For the German Banking Industry "girocard" is the superordinate and neutral umbrella brand for both debit payment schemes, "electronic cash" (Point of Sale) and the German ATM System. It ever guarantees secure and easy use of debit cards (formerly also referred to as "ec-Karte") using a PIN (Personal Identification Number).
The European Banking Community is currently working on the realisation of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA). The goal of SEPA is to enable all citizens to conduct payment transactions within the Euro-Zone under the same conditions as in their home countries.
The name and the logo of "girocard" was introduced by the German Banking Community in 2007. In the course of the creation of a common logo for the SEPA Area, "girocard" should primarily facilitate the international acceptance of German debit cards.