EURO Kartensysteme

What EURO Kartensysteme does

EURO Kartensysteme GmbH is a Frankfurt am Main-based credit card issuer founded in 1982 that issues Mastercard-branded credit cards to private and business customers in Germany. The company operates as a regulated payment institution under BaFin supervision and distributes cards through partner banks and direct channels, offering Standard, Gold, and World Elite tiers across both consumer and business segments. Its corporate seat is in Frankfurt, it employs 51–100 staff, and it is led by CEO Oliver Hommel with Susanne Raupbach on the management board and Tanja Müller-Ziegler as chairwoman of the supervisory board.

The product stack centers on Mastercard card issuing with supporting features including 3D Secure authentication, contactless payments, an eCommerce-Limit spending control for online transactions, foreign currency conversion, and account balance updates (ABU). In September 2024 the company launched TransactVerify, an app-based authentication solution that replaced the legacy Kreditkarteninfo-Online service. Core processing runs on Fiserv (formerly First Data) infrastructure, and the cards are accepted domestically via the girocard network and internationally across the Mastercard network covering 30+ EEA countries. Customer service operates Monday–Friday 8:00–20:00, and the issuer is GDPR-compliant.

Revenue is generated through interchange fees on Mastercard transactions, card-issuing fees, and ancillary services such as ATM withdrawals and foreign currency conversion. The core card products carry no annual fee for cardholders, positioning the issuer as a value-oriented player in the German credit card market. The business is a privately held GmbH and does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

EURO Kartensysteme

Legal name

EURO Kartensysteme GmbH

Website

https://eurokartensysteme-karteninhaber.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

EURO Kartensysteme GmbH is a Frankfurt-based Mastercard credit card issuer founded in 1982, serving German private and business customers through bank partnerships with a fee-free Standard, Gold, and World Elite card portfolio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Credit Card Issuing

NAICS

Credit Card Issuing (522210), Credit Card Issuing (52221)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Embedded Card Issuing & Card-as-a-Service (FSAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cards & Issuing Management (Debit/Prepaid/Credit, Program Management) (FSAGAAAE)

Keywords

• Credit card issuing
• Payment services
• Mastercard issuer
• Cardholder services
• 3D Secure authentication

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Credit Card Transaction Fees: Revenue generated through interchange fees on Mastercard credit card transactions processed through the EURO Kartensysteme issuing platform.
2. Card Issuing Services: Issuance and management of Mastercard credit cards (Private and Business variants in Standard, Gold, and World Elite tiers) generating revenue from cardholder fees and transaction processing.
3. ATM Access Fee Collection: Collection and forwarding of ATM access fees from bank-external cardholders for cash withdrawals at German ATMs. Fees are charged by ATM operators and collected by EURO Kartensysteme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

EURO Kartensysteme GmbH is a Frankfurt-based Mastercard credit card issuer operating under BaFin supervision. It issues Mastercard-branded credit cards (Private Standard, Private Gold, Business Standard, Business Gold, and World Elite tiers) through German partner banks and financial institutions, and provides cardholder services free of charge, including the TransactVerify mobile app for 3D Secure authentication (Mastercard Identity Check), eStatements, transaction monitoring, push notifications, currency-conversion tools, and Automatic Billing Updater (ABU) service.

Product overview

EURO Kartensysteme is a Mastercard-issuing financial services company offering a portfolio of credit card products and cardholder services. The core offering includes personal credit cards (Standard and Gold tiers), business cards (Standard and Gold tiers), and the premium World Elite card. Cardholder services are delivered through the TransactVerify mobile app, which provides 3D Secure authentication (Mastercard Identity Check), eStatements, transaction monitoring, and credit limit visibility. Supporting services include contactless payment (Mastercard kontaktlos), eCommerce-Limit controls, currency exchange verification, SMS transaction alerts, and the Automatic Billing Updater. The TransactVerify app replaced the legacy Kreditkarteninfo-Online service in September 2024. All cards operate on the Mastercard network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TransactVerify: Mobile app for credit card authentication, eStatements, transaction monitoring, and payment verification.

