Maestro was Mastercard's debit brand, but new issuance in Europe stopped in July 2023, and the market is shifting to Debit Mastercard. This page treats Maestro not as a primary option but as a supplementary method for existing cardholders.
In Germany, the Maestro badge co-issued with girocard has long served as a gateway for overseas and online payments. However, since Mastercard halted new issuance in Europe in July 2023, Maestro cards in circulation are being replaced with Debit Mastercard and other brands as they expire, and their share of payments is expected to gradually decline.
Rather than designing a standalone Maestro integration, it is more appropriate to simply confirm that Maestro is included in your international card acceptance setup. This is best viewed as a supplementary measure to prevent payment failures for German customers who still use existing cards.
When an existing Maestro cardholder pays online, it is processed as a card transaction, and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) under PSD2 is satisfied through 3DS-based authentication. The approved euro (EUR) amount is received by Hecto Financial and then proceeds through the settlement process.
Whether Maestro can be accepted depends on your card acceptance configuration (acquiring scope), so it is recommended to check this together with the successor brand, Debit Mastercard, and other transitioned brands.
※ This section describes the general support process and does not guarantee that any specific merchant can actually integrate this method. Please confirm the exact scope of support and fees through consultation.
Confirm contract eligibility for Korea-based merchants
The integration method and priority differ depending on your online sales channel mix, such as your own storefront, open marketplaces, or mobile apps
Advance confirmation is needed to check whether your category falls under Maestro's restricted merchant policies
Confirm compliance with EU payment regulations such as PSD2 and SEPA (see official sources below)
Approved and acquired euro (EUR) amounts are received by Hecto Financial, converted, and settled to the Korea-based merchant in whichever of USD, KRW, or JPY was selected in the contract.
Refunds follow standard card rules such as original transaction cancellation and partial refunds, and note that German consumers may be entitled to a 14-day right of withdrawal.
The Hecto Financial team will work with you to review the right combination of payment methods for the German market.
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