It's the same in SF. There are so many "cash only" places that I now routinely check Yelp before going just about anywhere unless it's a relatively high volume place or franchise.

Don't German stores accept debit cards?

The cost is much lower on a debit card transaction.

Yes, debit cards are more widely accepted than credit cards, but many places take neither. Not just stores, bars and restaurants as well.

It's quite uncommon for stores not to accept debit cards in my experience, but next to nobody pays by card in bars and restaurants.

Thwy accept German EC cards, which is an entirely seperate network from MasterCard and Visa (and it's the E in EMV).

Mostly because their fees are even 10 times lower than MasterCard's debit card fees.

The "E" in EMV is for Eurocard which is something different (and now merged with MasterCard).

The fees for the German Girocard system (which is what colloquially is still called EC) are lower than MasterCard's fees but not by that much anymore nowadays. MasterCard debit should not be 50% more expensive than Girocard considering all fees (which of course still is more) if you shop around a bit. Even Aldi takes them now and they try to save money wherever they can.

> Even Aldi takes them now

Well, Aldi only takes some type of MasterCard debit - only the Chip + PIN edition Maestro cards, not any of the actual MasterCard network, nor mixed credit/debit cards.

They take all MasterCards, including credit cards. I paid with one just this Saturday in Germany.

Things have changed considerably in the last two years and whatever one knows about cards, acceptance, and fees from before 2015 can safely be forgotten.

Germany becoming the anti Sweden?