Munich – German financial trade magazine magazine Focus-Money has awarded the Payback Maestro card the title of “Best Customer Card”. The editorial team tested every card with a payment facility that is currently offered by a German multi-partner scheme. During this process, the Payback Maestro card went up against the MasterCards offered by DeutschlandCard, HappyDigits and Karstadt Quelle Bank. And Germany's largest bonus programme came out on top as the clear winner: The Payback Maestro card gives users the best opportunity to make savings, has the lowest fees, boasts an extensive network of partner companies and achieves the highest security standards. The overall winner was also popular because, unlike its rivals, there is no annual fee for the card in the second year, nor in any year after that, and no charges whatsoever are levied for using it abroad. Moreover, Payback offers better conditions for cash withdrawals from ATMs than its competitors. But that's not all: Security is also a top priority for Payback. Online payments are conducted on the basis of a SecureCode process, which connects users directly to their bank online. All a user has to do is enter his personal SecureCode when paying so that the bank can identify him as the legal card owner. This ensures that all transactions are conducted securely. Another key criterion in the test was the large number of partner companies that offer bonus scheme customers benefits: Payback members can collect points from the majority of partners – some 230 companies on the high street and online – including Aral, real,-, dm-drogerie markt and Galeria Kaufhof. However, Payback customers benefit from additional advantages: They can withdraw the cash equivalent of the points they have collected. What's more, there is no limit to how long the points collected using the Payback Maestro card are valid. In contrast, points collected with rival cards have to be redeemed within 36 months.
The comparison carried out by Focus-Money was based on the following 15 criteria:
• Partners
• Outlets that accept the card
• Discounts
• Additional points (from non-partner companies)
• Annual fee
• Cash withdrawals
• Part payment (repayment in instalments)
• Interest on credit balance
• Value of points
• Fee for usage abroad
• Payout of points in cash
• Donation of credit balance
• Expiry of points
• Online payments and
• SecureCode (especially secure Internet payments).