Issues with digital transactions following an IT mishap have been rectified.
It appeared that for a considerable amount of time, individuals in Germany encountered difficulties using their credit and debit cards for transactions. A multitude of banks' customers were impacted, with widespread complications in debit, credit, and giro card transactions. The situation remained stagnant until the afternoon, when it was officially declared that the issue had been resolved. According to a representative from the German Banking Industry Committee, "The technically-induced problem that momentarily inhibited debit and credit card payments has been rectified." As a result, purchases at retail stores' cash registers are now being processed with traditional ease using all cards.
Initially, restrictions were imposed on card payments, including those at supermarket checkouts, and even at ATMs for cash withdrawals. It wasn't just individual banks that were affected; card usage abroad was also disrupted. The Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) took charge of the situation, communicating with the involved parties and relevant authorities.
The source of the disruption was determined to be technical problems at an IT service provider and associated providers, as relayed by a spokesperson from the German Banking Industry Committee. Experts from the payment system operators and providers analyzed the magnitude and specifics of the issue to better understand the situation. Fortunately, based on the information currently available, a cyberattack could be ruled out as the culprit.
The IT service provider responsible for the issues was identified as First Data, a subsidiary of the US conglomerate Fiserv, according to a spokesperson. The technical problem was reportedly affecting certain processing services.
Despite the resolution of the issue, some consumers may still be wary of using credit cards due to the recent inconvenience. In the future, banks might consider implementing backup systems to ensure continuity of service during technical issues.
