts of money. The payment is carried out with a prepaid credit, which is stored on a smart card (" Bank Card "). The maximum amount that can be loaded onto a debit card, is 200 euros. Basically there are two types of cash cards, which differ in the handling, especially during loading:

• The checking account -related money card: The checking account -related cash card, also called account-linked debit card is a normal girocard cash card chip and function. These can be charged at many ATMs and at separate charging terminals. The associated current account is thereby charged with the selected amount.
• The White Card: called The White Card, also account unbound money card is a smart card in standard credit card format that includes only the cash card function. The card can be recharged with cash at the bank counter. There are also loading terminals with two card slots where you can recharge girocard a white card against a. When charging is done via the girocard an injunction from the checking account, as at an ATM, the money is not spent cash but charged on the cash card chip on the White Card.

Both types of cash cards may also be charged via the Internet.

Usage patterns and acceptance

The first field trial took place in 1996 in Ravensburg, despite extensive advertising efforts, a low level of acceptance of the system drew even then with dealers and customers, since it is then "false " on the segment ( retail ) concentrated. Although debit cards and EC cards of banks and savings banks the money card chip often already included and therefore as of 2006 about 64 million debit cards have been issued, only 15% were used in the past. However, the cigarette regulation gave the system great popularity. Compared to last year the number of payment transactions in 2007 rose by 25%, and sales increased by over 40%.

Most often, the cash card is used when paying at vending machines for tickets, parking tickets and age verification at cigarette vending machines. The main reason is that, for the maintenance, security, and particularly the emptying of coin slots and counting of income incurred enormous costs. In addition, the verification of cash is relatively error-prone; the risk of accepting counterfeit money or otherwise dismissed because customers only worn cash is therefore high.

In particular, companies and organizations with several thousand vending machines or automated generally high cash turnover, therefore, attempt to increase the acceptance of the money card with monetary incentives. Thus, for example, when the Munich Transport Single tickets to the equivalent price of multi-ride tickets are available if you pay with the debit card.

According to statistics of the German banking industry, consumers paid in 2012 a total of 119.2 million Euros with the debit card. The average transaction amount was 3.04 euros. Overall, users have downloaded more than 141 million euros last year on the prepaid market. The average charge amount was thus 27.98 euros.

Charging

The debit card can be charged at most ATMs and also in branches of credit institutions. The money card communicates via the charging terminal as an intermediary with the competent charging unit. This load center authorized charge amounts and then communicates with both the customer's bank to offset the charge amount to the account, as well as a dealer central registry, which leads a shadow account at any bank card. In a shadow account the currently loaded amount in any bank card and cash card number are stored. The shadow accounts are used to detect misuse of the money card, if a shadow balance has a negative amount.

With most banks and savings banks, which raise the cash card chip on their girocards or store cards charging is offered as a free service. In charge at the ATM or charging terminal charges may apply depending on the institution and aufzuladender card. The local cooperative banks, for example, require about 50 cents per charge other banks of the association.

Since September 2007, cash cards can be charged for free on the Internet. This requires a PC with a connected smart card reader. The pay is currently possible via the online payment method giropay, with a voucher or payment.

The Internet portal for http://www.geldkarte-laden.de Unlocked - was at CeBIT 2008 - after a first live demonstration. A user only needs a card reader with display and integrated keyboard of the so-called class 3 or the new CCC specification " KT -light". The load application is loaded as a Java applet in the browser, the installation of special software is required. To charge the user the amount, however, must first be transferred to a clearing account; this step of the processing is done by a banking service that allows guaranteed transfers via Internet Banking.

Payment process

There is no authentication of the customer against the dealer or at the payment terminal.

To pay the customer provides his bank card into the vending machine or the payment terminal of the dealer and confirmed, if necessary, the amount displayed number by pressing a certain key. Then the amount will be debited from your credit card and the money along with the card number, a payment sequence number and the account number. of the Stock Exchange settlement account of the cash card stored in a cryptographically secured transaction record on the terminal.

Payment can be made with the debit card acceptance at each partner who has concluded a contract for the acceptance of debit card with a credit institution. The dealer gets to a " merchant card", which will be integrated as a physical counterpart to the cash card or a software key in the payment terminal.

Each payment process is done offline, after the ticket office closes at the payment terminal sales to a clearing house ( central registry ) collected shall be provided ( " filed " ) and minus a fee of 0.3 % (min 0.01 EUR ) credited to the merchant account. In the card-issuing banks a shadow balance is performed for each cash card, which corresponds to the current monetary value of the card.

Merchant data are processed physically separated from the map data. An adjustment is possible without judicial authorization (eg in the course of criminal proceedings ); Such cases are in practice not yet known.

For 2010, the average payment amount of 3.02 EUR has been determined ..

Cryptography

For confidentiality in the system money map of the DES (Data Encryption Standard) and for particularly security -relevant objects of the Triple - DES algorithm are applied. The Triple DES algorithm in this case runs in EDE mode ( Encryption - Decryption - Encryption ) from.

