I always wondered why the US is so opposed to direct debit? It is so much easier and safer than credit cards or sending cheques by mail.
The problem is that the rest of the world standardizes on credit cards. You cannot book a hotel or a conference without it. This is probably the only reason, why germans adopt credit cards: International travel.
Technically, you can. In practice, it's a different story.
The reservation won't be guaranteed, that is, you have to be there before a certain hour for your guarantee to work. After that, if a customer walked in and asked for a room, sorry.
Now try renting a car in the US without a credit card.
The problem is that the rest of the world standardizes on credit cards. You cannot book a hotel or a conference without it. This is probably the only reason, why germans adopt credit cards: International travel.