Business accounts in Germany

✓ Pros

• ✓Usable from €0 for freelancers and sole traders
• ✓50 free online bookings per month
• ✓Free debit Mastercard with up to €30 cashback
• ✓Deposit protection above the statutory minimum standard
• ✓Cash deposits and withdrawals possible at up to 7,000 locations

✕ Cons

• ✕€6 per month for corporate entities such as a GmbH
• ✕€0.19 per booking from the 51st item onward
• ✕Paper-based bookings cost €5 per item
• ✕Overdraft facility currently starts at 9.95%, higher than originally listed

✓ Pros

• ✓100 free online bookings per month
• ✓Digital accounting and e-invoicing already included in the tariff
• ✓Up to 10 German IBANs possible within one account
• ✓30-day free trial period for new customers

✕ Cons

• ✕No classic deposit protection, protected maximum amount €0
• ✕No phone service or branch, online and app only
• ✕No specific information on card products
• ✕€0.25 per booking from the 101st item onward

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance for sole proprietors
• ✓50 free online bookings per month
• ✓Free debit Mastercard with cashback option
• ✓Real-time transfers at no extra cost
• ✓Cash deposits and withdrawals at around 7,000 locations nationwide

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 0.19 per transaction from the 51st online booking onward
• ✕Offline/paper bookings cost a flat EUR 5 per transaction
• ✕A different, fee-based tariff from EUR 6/month applies to GmbH/UG
• ✕No welcome bonus

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with no minimum deposit
• ✓Online bookings are free throughout, according to the underlying data
• ✓Free debit Mastercard with no SCHUFA credit check
• ✓Five free SEPA transfers per month

✕ Cons

• ✕No specific fee stated for SEPA transfers beyond the free allowance
• ✕No reliable information available on deposit protection
• ✕No rate given for an arranged overdraft facility
• ✕No welcome bonus

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with no booking limit
• ✓Unlimited free bookings per month
• ✓Automatic calculation of income tax and VAT built in
• ✓Physical card plus Apple Pay and Google Pay included
• ✓Deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 at 100%

✕ Cons

• ✕1.35% fee for Tap-to-Pay payments with EEA cards
• ✕No figure given for the arranged overdraft rate
• ✕No welcome bonus
• ✕Clear focus on solo self-employed people, less on larger businesses

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with no monthly base fee
• ✓Unlimited number of virtual and physical Visa cards
• ✓Individual spending limits adjustable per card
• ✓API integration for a company's own systems
• ✓International availability across the EEA, UK, UAE, Singapore, USA and Canada

✕ Cons

• ✕No reliable information available on deposit protection
• ✕No figure given for the arranged overdraft rate
• ✕No welcome bonus
• ✕Detailed fee structure only viewable in the provider's separate pricing section

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with no monthly base fee
• ✓Online bookings are free throughout, according to the underlying data
• ✓Deposit protection in line with the EU directive, up to EUR 100,000 at 100%
• ✓Physical card plus an additional card included in the price

✕ Cons

• ✕No figure given for the arranged overdraft rate
• ✕No welcome bonus
• ✕No phone channel mentioned for account management
• ✕Only limited product-specific additional information publicly available

✓ Pros

• ✓Free in year one, including a debit card
• ✓75 free online booking entries per month
• ✓Wide eligibility: freelancers to GmbH & Co. KG
• ✓Free first-year extras (website, accounting, DATEV, insurance check)
• ✓Cash deposit/withdrawal at ~7,000 locations

✕ Cons

• ✕€10/month fee from year two onward
• ✕Only for businesses founded within the last 365 days
• ✕€4 per paper-based booking entry
• ✕Overdraft interest rate unconfirmed on provider site

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management, per the provider
• ✓Unlimited, free SEPA transfers
• ✓Free virtual and physical card
• ✓Cashback of up to 2% in selected categories
• ✓4% p.a. balance interest for the first four months

✕ Cons

• ✕No deposit protection, since Vivid is not a bank
• ✕Outgoing SWIFT transfers not available
• ✕Balance interest drops to 0.5% p.a. after 4 months
• ✕Overdraft interest rate unconfirmed on provider site

✓ Pros

• ✓Five free SWIFT transfers per month
• ✓Cashback of up to 4% in selected categories
• ✓2.5% p.a. balance interest after the initial phase
• ✓Free virtual and physical card
• ✓Two months free with annual payment

✕ Cons

• ✕€6.90/month account fee
• ✕No deposit protection, since Vivid is not a bank
• ✕€5 per SWIFT transfer from the sixth one in a month
• ✕Overdraft interest rate unconfirmed on provider site