In Germany you can pay pretty much everywhere with your credit card or bank card (if that is the right term, EC Electronic Cash is the magical word here). You have to put it into the reading device and enter your PIN.
I don't know what other things your friend is missing here so it would be good to have more examples.
I have been to other countries in Europe, the US and Australia and didn't see much difference in every day technology.
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Putting Germ back into Germany. 
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