girocard goes online – leverage the potential

The girocard has already written its success story in stationary retail. Now it is conquering e-commerce as well. As of now, Sparkassen customers can deposit their girocard in the Apple Pay wallet and use it to pay online just as conveniently as at the POS. Through integration, merchants reach new customers and benefit from the favorable conditions of the girocard.

A leading e-wallet for secure and fast payments at the point of sale and in e-commerce...

With Apple Pay Wallet, Apple users can pay in online stores and shopping apps in no time at all, without having to enter card and address data. The payment method has recently seen a significant increase in users in Germany. The recent success figures of the Sparkasse also illustrate how popular Apple's Wallet solution is: over 2.5 million Sparkasse customers were already using Apple Pay to make payments in 2021.

…integrates Germany's most popular payment card…

Over 100 million cards issued and EUR 236 billion in sales processed in stationary retail: the girocard is and remains Germany's most popular payment card. This trend has even intensified since 2020. Likely, the girocard will quickly establish itself as a means of payment in e-commerce as soon as other wallet providers enable deposits.

…for the customers of Germany's largest banking group.

45 million girocards alone come from the Sparkassen. These cards generated sales of over EUR 100 billion in 2020. With its service provider S-Payment, the Sparkassen Finanzgruppe has already been the first to successfully integrate the girocard for POS payments in the Apple Pay wallet. Sparkassen customers with Apple devices can now also pay in e-commerce by depositing their girocard.

Easy to implement for merchants, with Computop as an omnichannel payment service provider and certified girocard network operator.

Our approval as a girocard network operator guarantees you secure and reliable girocard transactions with minimal integration effort. Also, at the point of sale: via our Computop Paygate omnichannel platform, you can also offer customers girocard payments in your stationary stores.

How you can benefit from girocard / Apple Pay integration for e-commerce:

Advantages for your customers

  • Maximum convenience: Card data and delivery addresses are already stored in the Apple Pay Wallet and do not have to be entered again during checkout (express purchase functionality). Together with identification via Face ID or fingerprint, the purchase process can be completed within seconds.
  • More discretion: German consumers have high expectations when it comes to protecting their data. Apple scores points because, unlike other wallet providers, Apple Pay does not store or utilize any transaction data.
  • The girocard has accompanied German consumers for years and enjoys a high level of trust. With its availability in e-commerce, many shoppers will also opt to use the card for online shopping.

Advantages for you

  • More conversions: The smooth and accelerated payment process for customers with Apple Pay Wallet prevents frustration at checkout and reduces the risk of abandoned purchases.
  • All payment types, all channels, one gateway: With Computop as an omnichannel provider and girocard network operator, you get the complete infrastructure for accepting girocard payments in e-commerce and at the stationary point of sale, well as up to 350 other payment types from a single source.  
  • Be there from the start: Other wallet providers and issuer banks will follow the example of Apple Pay and Sparkasse. By integrating early, you can secure an image advantage as a first-mover among customers and competitors.

FAQ

The girocard e-commerce option via Apple Pay is currently open to around 10 million consumers in Germany. This includes

  1. Sparkasse customers with a girocard who
  2. Use Apple Pay (Apple users with iPhone, iPad, MacBook)
  3. and have deposited their Sparkassen girocard with Apple Pay as a payment method.

It should be noted that Sparkasse banks in Germany are the first issuer banks to have agreed on girocard integration for e-commerce with Apple Pay. It can be assumed that other banks will take this step, and other wallet providers will also allow the girocard as a payment method.

Yes. From market launch (summer 2021), a girocard transaction processed online via Apple Pay will support the following functions:

  • Authorization
  • Capture (booking)
  • Reversal (cancellation within the valid authorization time window until the booking)
  • Refund (full / partial refund)

To address the particular requirements of the e-commerce business, the essential functions mentioned above were further extended by the following function:

  • Extended authorization from 8 to 14 days

1. As an existing customer, you need a contract amendment for
   a) processing girocard payments in e-commerce and
   b) processing Apple Pay transactions.

2. Computop offers you two integration options for integrating Apple Pay into your store:
   a) You integrate Computop's Apple Pay interface directly into your store checkout. With this integration mode, you can offer your shoppers all the benefits of the Apple Pay button (express purchase functionality).
   b) You use a hosted Computop credit card form, on which an already pre-configured Apple Pay button is activated for you. This procedure means the least integration effort for you.

3. In the case of direct integration of the Apple Pay interface, you must conclude a contract with Apple to accept Apple Pay payments.

4. You must conclude a contract with Computop for the acceptance of girocard payments in e-commerce.
 

You will, of course, receive comprehensive advice and support from Computop's payment experts for all the steps required.

Computop is one of the few payment service providers in Europe to operate actual omnichannel processing. Payments from all sales channels are processed centrally via Computop Paygate.

Merchants who are active in the stationary business and e-commerce thus achieve considerable efficiency gains and can offer their customers valuable additional services for cross-channel shopping experiences.

As part of our Point of Sale solution, we are a certified girocard network operator and handle girocard payments and over 350 other international payment methods for you - on all sales channels, from a single source.

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