Sparkasse bank cards can now be used to collect Payback Punkte

Cooperation between the German bank Sparkasse and the Payback consumer loyalty card scheme now enables Sparkasse account holders to use their bank cards to collect Payback Punkte.

Sparkasse EC-Karte now doubles as Payback Punkte card

As of July 1, 2025, Sparkasse EC-Karte holders participating in the Payback Punkte scheme will no longer need to carry a Payback Karte to collect their customer loyalty points. Instead, their Sparkasse EC-Karte can double as Payback Karte.

Sparkasse account holders can activate the function via the “S-Vorteilswelt” website. On the site, they can open a Payback Punkte account or connect an existing account to their Sparkasse card.

Once they have set up the connection, if customers use their Sparkasse card to pay at one of the 12.000 German retailers which offer Payback Punkte, the points will be logged in their account. A Payback Punkt is worth one cent, which can be used to claim rewards or get discounts.

German consumer organisations criticise loyalty schemes

Before you make a dash for the discounts, it’s worth remembering that German consumer organisations are often critical about customer loyalty schemes, such as the Payback Karte, which build detailed behavioural profiles of customers to sell them more products.

In May this year, the Federation of German Consumer Organisations (VZBV) filed a case against Lidl, claiming that its Lidl Plus app breaches customer privacy. The federation claims the loyalty app run by the German supermarket does not sufficiently inform customers that they are “paying” for discounts offered in the app with their personal data.

Data collected by loyalty schemes includes, but is not limited to, your IP and MAC addresses, which shop branches you’ve visited, which products you bought, which type of products, the amount of each product, the price, any coupons or Pfandbons you used, the total amount you purchased, the time of your purchase and what payment method you used. 

Discount apps may also track your “regular shop”, your behaviour in the app, how frequently you use the app, which coupons you view, what you click on in the app, and your geolocation. All of this behavioural information is particularly valuable for designing targeted ads to get you into the shop and spending money.