Grog

IMO, some interesting LH VISA details in this press release. I had never realized its market dominance...

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300.000 Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Cards in Germany:
Germany's most successful VISA Card continues extraordinary expansion

translated from the original press release in German only

10.01.05

The new year marks a new record for the the Miles & More credit card in Germany. LH VISA has reached 300,000 customers since the 1999 launch. Cardholders are rewarded in various ways: one Euro spent brings one Miles & More mile, as well as credit card functionality, rental car insurance, and travel cancellation insurance.

The card is used in Germany five times more often than other cards. They represent 20% of all billing volume of VISA in Germany, and are the most successful credit card on the German market. International distribution is also on the rise. More than 70.000 mileage-earning LH VISA cards have been issued in Austria, Switzerland, Italy, USA, Great Britain, Poland, the Netherlands, and Japan. International expansion set to continue in 2005.

POH

That's amazing! I had the impression that the LH Visa was a small, widely unknown Visa option... Perhaps it is in the US.

Grog

I think it also highlights just how few (and how rarely) Germans use credit cards.

Counsellor

I agree.

I am still amazed at how few places accept credit cards in Germany. Not even all hotels do, large retailers like IKEA don't (unless they have begun recently), and you'll seldom find a grocery/supermarket, gas station, shop, or small restaurant that does (although more and more restaurants in larger cities are beginning to do so).

Germans are much more likely to use their EC (formerly EuroCard, now sometimes called "ElectronicCash") card, a direct debit card against bank accounts. It's an evolution of the "check guarantee" card from pre-Euro days, which a traveler could show when he was away from his local area that would allow him to cash a personal check up to a limited amount.

Kranich

Hello,

All major gas stations in Germany are accepting credit cards in Germany.

EC was in the past the abreviation for Euro cheque.

I still agree not enough place are accepting credit cards in Germany.

Greetings from Michigan,

zerbib

One has to remember that all LH Visa card holders bill their LH or other flight tickets using their LH visa card. Hence the large number!! It is still true that in Germany VISA as well as AX are not widely accepted. IKEA is one if them, a lot of restaurants and so on. Therefore it is not surprising that LH visa has a large perc. of volume and market share. Most of us who owns a LH Visa are international travellers and use their cards for all transactions. That does not represent the EC volume transacted in Germany. That in itself represent less than 0.01% of volume. this is a marketing pitch!!

Knut34

Not true. Everybody in my company bills travel (flights & hotels) on their Corporate AMEX. There is no Corporate LH VISA and hence they lose a lot of those high volume transactions from corporate travelers.

However I still believe that LH VISA has a very attractive customer base. The average German spends between �1k and �2k a YEAR on his Credit card (mostly with a few high volume transactions). Most LH VISA users I know have this kind of volume in a month.

tcswede

Same goes for us in our company group with Amex - as the LH kick back is directly linked to these cards.

Cheers

Thomas

zerbib

I can understand it when you book a business flight with your company, it goes on the Amex. But do remember that not everybody has Amex with their businesses. BTW I am not speaking just for myself, but I am sure when you book a flight ( leisure) you use your LH VISA card. Most people you read these notes here, have probably over �1k per month on their visas. I also found out that the Amex kick backs are worth no more than 7% per annum!!

Knut34

Thats what I said. However on average I spend about 5x more with my AMEX even though I use the LH VISA whenever I can.

I think TCSwede is talking about LH kickbacks not AMEX.

oliver2002

All gas stations with an affillation (BP/Aral, Shell, etc) accept credit cards. The big supermarket chains (Real, Walmart etc) accept credit cards. The reason why small establishments take debit (EC) but not credit card is the lower commision they have to pay the banks. Debit card commsion and cash handling costs in germany are about the same. Amex charges horrendous commsion, making evryone avoid them.

Skystar

300,000 cardholders in a country of over 80,000,000 seems like nothing.

zerbib

And how many hold a direct debit card? Since there are no credit card available in Germany like you can freely use then in teh US or UK for credits, then the use is exactly the same as an EC card. At the end of the day, only LH visa has made somewhat of an impact in the card industry, thanks to Bayerische Landesbank! and not to mention that you still have to pay for the card... Check out who facilitates payments for the FIFA World cup tickets this year... only with Mastercard!!!!

Knut34

[QUOTE=zerbib] Since there are no credit card available in Germany like you can freely use then in teh US or UK for credits, then the use is exactly the same as an EC card. [QUOTE]

No credit cards? AFAIK most cardcompanies in Germany offer a revolving credit option, but customers (rightfully) do not go for it.

mith

?? is it true, that you only need to be without a LH visa card for 6 month and then when you apply again, a refferer can get 10k miles and i will get 3k miles? i dont like the word "Neukunden" at the place where they mention you have to have been away for 6 months
anyone tried succesfully