Girokonto Extra

comdirect Girokonto Extra: free account with a welcome bonus

comdirect's Girokonto Extra, part of the Commerzbank group, is a free online checking account advertised with a €150 welcome bonus. It targets employees, apprentices, students, and retirees who handle their banking mainly online, by phone, or via app - comdirect does not offer a branch for this account.

Account fee

According to the source data, account management is permanently free, with no monthly minimum inflow required.

The €150 bonus and its conditions

The €150 bonus is tied to two conditions, both of which must be met. First, during account opening you must consent to receiving promotional information from Commerzbank AG by email - this consent may not be revoked before the bonus is paid out. Second, at least €700 must be credited to the new account in at least two of the first four months after opening, for example as salary, pension, or BAföG (German student grant). In practice: anyone who routes their regular income to the new account for any two months within the first quarter receives the bonus - a realistic but not trivial hurdle, since it requires an actual switch of income, not just a one-off deposit. Revoking the marketing consent early forfeits the bonus claim.

Card, overdraft rate, and usage

Both a credit card and a debit card are included with the account as fixed, non-optional components. The rate for the arranged overdraft - the limit agreed with the bank in advance - is 8.9% per quarter. If the account is overdrawn beyond that (tolerated overdraft), comdirect charges 13.4% per year, a noticeably higher effective rate for the unplanned portion of the overdraft. The account can be managed online, by phone, and via app; a switching service automatically transfers standing orders and direct debits from your previous bank.

Deposit protection

Deposits are protected up to €100,000 at 100% via the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken GmbH - Germany's statutory standard, regardless of comdirect being a brand within the Commerzbank group.

Who is this account for

The Girokonto Extra best suits employees, apprentices, students, and retirees with a regular income who are willing to redirect their salary or pension to the new account for at least two months to earn the bonus, and who don't need a branch. Since account management stays permanently free regardless of the bonus, the account also works for anyone happy to skip the €150 and simply wants a fee-free secondary or main account.

Opening the account

The account is opened online; the switching service eases the move of existing payment data from your old bank.

Pros and cons

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

• Bonus requires non-revocable marketing consent
• At least two months with €700 inflow required
• No branch, only online, phone, and app

Verdict

The comdirect Girokonto Extra is a free online checking account with a fairly attainable €150 bonus, tied to marketing consent and a genuine income inflow. For anyone who already banks online or via app and can redirect their income, the bonus is a manageable extra reward - anyone who doesn't want promotional emails should weigh the condition carefully beforehand.