Paysafecard is a prepaid voucher system sold at thousands of German retailers — petrol stations, supermarkets, kiosks and tobacco shops. It is one of the few ways to buy Bitcoin in Germany without a bank account or credit card, paying entirely with cash-funded vouchers.
| Platform | Paysafecard Fee | Processing Time | Min. Amount | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CEX.IO Top Pick | Free via SEPA | 1–3 days SEPA | €20 | Buy Now |
| Cryptomate | 5–8% | Instant | €10 | Visit |
| Bitit | 6.9% | Instant | €10 | Visit |
| Paxful (P2P) | Varies by seller | Minutes | €10 | Visit |
Note: Paysafecard is not accepted by most large centralised exchanges. CEX.IO is listed as the top pick for its SEPA alternative — if you have a bank account, SEPA is far cheaper. Paysafecard is primarily useful for those without banking access.
Paysafecard is an Austrian-developed prepaid payment system now owned by Paysafe Group and distributed across Germany through a network of over 25,000 retail outlets. Vouchers are sold in denominations of €10, €25, €50, and €100 and carry a unique 16-digit PIN. They can be used for online purchases without any bank account, credit card, or personal data beyond an email address at basic purchase levels.
Paysafecard's terms of service explicitly prohibit using it for gambling and cryptocurrency purchases on most standard vouchers. Additionally, major crypto exchanges avoid Paysafecard due to the high chargeback and fraud risk associated with prepaid vouchers — once crypto is delivered, there is no way to reverse the transaction if a voucher is disputed. As a result, most reputable BaFin-licensed exchanges do not accept Paysafecard directly.
Where Paysafecard does work for crypto is on smaller specialist platforms (Bitit, Cryptomate) and peer-to-peer marketplaces (Paxful), where individual sellers accept it — typically at a significant premium of 10–20% above market price to compensate for the fraud risk they assume.
Paysafecard offers a free "my paysafecard" digital account that allows you to consolidate multiple vouchers into a single balance and make online payments. For crypto purchases via P2P platforms, having a my paysafecard account gives you more flexibility and a small degree of transaction history. However, creating this account requires an email address and, for higher limits, identity verification.
The real cost of buying Bitcoin with Paysafecard in Germany is typically 10–20% above market price when all fees and P2P seller premiums are included. Specialist platforms charge 5–8% processing fees on top of their exchange rate spread. For comparison, SEPA transfer to CEX.IO is free. Unless you have absolutely no access to a bank account, Paysafecard is not a cost-effective route for crypto purchases.
Both are viable for the unbanked. Bitcoin ATMs charge 5–10% fees and are available in most German cities. Paysafecard via P2P typically costs 10–20% more than market but can be done entirely online. If you're near a Bitcoin ATM, it usually offers better value than Paysafecard for crypto purchases.
Visit a Rewe, Edeka, petrol station, or kiosk and ask for a Paysafecard in your desired denomination (€10, €25, €50 or €100). Pay with cash. You receive a receipt with the 16-digit PIN — keep it safe and do not photograph it in public.
Register on Bitit or create a Paxful account. For Paxful, search for sellers accepting Paysafecard in EUR. Read seller reviews carefully and choose sellers with high transaction counts and positive ratings.
On a specialist site like Bitit, enter your Paysafecard PIN in the payment field. On P2P platforms like Paxful, open a trade with your chosen seller and share the PIN in the escrow-protected chat once the seller confirms they are ready.
On specialist platforms, Bitcoin is sent to your provided wallet address within minutes of PIN validation. On P2P platforms, the seller releases Bitcoin from escrow after verifying the Paysafecard PIN is valid and unused.
Have a bank account? Save 10–15% with free SEPA on CEX.IO instead:
Buy on CEX.IO via SEPA →