Number of paper-initiated credit transfers, Germany
Number of paper-initiated credit transfers, Germany stood at 538.1 million transactions in 2025, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the Payment statistics table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2023 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Payment statistics table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of transactions | ||||
| Paper-initiated credit transfers | 538.1 | 582.7 | 625.3 | |
| Electronically initiated credit transfers | 7,216.8 | 6,937.9 | 6,591.1 |
Understanding number of paper-initiated credit transfers, Germany
Instructions submitted on physical forms define the boundaries of paper-initiated credit transfers within the overall transfer category. This measure records payment orders where the account holder physically delivers, posts, or deposits an authorized paper voucher or written transfer form with their payment service provider for processing. It includes standardized bank transfer slips, bespoke paper payment orders from corporate clients, and branch-counter processing requests. Conversely, it excludes any instruction conveyed through web portals, mobile banking applications, automated telephone systems, or host-to-host file transmissions, as well as physical cheques and paper direct debit mandates.
Because these figures are reported on an annual frequency, they bypass seasonal fluctuations such as concentrated end-of-year billing cycles and holiday branch closures. Comparing full annual periods provides an accurate perspective on structural shifts away from physical documentation toward automated transmission methods. Data revisions occur occasionally when institutions reclassify scanned paper slips that were ingested through automated optical character recognition systems. Analysts should avoid interpreting this volume count as an indicator of aggregate monetary value, because individual consumer payment slips and substantial paper-based business disbursements are tallied identically.
Frequently asked questions
- What distinguishes a paper-initiated credit transfer from a cheque?
- A paper credit transfer instructs the payer's institution to debit their account and credit the payee, whereas a cheque is a negotiable paper instrument delivered directly to the payee for subsequent deposit.
- Does this series include transfers keyed into electronic branch terminals by bank staff on behalf of a customer?
- Instructions originating from an authorized physical customer form handed to branch personnel are categorized as paper-initiated.
- Can these transaction numbers be summed with electronic transfers?
- Adding this series to electronically initiated credit transfers yields the total number of credit transfers in the table.