Personal accounts in Germany

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free with at least EUR 700 in monthly incoming payments
• ✓Up to EUR 200 new-customer bonus possible
• ✓Low, flat overdraft rate of 8.51% per year
• ✓Free Visa debit card included
• ✓Very broad target group, suitable for minors and retirees too

✕ Cons

• ✕Full EUR 200 bonus only reachable with an additional Tagesgeld account and several deadlines
• ✕EUR 4.50 monthly account fee without EUR 700 in incoming payments or being under 28
• ✕No branch or phone banking, online/app only
• ✕Visa credit card costs an extra EUR 2.49 a month

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management with €700 inflow or under age 28
• ✓Up to €200 new-customer bonus in two stages
• ✓Visa debit cards free for both account holders
• ✓Free worldwide withdrawals with active status

✕ Cons

• ✕€4.50/month fee without the fee-waiver condition met
• ✕Bonus requires multiple deadlines and an extra savings account
• ✕2.20% fee on foreign-currency withdrawals without active status

✓ Pros

• ✓Free debit card with Mastercard functionality
• ✓Fee-free cash withdrawals worldwide at partner banks in over 30 countries
• ✓Dense fee-free domestic ATM network (Cash Group plus retail chains)
• ✓EUR 200 welcome bonus for new customers (time-limited, achievable conditions)
• ✓Full access via branch, phone, online and app

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 6.90 monthly account fee, no waiver option listed
• ✕Bonus requires EUR 600 in incoming payments and a 12-month account commitment
• ✕Mastercard Gold costs an extra EUR 82 a year
• ✕High interest rate on unarranged overdrafts (14.05% per year)

✓ Pros

• ✓€200 sign-up bonus for new customers (subject to conditions)
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at roughly 7,000 Cash Group ATMs
• ✓Fee-free withdrawals abroad at Deutsche Bank Group ATMs
• ✓Full access via online, phone, branch and app banking
• ✓Mobile payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Wallet

✕ Cons

• ✕€6.90/month with no visible way to get free account maintenance
• ✕Bonus requires a 12-month account commitment
• ✕Optional Mastercard Gold costs an extra €82/year
• ✕Comparatively high rate on tolerated overdraft (14.05% p.a.)

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management with 700 euros in monthly income or under age 31
• ✓Free debit card and free basic credit card
• ✓Worldwide free withdrawals with the Credit Card Gold Light
• ✓Automatic round-up saving in the app

✕ Cons

• ✕4 euro account fee without sufficient incoming payments
• ✕2.10% fee on foreign-currency or non-EEA withdrawals
• ✕Current switching bonus not listed on the account page

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management
• ✓Credit card and debit card both included as standard
• ✓Very broad target group, including freelancers and the self-employed
• ✓Automated account-switching service included

✕ Cons

• ✕No telephone customer service listed
• ✕Deposit protection runs through the French rather than German scheme
• ✕No new-customer bonus available
• ✕Tolerated overdraft at 9.65% p.a. is not cheap

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management
• ✓Visa Card Gold included at no extra cost
• ✓Very broad target group, including freelancers and self-employed
• ✓Online, phone, and app banking available

✕ Cons

• ✕No account-switching service
• ✕No account-opening bonus
• ✕No branch

✓ Pros

• ✓Nationwide branch network with personal advice
• ✓Up to 200 euros new-customer bonus available
• ✓Free Girocard with Visa functionality
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at many supermarkets too
• ✓Modern app with multibanking and biometric login

✕ Cons

• ✕4.90 euro account fee unless you hold 50,000 euros in assets with the bank
• ✕Welcome bonus requires several months of account activity
• ✕3.90 euros per paper-based transfer or cheque
• ✕No information on foreign ATM fees

✓ Pros

• ✓€100 sign-up bonus for new customers, up to €200 with referral bonus
• ✓Account maintenance free for the first 3 months
• ✓Permanently free maintenance with €50,000+ in assets
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at Commerzbank, Cash Group and many retail partners
• ✓Feature-rich app with spending analysis, account alerts and chat

✕ Cons

• ✕Account costs €4.90/month without €50,000 in assets
• ✕Bonus requires 3 months of active use with minimum bookings
• ✕Consent to marketing communications required for the full bonus
• ✕Optional credit card comes with an extra fee

