Paying in Berlin: cash, cards and tipping in 2026

Cash or card: where Berlin stands in 2026

Germany remains attached to cash. According to the Bundesbank study on payment habits published in June 2026, cash was used for 45% of everyday purchases in 2025: the first time it has fallen below half, but it is still the most used means of payment by number of transactions. It dominates above all for small amounts.

In Berlin, most supermarkets, department stores, chains, museums and restaurants accept cards, often contactless. The exceptions are mainly small businesses: Kneipen (neighbourhood pubs), Spätis (late-opening corner shops), bakeries, Imbiss (snack stands) and market stalls. A "Nur Barzahlung" or "Keine Kartenzahlung" sign at the entrance or near the till warns you. Other shops only take cards above a minimum amount, often displayed at the till: no rule forbids this in Germany today.

This could change. The 2025 coalition agreement planned to gradually offer at least one digital payment option in addition to cash. On 11 September 2026, the Federal Ministry of Finance presented the outline of a proposal: from 2027, every shop or restaurant would have to accept at least one digital means of payment as well as cash, with exemptions envisaged for associations, village fêtes and flea markets. As of October 2026, this text has not been adopted: no obligation applies for now.

Practical tip: always keep €30 to €50 in small notes and coins. That is enough for a Späti, a currywurst, a drink in a Kneipe or a morning at the Mauerpark flea market, where many stalls only take cash.

Girocard, Visa, Mastercard and mobile payment

The most common card among Germans is the girocard, the debit card issued by national banks. It explains why some small businesses long accepted the "EC-Karte" but not foreign cards. Today, most terminals also accept Visa and Mastercard, debit and credit alike; American Express is much less widespread. If in doubt, look at the logos on the door or on the terminal before ordering.

Contactless payment is common, including by phone or watch: the Bundesbank study shows that mobile payment almost doubled and accounted for 10% of purchases in 2025. The terminal may ask for your PIN for a large amount or after several contactless payments in a row. A "Nur girocard" sign means a terminal that refuses foreign cards: bring cash in that case.

Transport: card on the bus, coins on the tram

Since 2 September 2024, you can no longer pay cash on BVG buses. The driver still sells tickets, but only by contactless payment: debit or credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or the BVG prepaid card (Guthabenkarte), which can be topped up with cash at BVG customer centres and at many Lotto outlets.

Ticket machines in U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations accept cards, contactless or with PIN, as well as coins; banknotes are only accepted at some machines. The small machines on board trams, on the other hand, only take coins. The simplest option is to buy your tickets in the BVG app, payable by card or mobile payment. Ticket types and prices are detailed in our guide to getting around Berlin.

Withdrawing money: cash machines and dynamic currency conversion

Cash machines are called Geldautomat or Bankautomat. The most reliable ones belong to banks and savings banks (Sparkasse, Volksbank, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank…), in the lobby or front of a branch. For a card outside their network, these banks may charge a withdrawal fee ("direktes Kundenentgelt"), which must be shown on screen before you confirm the transaction. Your own bank may add further fees.

Beware of independent cash machines placed in Spätis, stations or tourist streets, such as Euronet's: their fees and above all their exchange rates are often unfavourable.

The main trap is dynamic currency conversion. At a cash machine or a shop terminal, the screen offers to charge you "in your currency" rather than in euros, at a rate presented as guaranteed. Always choose euros: the dynamic conversion rate is less favourable than your bank's. Cover your PIN and avoid isolated machines at night; our other safety tips are gathered in our guide to scams to avoid in Berlin.

At the restaurant: split bills and tipping

In Germany, menu prices include VAT and service: no cover charge or service percentage is added to the bill. To pay, you don't get up: you ask the waiter for the bill ("Die Rechnung, bitte" or "Zahlen, bitte"), who comes to collect at the table with a wallet or portable terminal.

They will often ask "Zusammen oder getrennt?": together or separately? Splitting the bill among friends is normal, even for a group; everyone says what they had and pays their share.

Tipping (Trinkgeld) is not compulsory, but it is customary to leave around 5 to 10% for good service. You don't leave it on the table: you say it when paying. For a bill of €27.40, for example, you say "30, bitte" while handing over a €50 note, and the waiter gives you €20 back. If you hand over the exact amount including the tip, say "Stimmt so": the waiter keeps the change. With a card, state the rounded total before they key the amount into the terminal, or choose the tip if the device offers it.

In bars and Kneipen, people round up to the next euro. At the counter of an Imbiss or a bakery, tipping is rare; a "Trinkgeld" jar is sometimes placed near the till.

Pfand: the deposit on bottles and glasses

Most bottles and cans sold in Germany carry a deposit, and the deposit (Pfand) is added to the price at the till. Single-use bottles and cans, marked with an arrow logo, carry a €0.25 deposit. Reusable bottles carry €0.08 (beer) or €0.15 (water, juice).

To get the money back, return the empties to a supermarket: a machine takes them and prints a voucher (Pfandbon) to present at the till. If you don't want to return them, leave them next to a bin rather than inside it: collectors pick them up. In bars, festivals and Christmas markets, a Pfand often applies to glasses and mugs too: you get it back when you return them to the stall.

Public toilets: 50 cents, no cash

The "Berliner Toilette" cabins installed in the streets cost €0.50. According to the operator Wall, they have no longer accepted coins since July 2024: you pay by debit or credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, BVG prepaid card or via the "Berliner Toilette" app (PayPal). Of the city's 278 sites, 107 are free, and the urinal is often free to use. In stations and department stores, toilets are generally paid too.

Taxis: regulated fares and cards accepted

Berlin taxis, cream-coloured with a yellow TAXI sign, apply a fare set by the Berlin Senate:

• Base fare: €4.30.
• Price per kilometre: €2.80 for the first 3 km, €2.60 from 3 to 7 km, then €2.10.
• Kurzstrecke: €6 for 2 km at most, only if you hail a moving taxi in the street (not at a rank or by phone) and ask for it when you get in.

Since 2015, every Berlin taxi must accept cashless payment with at least three common debit or credit cards, and card payment carries no surcharge. The driver may ask to see ID. As a tip, people usually round up the amount shown. For journeys from the airport, which follow their own tariff, see our guide to Berlin BER airport.

Tax refund: Tax Free for non-EU residents

If you live outside the European Union, you can recover part of the German VAT on purchases you take home in your personal luggage. Main conditions: the invoice must exceed €50 including VAT, and the goods must leave the EU within three months of purchase. Ask the shop for the tax-free form (department stores such as KaDeWe and many shops use services such as Global Blue or Planet), then have it stamped by customs when you leave the EU, with the unused items and your ticket. If the purchases are in checked luggage, go to customs before check-in. The refund is then paid by the shop or the tax-free operator, minus its fees: the tax authorities do not refund travellers directly. EU residents are not eligible.

Summary: how to pay for what

Prices checked in October 2026.

Further reading

To estimate the cost of your stay item by item, see our guide to Berlin on a budget. And to keep your wallet closed for a whole day, pick from our selection of free things to do in Berlin.