What Barzahlen does

Barzahlen is a Berlin-based, bank-independent payment infrastructure provider that enables consumers to deposit and withdraw cash, pay bills, and complete online purchases by scanning barcodes at the checkout counters of partner retail stores. Founded in 2011 and operating under the legal name Barzahlen Cash Payment Solutions GmbH, the company is a subsidiary of the fintech group Viafintech and serves both the German market under the Barzahlen brand and additional European markets under the Viacash brand. The core technology is a barcode-based transaction system: a barcode is generated in a partner banking app or delivered alongside a bill or online order via PDF, SMS, or Apple Wallet, and is then scanned at a retail point of sale to complete the cash or payment transaction. The architecture is deliberately registration-free, with no sensitive financial data shared with Barzahlen or the retail partner, positioning the service as a low-friction bridge between digital banking and physical cash.

The business operates a B2B2C distribution model with no direct-to-consumer sales motion. Revenue is generated through transaction fees charged to banking partners and/or retail partners for each deposit, withdrawal, bill payment, or online purchase completed through the barcode system; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is negotiated bilaterally. Banking-side partners include major digital banks N26, DKB, and Bunq, plus energy company eon for bill payment. Retail-side partners include leading European chains Rewe, dm, Penny, Billa, and Swiss Federal Railways (sbb), providing physical cash access points across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The company self-describes as the largest bank-independent payment infrastructure in Europe for cash deposits and withdrawals via barcode.

Barzahlen has raised disclosed funding across four rounds between 2012 and 2016 from investors including Berlin Venture Partners, Saarbruecker 21, Berlin Technologie Holding, ALSTIN Family GmbH, Rewe Group (as a strategic investor), and GRENKE, with the largest single round of approximately $5.77 million closed in January 2016. The company employs between 51 and 100 people and operates as a privately held, unlisted entity with no public stock listing or disclosed venture funding since 2016. Headcount is modest relative to the claimed European leadership position, reflecting the API-first, partner-channel model that allows scale without proportional headcount expansion.

Name

Barzahlen

Legal name

Barzahlen Cash Payment Solutions GmbH

Website

https://barzahlen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Barzahlen is a Berlin-based bank-independent payment infrastructure that enables cash deposits, withdrawals, and bill payments via barcode scanning at retail checkout counters. It serves digital bank and underbanked consumers across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland through banking app and major retail partner integrations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Payment Infrastructure

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

A2A Checkout & Merchant Acceptance Solutions (FSAMAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Embedded Payments (Pay-ins, Pay-outs, Wallets) (FSAGALAB), Bank Bill Pay (Consumer & Small Business) (FSAMAJAC), Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB)

Keywords

• Cash payment infrastructure
• Barcode payment system
• Retail payment network
• Cash deposit withdrawal
• Payment processing platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fees: Barzahlen/Viacash generates revenue through transaction fees charged to banking partners and/or retailers for each cash deposit, withdrawal, bill payment, or online purchase completed through the barcode system at partner retail locations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Barzahlen/Viacash operates a bank-independent payment infrastructure that enables users to deposit and withdraw cash at retail partner checkout counters by scanning barcodes generated through partner banking apps. The barcode-based system also supports online shopping payments and bill payments, connecting digital banks, online retailers, bill issuers, and a network of physical retail partner stores (such as Rewe, dm, Penny, Billa, and sbb) across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