Both algorithms can run (Cipher Feedback Mode ) both in CBC (Cipher Block Chaining mode ) and in the CFB mode.

For data integrity, message authentication codes are used. There is both a method for generating the MAC length of 8 bits and a generation of the 16-bit length. This message authentication codes using the algorithms mentioned above DES and Triple-DES to generate a message authentication code.

Age Verification

Since 1 January 2007, cigarettes can only be purchased at vending machines, where it is shown with the money card, ID card or driving license that the holder is at least 18 years old. In account - and -personal cash card, the majority feature is stored, provided the cardholder to the date of issue was already 18 years old. Was the cardholder at the time of card issuance underage, then no majority feature is stored on the card. Here, the next test is performed on coming of age in the production of a result map. Account Unbound money cards are never provided with a youth protection feature. Non full- year olds can be storing the date in encrypted form on request and with the consent of the parent or guardian, where they are of age. From the cigarette machine can calculate whether the owner is already 16 years old, what the Youth Protection Act prescribes since the amendment of 22 July 2002. Since 1 January 2009, machines must be converted to this extent, that a majority feature on the map is required for the cigarette purchase to the amendment on September 1, 2007, following the delivery of tobacco to children and adolescents under the age of 18 is prohibited, just to be.

The youth protection feature on the chip of the cash card allows the age of majority test ( age verification ) on the Internet. The money card has been evaluated in a more general concept submitted by the Commission on Youth Protection in the Media ( KJM ) for the production of " closed user groups " on the Internet positively. In addition to the majority test also checks for 16 years is possible. Porn sites put the money card already as access protection.

E-ticket

The fact that a number of charging and payment processes can be stored on the chip, it can be as an "electronic document " use, eg as a ticket ( e- ticket). Many transport companies offer a discount for payment of the ticket with cash card, as can be saved including the distribution costs.

Internet payments

The customer needs to pay for the internet a debit card and a smart card reader to safety class 3 When paying on the internet a separate payment window is displayed in the browser, in which the current state of the process is evident. The Customer acknowledges provider name and amount. Following this authorization, the money value will be deducted from the money card.

Reasons for the use of cash card

The advantage of the cash card for the user is seen in the fact that he rarely needs to use " small change ". Compared to the payment by credit or debit card, the advantage is that the expensive process of identification by printing a second document, type in the PIN or signature comparison is omitted. In addition, the billing of small amounts with the help of maps by the relatively low cost of trading is attractive.

The banks make in their advertisement except payment transactions on trading following uses of cash card out:

• The payment at parking meters or parking barriers
• The ticket purchase at ATMs of public transport, such as strip maps for the tram
• Acquiring offered in vending machines beverages, confectionery and snacks
• The stamp vending machine of Deutsche Post.

Disadvantages and problems

Privacy Policy

For tax purposes, save your credit registers (see above ) for several years, the payment transactions made. A tracing is possible when " several institutions synchronize their data in unanticipated ways with each other ." Only payments are difficult to track using a cash card account unbound ("white money card") when loading the card by cash at the bank counter.

Susceptibility

The money card is more prone to wear / technical disturbances than cash. There is a fault in the card or for example in a reader before, paying by debit card is not possible.

Lack of transparency

Another disadvantage is spearheaded by users that they have no overview of the issues and the remaining balance remaining on the chip. However, most vending machines and merchant terminals indicate the remaining balance after payment. In addition, there are also so-called pocket card reader that can display the remaining credit, three last charge and 15 last payment processes. Many customers can such a device, which usually has the design of a key fob, purchase at their financial institution at discounted prices. So many societies offer the pocket card reader called " mini jack" their customers some below cost at. Many TAN generators also support the display of the current assets and the last charge and payment transactions.

Interest-free credit for providers

The credit on a debit card is available for the prepaid card provider as an interest- free loan. The user must during this time, the interest which it would for example get in a savings account for it. For the customer, however, arises in relation to the cash holdings is not a disadvantage, as it can reduce its cash amount equal to at money card balance if the balance on the card can be used anywhere.

Loss

As with the loss of a conventional wallet no replacement is possible even if the " electronic wallet ". Since the credit is freely transferable, dishonest finders can pay by debit card found. Thus, the owner is liable for the money card.

Limitation to Germany

The German debit card is incompatible electronic purse systems in other countries, even within the euro zone. The area of ​​application of the cash card is therefore strictly limited to Germany.

Non-transferability of credits

The lending or giving away of money amounts is not possible with the money card.

Lack of acceptance

Contrary to expectations, many of the potential acceptance companies joined the system only reluctantly or not at all. Similarly, it was not possible to achieve harmonization with other card issuers such as Deutsche Telekom to use the cash card telephone booths can. Meanwhile, significant target companies such as the service providers have set the acceptance of the cash card back in Hamburg Transport Association.