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Read on to find out more on what to look for with current accounts in Germany, the features and fees these accounts come with as well as how to open an account.
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A current account is a simple deposit product that holds your money, allowing you to manage your spending day-to-day. German bank accounts are offered by banks, credit unions, building societies or other financial institutions. You can get your salary or wages deposited into your bank account directly by your employer, which you can access whenever you want by withdrawing the cash from an ATM, making EFTPOS purchases with the linked debit card or paying your bills. Some current accounts offer cashback on spending, and many typically come with an overdraft facility.
When starting your bank account comparison, consider the following features to make sure you choose the right bank account for you.
Check to see if you’ll be charged on a monthly or annual basis for using an account. Look for a current account that charges no or low monthly account maintenance fees. Or, if there is an account maintenance fee, you can often get the fee waived by depositing a certain amount of money into the account each month.
If the account does require your to meet a monthly deposit requirement, make sure it’s an amount that you can easily meet each month.
Will you be charged an ATM withdrawal fee to access your cash? Don’t forget to check the overseas ATM withdrawal fee, too, as this can be quite high with some bank accounts.
If you travel a lot or regularly shop online from overseas retailers, check the international transaction fees when comparing bank accounts. Some bank accounts don’t charge an international transaction fee at all, and others will waive this fee if you meet certain deposit conditions. Sending or receiving money in a currency other than euros can be expensive with a standard current account.
If you want to link a savings account to your bank account with the same bank, check what interest rate you can earn with the savings account. If you’re trying to save money, the more interest you can earn on your savings account, the better.
If you want to make contactless purchases with your phone, check that the bank account supports Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.
If you’re looking for a bank account that you can share with another person (for example your partner), make sure you check if the account can be opened as a joint account.
You can open a new bank account online in a matter of minutes. Here’s how to open a bank account in 5 steps:
In addition to the account fees listed above, keep an eye out for:
Digital banks do not have physical branches, with all transactions, account opening, card ordering and communication done completely online or through an app. They are often useful for people who travel a lot or who receive and send money in different currencies and want as little fees as possible.
Finance apps and digital banks can also be licenced differently. They can be licenced as a bank, meaning they can take deposits and your funds are protected, or they can be licenced as electronic money institutions and payment institutions. If they are licenced as either of the last two, your funds will not be protected in the same way it is with a bank.
Generally speaking, most payments made in Germany – including contactless payments and online purchases – will be free from additional charges. As long as you don’t fall into an overdraft that hasn’t been agreed with the bank, then you won’t typically be charged for using your current account.
If your bank goes bust, your money is safe up to €100,000 thanks to Germany’s statutory deposit insurance scheme, which gives you government-backed protection when you bank. This applies if you’re with a traditional bank, a digital bank, a building society or a credit union.
Alison Banney is the banking and investments editor at Finder. She has written about finance for over six years, with her work featured on sites including Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Dynamic Business. She has previously worked at Westpac, and has written for several other major banks including BCU, Greater Bank and Gateway Credit Union. Alison has a Bachelor of Communications from Newcastle University, with a double major in Journalism and Public Relations. She has ASIC RG146 compliance certificates for Financial Advice, Securities and Managed Investments and Superannuation. Outside of Finder, you’ll likely find her somewhere near the ocean.
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