this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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Europe

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[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 69 points 23 hours ago (2 children)

Why tf is a government entity using paypal??

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 22 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

Because everybody here uses paypal for online payments. Because banks and governments have failed to create a viable alternative. WERO is coming tho. One day. About 20 years after we needed it. soon. still waiting.

[–] 0x0@infosec.pub 2 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Sweden uses the domestic Swish, works much better than paypal. There are most definitely viable alternatives and have been for quite some time now.

[–] PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 38 minutes ago

In Sweden yeah. And in the Netherlands they have iDeal. In Germany the only PayPal alternative for online payments usually are credit card or bank transfer / SEPA mandate. Not everybody has a credit card and direct bank transfer is clunky

[–] AlaknΓ‘r@piefed.social 43 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

Because people use PayPal and the government entity is trying to be helpful.

[–] baguettefish@discuss.tchncs.de 24 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (2 children)

but what people in Germany really use is cash or a girocard (card attached to your regular checking account).

but yes, european reliance on america is horrible, usually in addition to the girocard functionality on your card, which is usable only in germany, there's also some mastercard or visa functionality in the card, which allows you to use the card at the very least in the SEPA area (single euro payments area, 41 countries are members, visa vpay or mastercard maestro) and in cases where you get the full mastercard or visa on top of your girocard you can of course pay worldwide with a bunch of asterisks.

that means cross-country payments with your card are locked behind america, which is why wero (europe's new digital payment system for use in the SEPA) makes so much sense.

[–] Teppichbrand@feddit.org 9 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 9 hours ago) (1 children)

I wrote them an email asking about Wero and they replied that they'll launch it soon. So let's stay hopeful.

[–] PrinzKasper@feddit.org 3 points 14 hours ago

I mean I'm surprised they're not offering SEPA tbh

[–] Tywele@piefed.social 3 points 13 hours ago (1 children)

Girocard is used less and less because many banks don’t issue girocards free of charge anymore. You only get a debit card for free and have to pay extra to get a girocard.

[–] uniquethrowagay@feddit.org 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I feel dumb, what's the difference?

they're pushing visa and mastercard over germany's own payment system