Personal accounts in Germany

✓ Pros

• ✓Cheaper account maintenance with €1,000+ monthly incoming payments (€5.90/month)
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at Cash Group ATMs
• ✓Postbank Mastercard free in the first year
• ✓Three free "Pockets" sub-accounts with their own IBAN
• ✓Full access via online, phone, branch and app banking

✕ Cons

• ✕Fee rises to €6.90/month without sufficient incoming payments
• ✕No standing sign-up bonus visible for opening the account itself
• ✕Mastercard becomes chargeable from year two (€29/€59 a year)
• ✕ATM fees abroad are not documented

✓ 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

• ✓Very low, uniform overdraft rate of 7.39% p.a.
• ✓Effectively uncapped deposit protection via BVR institutional protection
• ✓Full access via online, phone, branch and app banking
• ✓Broad target audience including students, apprentices and retirees
• ✓Switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕Fixed account maintenance fee of €4.15/month with no visible waiver
• ✕No sign-up bonus listed
• ✕No information available on card and ATM fees
• ✕No details documented on app features

✓ 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

• ✓€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

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account maintenance with regular salary or pension income
• ✓0% interest on a tolerated overdraft
• ✓Free cash withdrawals at around 2,800 CashPool and Sparda ATMs
• ✓Comprehensive deposit protection via BVR Institutssicherung with no cap

✕ Cons

• ✕€5 per month without regular salary or pension income
• ✕No new-customer bonus
• ✕13.99% p.a. on an arranged overdraft
• ✕Physical girocard (€15/year) and credit card (€30/year) optional and chargeable

✓ Pros

• ✓Free account management for customers under 30 or with ≥€500 monthly incoming payments
• ✓Free debit card and optional free credit card
• ✓Worldwide fee-free cash withdrawals from €50
• ✓Automated account-switching service included

✕ Cons

• ✕€120 bonus only with a simultaneous savings account and several further conditions
• ✕€3.90 quarterly fee outside the fee-waiver conditions
• ✕App features not documented in detail on the offer page
• ✕Bonus payout delayed by several months

✓ 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

• ✓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

• ✓Free account management under achievable conditions (under 21 or ≥€500 monthly incoming payments)
• ✓Free Visa debit card plus free virtual card
• ✓Currently 3.1% starter interest for 90 days on the savings sub-account
• ✓Two sub-accounts and real-time notifications in the app

✕ Cons

• ✕No online banking or phone support, app only
• ✕2% foreign-currency fee outside the eurozone
• ✕Only one free cash withdrawal per month
• ✕Worldwide fee-free payments only included in tiers above Now

✓ 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

• ✓Free account management with salary inflow from €600/month
• ✓Visa debit card included free of charge, credit card optional
• ✓Free worldwide cash withdrawals with Gratis-Cash
• ✓Branch, phone, online banking, and app combined
• ✓Account-switching service available

✕ Cons

• ✕€3.95/month fee without sufficient inflow
• ✕No account-opening bonus
• ✕Domestic third-party ATMs may charge a fee

✓ 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
• ✓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

• ✓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

• ✓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

• ✓EUR 150 bonus for new customers with salary inflow
• ✓Around 7,000 free Cash Group ATMs
• ✓App with BestSign, cash code and digital sub-accounts
• ✓Free account-switching service
• ✓Permanently fee-free for pupils, students and apprentices

✕ Cons

• ✕Free only from EUR 900 monthly incoming payments, otherwise EUR 5.90/month
• ✕Bonus requires at least EUR 500 in incoming payments the following month
• ✕Credit card carries a EUR 29 annual fee
• ✕No stated fee for withdrawals abroad

✓ Pros

• ✓EUR 150 bonus (EUR 100 credit + EUR 50 environmental donation)
• ✓Free account management in the first year
• ✓Mastercard with unlimited free withdrawals in Germany, the EU and the EEA
• ✓Explicitly ecological, community-oriented business model

✕ Cons

• ✕EUR 4.90 monthly account fee from year two onward
• ✕Only EUR 100 of the EUR 150 bonus lands as own credit
• ✕No account-switching service
• ✕No branches available

✓ Pros

• ✓EUR 250 bonus for customers who fully switch their account
• ✓Free account management with no minimum incoming payment, per the offer page
• ✓0.20% interest on balance in the first year for new customers
• ✓Fee-free Visa debit card and Girocard

✕ Cons

• ✕Bonus requires an active account switch with at least four payment partners
• ✕Only six free withdrawals abroad per month
• ✕Optional credit card normally carries a EUR 24 annual fee
• ✕Promotional window for opening ends 31 August 2026