Product overview

Barzahlen/Viacash operates as a single unified product—a bank-independent barcode-based cash payment infrastructure. The platform enables users to deposit and withdraw cash at retail partner stores, pay bills, and complete online purchases by scanning barcodes at checkout counters. The service connects banking apps (for cash deposits/withdrawals), online retailers (for barcode-based payments), and bill issuers (for bill payments) through a shared barcode system, all facilitated through a network of retail partner stores including Rewe, dm, Penny, Billa, and SBB.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Barzahlen/Viacash Cash Payment Infrastructure Bank-independent barcode-based payment infrastructure in Europe that enables consumers to deposit and withdraw cash, pay online shopping purchases, and settle bills by scanning barcodes at checkout counters of partner retail stores such as Rewe, dm, Penny, Billa, and sbb.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• N26coreTechnology or IntegrationDigital bank partner offering Barzahlen/Viacash cash deposit and withdrawal services to customers through in-app integration. Customers can initiate cash transactions from their N26 banking app at partner retail locations.
• DKBcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital bank partner providing cash access services via Barzahlen/Viacash infrastructure. DKB customers can deposit and withdraw cash at retail partner stores using the barcode system.
• BunqcoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital bank partner enabling cash transactions for customers through Barzahlen/Viacash retail network integration in the Bunq banking app.
• eoncoreTechnology or IntegrationEnergy company partner enabling bill payment functionality through Barzahlen/Viacash. Customers can receive barcodes with bills and pay at retail partner locations.
• RewecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor German retail chain providing physical checkout locations where Barzahlen/Viacash cash transactions are completed. One of the largest retail partners in the network.
• dmcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman drugstore chain and retail partner enabling cash deposit, withdrawal, and payment transactions at checkout counters across their store network.
• PennycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman discount supermarket chain providing retail checkout locations for Barzahlen/Viacash cash transactions. Part of the REWE Group.
• BillacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAustrian supermarket chain operating as retail partner for cash transactions. Extends Barzahlen/Viacash network presence to Austria.
• sbb (Swiss Federal Railways)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss national railway operator providing retail/checkout locations for cash transactions, extending Barzahlen/Viacash network to Switzerland.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• TrueLayer: TrueLayer provides account-to-account (A2A) and Pay-by-Bank APIs for European merchants and banks. Adjacent competitor in the digital-banking cash/payment infrastructure stack; competes for the same banking partner budget though on the digital payment rail rather than the cash rail.
• Tink (Visa): Tink, now part of Visa, is a European open-banking API platform enabling bank-to-bank payments and account aggregation. Compares to Barzahlen/Viacash as potential complementary or substitute infrastructure for digital banks servicing the same customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Green Dot Corporation: US-listed fintech offering cash-deposit and bill-payment services through a large retail network, including partnerships with digital banks. Closest US analogue for the bank-independent, retail-mediated cash access model that Barzahlen/Viacash operates in Europe.
• Worldline: European payments incumbent providing merchant acquiring, POS integrations, and transaction processing at scale. While not a direct cash-deposit competitor, comparable as an embedded payments partner to large retailers and banks across DACH and the broader EU.
• Euronet Worldwide: Euronet is the global parent of epay and operates one of the largest independent ATM and money-transfer networks. Provides the same bank-independent, multi-vertical cash/payment infrastructure value proposition at much greater scale, with overlapping retail relationships and European footprint.

Direct peers

• PayNearMe: PayNearMe enables cash bill payment and money movement at retail locations (CVS, Walmart) in the US, with barcode-driven POS flows very similar to Viacash. Comparable product mechanics, partner-led GTM, and cash-as-rails value proposition for unbanked and digital-first customers.
• PayPoint: PayPoint operates the UK's largest cash bill-payment and ATM network across convenience stores. Closest international analogue to Barzahlen/Viacash in retail-checkout cash services, with the same B2B2C model, multi-vertical retail partners, and transaction-fee monetization.
• epay (Euronet): epay is Euronet's brand for cash-based bill payment and top-up services at retail POS across Europe. Directly competes with Barzahlen/Viacash for the same use case — enabling consumers to pay bills or load value at supermarket checkouts — and overlaps on retail partner onboarding in DACH.

Regional players

• PostFinance Cash Services: Swiss postal and banking operator providing cash deposit/withdrawal services across its retail branch network in Switzerland. Comparable cash infrastructure for a digital-bank customer base, but operates a captive banking platform rather than a multi-bank independent model.

Others

• Deutsche Bank Cash via Rewe & Partners: Deutsche Bank operates its own cash-service partnerships at German retail outlets, partially overlapping with Barzahlen/Viacash's POS footprint and serving a similar function for incumbent bank customers. Not a direct fintech competitor, but a structural alternative for cash access at the same counters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/barzahlen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/barzahlen
• Instagraminstagram.com/via_cash
• Facebookfacebook.com/barzahlen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Barzahlen