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Sparkasse Warns: Failure to Act May Prevent Online Payments

Sparkasse Changes Authorization for Credit Card Payments
Sparkasse Changes Credit Card Payment Approvals Photo: Getty Images
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Rita Deutschbein
Managing Editor

May 8, 2026, 7:31 pm | Read time: 2 minutes

After the Sparkasse discontinued the online service S-Trust at the end of March, the bank is making changes to another service. The app S-ID-Check, previously used for online credit card payments, is also being discontinued. Those who wish to continue using their credit card online must take action and switch to a new procedure.

The “S-ID-Check” app was used to authorize credit card payments online. Since mid-January 2026, it has no longer been possible to register new credit cards in the application. Customers who had already registered their card can continue to use the service until the end of 2026. However, starting in 2027, usage will no longer be possible.

Sparkasse strongly advises its customers not to delay the switch. Those who do not switch in time will no longer be able to confirm online payments with their credit card.

Switch to S-pushTAN App

In the future, credit card payments will be authorized through the new 3D Secure procedure in conjunction with the S-pushTAN app. 3D Secure is a security procedure for the clear identification of the cardholder during online payments. It is operated by Visa under the name Visa Secure and by Mastercard as Mastercard Identity Check.

The new procedure can be activated directly in Sparkasse’s online banking. How the setup works specifically depends on which TAN procedure customers are already using. Those who continue to use the chip TAN procedure for transfers can keep it. In this case, the S-pushTAN app will be used exclusively for credit card payments. Sparkasse provides instructions on its website for both options.

By consolidating functions in the S-pushTAN app, Sparkasse aims to simplify security processes and reduce the number of required applications. For credit card customers, however, this means an active switch is necessary to continue making online payments without restrictions.

Further Changes in Digital Services

The discontinuation of S-ID-Check is not the only change. As mentioned at the beginning and described in detail in another report, Sparkasse also ended its online storage S-Trust at the end of March 2026. The integrated password manager was also shut down. Since March 31, 2026, access to the stored data is no longer possible. Affected customers had to secure their content in time and switch to an alternative provider.

This article is a machine translation of the original German version of TECHBOOK and has been reviewed for accuracy and quality by a native speaker. For feedback, please contact us at info@techbook.de.

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