The ATM System of the German Banking Industry (Deutsches Geldautomaten-System – DGS) enables cash advances via debit cards to customers of banks and savings banks that are participants of the DGS at ATMs that participate in the DGS.
The following associations have agreed upon the implementation and operation of the cross-banking ATM system: Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken e. V. (BVR), Berlin, Bundesverband deutscher Banken e. V. (BdB), Berlin, Bundesverband Öffentlicher Banken Deutschlands e. V. (VÖB), Berlin, Deutscher Sparkassen- und Giroverband e. V. (DSGV), Berlin
The German Banking Industry currently operates about 54,000 DGS-ATMs.
Accordant to the requirements of the German Banking Industry
all debit cards with the girocard and/or electronic cash-PINPad
pictogram, issued by the participating financial institutions,
will be accepted. In the transition periode these cards can also
bear the ec electronic-cash logo.
The owner of the ATM is free to choose whether he also wants to offer other payment schemes like MasterCard, VISA, EUFISERV etc. Those applications are not part of the DGS.
Technical enclosures and appendixes to the regulations have been established as standardized interfaces for the communication between participants of the ATM system. An approval procedure needs to be passed to guarantee that all formalities are being complied with. This includes an evidence of conformity that is being provided by a functional test and a security evaluation. Currently all ATMs of the German Banking Industry are being upgraded step-by-step from magnetic stripe to EMV-chip application as preferred method.