Sparkasse customers have had to adapt to a number of changes in recent months. But for some time now there has been a positive change that affects money withdrawals and the availability of which the Sparkasse is continually expanding.
For some time now, Sparkasse customers have been able to withdraw money from ATMs not only with their bank cards, but also with their smartphones. This is made possible by a digital version of the bank card. Originally the offer was only available at selected ATMs. The savings bank has now significantly upgraded its facilities.
Sparkasse ATMs have long been equipped with an NFC field. This makes it possible to simply place the bank card on the card instead of inserting it into the reading slot as before. Since autumn 2021, it has been possible to withdraw money from the Sparkasse contactlessly. If you don’t have your bank card with you, you can still use the NFC field – with your smartphone. The whole thing works similarly to paying with Google Pay and Apple Pay.
Withdraw money from the savings bank using your smartphone – here’s how it works
Android users who want to withdraw money using their smartphone need the Sparkasse’s “Mobile Payment” app. Here, the digital versions of the available cards – such as debit cards, giro cards or credit cards – are already stored in the online banking account. iPhone owners, on the other hand, do not need to install an additional app and can use Apple Wallet. To add the bank card, select “Sparkasse” from the list of banks and the appropriate card type. Finally, adding the card must be confirmed via TAN.
Also read: Big change at savings banks and Volksbanks! Customers have to adapt
In order to be able to withdraw money from Sparkasse ATMs with your smartphone, it must be unlocked and NFC activated. When users hold their device to the NFC terminal, the ATM automatically reads the card data and displays the “Withdraw money” option on the screen. As before, the process must be confirmed via PIN – so withdrawing money from the savings bank is not completely contactless.
You can tell whether an ATM supports the new way of withdrawing money by looking at the NFC logo and the card reader. According to the bank, almost 60 percent of all Sparkasse ATMs are currently equipped with an NFC interface. 90 percent of savings banks have at least one NFC-enabled device. And the expansion is set to continue as more and more people use their cash cards as a digital copy on their smartphone.
Access to sufficient and modern ATMs remains an important issue in Germany. Especially after switching to debit cards, many users complain that they cannot use them to withdraw money from supermarkets or drugstores like they used to. This often only works with the classic debit card, which is now subject to a fee at many banks. TECHBOOK also had this experience.
Withdraw cash from other banks via smartphone
While the savings banks in Germany are upgrading their ATMs with NFC, other banks are already saying goodbye to the function. For example, the Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken announced that they would stop withdrawing money via smartphone – also known as VR-mobileCash – at the end of March 2022. The reason: The offer would not be used enough. Since then, the bank’s customers nationwide have again required their debit card in order to get cash from the ATM.