✓ Pros

• ✓Free for 12 months under the current opening promotion
• ✓150 euro new-customer bonus
• ✓Visa credit card included in the account
• ✓Instant-access savings account with 1.75% interest included
• ✓5 free worldwide cash withdrawals per month

✕ Cons

• ✕2.90 euro monthly fee once the promotional period ends
• ✕No travel insurance package (only included in Girokonto Plus)
• ✕Girocard only available as an optional 1 euro/month add-on
• ✕Exact bonus conditions not detailed on the product page

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management
• ✓Credit card included as standard
• ✓Full access via online, phone, and app
• ✓Automated account-switching service included

✕ Cons

• ✕€100 bonus requires marketing consent and at least five €25+ transactions within three months
• ✕The stated bonus application deadline had already passed at the time of this review
• ✕Tolerated overdraft at 13.4% p.a. is comparatively expensive
• ✕Target group doesn't explicitly include freelancers or the self-employed

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management
• ✓€150 welcome bonus with salary or pension inflow
• ✓Credit card and debit card included
• ✓Account-switching service available
• ✓App and phone banking available

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus requires non-revocable marketing consent
• ✕At least two months with €700 inflow required
• ✕No branch

✓ Pros

• ✓Permanently free account management
• ✓€25 starting credit with no minimum inflow required
• ✓Fee-free online transactions
• ✓Account-switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus tied to a short application deadline (by 8 September 2026)
• ✕No credit card, debit card only
• ✕No branch

✓ Pros

• ✓Deposit protection up to EUR 250,000 instead of the statutory EUR 100,000
• ✓Unlimited free online transactions
• ✓Debit and credit card fixed into the package
• ✓Broad target group, including freelancers and self-employed people

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 75 bonus requires closing the old account within 90 days
• ✕Noticeable jump between arranged (7.49%) and unarranged overdraft (11.49%)
• ✕No phone or branch access
• ✕EUR 7.50 annual fee, so not fully free

✓ Pros

• ✓0% interest on unauthorised overdraft
• ✓Credit card included in the account package
• ✓Deposit protection up to €100,000
• ✓Open to almost every customer group, including students and retirees

✕ Cons

• ✕Fixed annual fee of €47.88 with no apparent waiver option
• ✕No new-customer bonus
• ✕Deposit protection runs through a Dutch, not German, scheme
• ✕No branch or phone advice, online/app only

✓ Pros

• ✓Account management free with no apparent minimum conditions
• ✓Very broad target group, explicitly including freelancers and the self-employed
• ✓0% interest on the tolerated overdraft
• ✓Automated account-switching service included

✕ Cons

• ✕No new-customer bonus available
• ✕No telephone customer service listed
• ✕Deposit protection runs through the Dutch rather than German scheme
• ✕No information on arranged-overdraft terms

✓ Pros

• ✓App-based account with fully digital account management
• ✓Deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 via the Dutch guarantee scheme
• ✓Broad target group — from students to the self-employed
• ✓Credit card available as an optional add-on

✕ Cons

• ✕Comparatively high annual fee of EUR 227.88
• ✕No data available on transaction or foreign fees
• ✕No account-switching service
• ✕No new-customer bonus available

✓ Pros

• ✓Cheaper alternative to bunq Elite at around EUR 10/month
• ✓App-based account with fully digital account management
• ✓Deposit protection up to EUR 100,000 via the Dutch guarantee scheme
• ✓Broad target group — from students to the self-employed

✕ Cons

• ✕Still a paid account, no free tier
• ✕No data available on transaction or foreign fees
• ✕No account-switching service
• ✕No new-customer bonus available

✓ Pros

• ✓€200 new-customer bonus when all conditions are met
• ✓Branch, phone, online and app all available in parallel
• ✓Account-switching service handles the bank change
• ✓Optional credit card alongside the debit card

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus only achievable after roughly seven months with continuous €700 monthly income
• ✕Debit interest on overdraft, at around 11.95% p.a., comparatively high
• ✕€47.40 annual fee with no apparent waiver condition
• ✕No information on card fees in the product data

✓ Pros

• ✓€200 new-customer bonus for opening a joint account
• ✓Branch, phone, online and app all available in parallel
• ✓Account-switching service handles the change
• ✓Bonus realistically achievable for households with regular income

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus promotion is time-limited (18 June to 15 September 2026)
• ✕Premium only achievable after roughly seven months with €700 monthly income
• ✕Overdraft debit interest around 12% p.a.
• ✕No information on card fees in the product data