Products and services

• TransactVerify App Mobile authentication and card-management app for EURO Kartensysteme Mastercard credit-card holders on iOS and Android, providing 3D Secure (Mastercard Identity Check) authentication via biometric (Face-ID, fingerprint) or PIN, eStatements, transaction monitoring, push notifications, and credit-limit visibility.
• Mastercard-Privatkarten Standard Standard-tier personal Mastercard credit card issued by EURO Kartensysteme through partner banks for individual consumers, including basic Mastercard services, standard insurance conditions, and cardholder protection.
• Mastercard-Privatkarten Gold Premium-tier personal Mastercard credit card issued by EURO Kartensysteme through partner banks, providing enhanced insurance coverage and additional cardholder benefits compared with the Standard tier.
• Mastercard Business Card Standard Standard-tier Mastercard business credit card issued by EURO Kartensysteme through partner banks for commercial customers, providing standard business insurance and core card features.
• Mastercard Business Card Gold Premium-tier Mastercard business credit card issued by EURO Kartensysteme through partner banks, providing enhanced insurance coverage for business travelers and higher spending limits.
• Mastercard World Elite Top-tier Mastercard credit card issued by EURO Kartensysteme through partner banks, offering the highest level of insurance coverage, concierge services, and exclusive benefits, available in both private and business variants.
• Wechselkurs-Service Currency-conversion transparency service provided by First Data that allows EURO Kartensysteme cardholders to verify the exchange rates applied to foreign transactions on their Mastercard cards.
• Automatic Billing Updater (ABU) Mastercard service delivered through EURO Kartensysteme that automatically updates merchant systems with new card numbers or expiration dates to prevent declined recurring payments.

Quantifiable outcome

• Contactless payment limit increased from €25 to €50 on April 15, 2020
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MastercardcoreTechnology or IntegrationMastercard provides the credit card brand, payment network infrastructure, and licensing for contactless payment specifications. EURO Kartensysteme issues Mastercard-branded credit cards (Private, Business, World Elite variants) under this partnership.
• Fiserv (formerly First Data GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationFiserv provides the billing service provider infrastructure, currency conversion tools, and technology platform powering the TransactVerify app and credit card transaction processing. First Data GmbH has been rebranded under Fiserv.
• Initiative Deutsche ZahlungssystememinorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerman payment systems initiative providing educational resources on electronic payment methods. Referenced as a useful link for cardholder information.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AirPlus International: German corporate card specialist (a Lufthansa subsidiary) issuing Mastercard Business and corporate cards with travel and expense-management tooling. Highly comparable in the business/credit-card issuance segment that EURO Kartensysteme serves with its Business and World Elite products.
• Advanzia Bank: Luxembourg-headquartered European credit card specialist issuing Mastercard products across multiple European markets. Comparable as a non-bank-leaning Mastercard issuer operating across the EEA with tiered products.
• DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank): German direct bank issuing Visa credit cards to retail and business customers at scale. Comparable as a large German bank-led credit card issuer with consumer and business tiers and a digital-first operating model.
• Concardis (Worldline Germany): German payment processor and merchant services provider (now part of Worldline). Comparable in the German payments stack and as a Mastercard-aligned issuer/processor ecosystem partner.
• Barclays Bank Ireland (Germany operations): Barclays' German consumer banking arm historically issued Visa credit cards with tiered products. Comparable as a non-German-headquartered bank issuing branded credit cards to German consumers through a similar product structure.
• Hanseatic Bank: Hamburg-based Bank of Société Générale that issues Mastercard and Visa credit cards (Gold, Platinum, World) directly to German consumers. Closely comparable as a German-domiciled credit card issuer with multi-tier portfolios and bank-distribution model.
• Unzer: Germany-based payment service provider offering card processing, acquiring and fintech infrastructure. Comparable as a domestic peer operating in the German card-processing and merchant/payment services layer that EURO Kartensysteme's partners operate in.

Broad incumbents

• Nets (Nexi Group): Large European payments processor and card-issuing infrastructure operator (now part of Nexi). Comparable as a broader incumbent in European card issuing, processing and scheme-related services across multiple networks.
• Adyen: Global unified payments platform providing card acquiring, processing and issuing infrastructure. Comparable at the technology layer that powers modern card programs, though Adyen is broader and not Germany-specific.

Emerging players

• Arvato Financial Solutions: Bertelsmann-owned German financial services provider offering payment, credit and risk-management solutions. Comparable as a domestic operator in adjacent German financial-services and credit-management services that overlap with the issuer's risk and card-services footprint.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 EURO Kartensysteme