Germany hit by nationwide disruption to card payments

Germany has been hit by a nationwide disruption to card payments, authorities said on Thursday, with an IT service provider responsible for the problem.

Both debit and credit cards have been affected since the early morning, although cash machines appear to be working as normal.

A cyberattack can be ruled out based on current knowledge, said a spokesman for the German Banking Industry Committee, an association for the country's banking industry.

The disruption is attributed to problems with First Data, an IT service provider owned by the US group Fiserv, a company spokesman said. The firm is working hard to fix the issue and will let its customers know as soon as possible, he added.

Germany's Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) said it is aware of "disruptions in card payment transactions at various financial institutions" and "in contact with those affected and relevant authorities."

"We are currently analyzing the facts of the case, and the nature and extent of the disruption," he said.