DKB Girokonto

DKB Girokonto at a Glance

DKB's (Deutsche Kreditbank) current account is a purely online account with no branch network of its own. According to its stated target group, it is aimed at a very broad customer base: employees, minors, students, apprentices, retirees and even unemployed people. Contact with the bank runs exclusively through online banking and the app.

Account Maintenance Fee

The account is free if at least EUR 700 is credited to it each month, for customers under 28, or if the account was already opened before 14 September 2022. Anyone who doesn't meet these conditions pays EUR 4.50 a month for a first account, or EUR 2.50 a month for an additional account. So anyone not routing a regular income of at least EUR 700 through the account should budget for the monthly fee.

New-Customer Bonus — Two Stages, Several Conditions

DKB advertises a bonus of up to EUR 200, split into two separate building blocks tied to different products and deadlines:

• EUR 150 for the current account: requires applying for the first current account by 15 September 2026. After that, at least two consecutive months with at least EUR 1,000 in incoming payments each must be shown by 30 November 2026 at the latest, and consent to marketing communications (an extra box to tick under consents) is also required.
• An extra EUR 50 for the savings ("Tagesgeld") account: this requires additionally opening a Tagesgeld account by 30 September 2026 and transferring at least EUR 2,500 into it by 1 October 2026; that amount must then remain in the account for at least 60 days.

So the full EUR 200 bonus is not a simple "account-opening bonus" — it requires two different products, several deadlines and a marketing opt-in. Anyone who only opens the current account without also opening a Tagesgeld account gets a maximum of EUR 150; missing one of the deadlines can mean less, or nothing at all.

Cards

The Visa debit card is included in the account price. Customers who want a credit card pay EUR 2.49 a month for the Visa credit card, and a physical Girokarte costs EUR 0.99 a month.

ATM Fees

Customers with so-called "active status" (i.e. those who meet the conditions for free account maintenance) can withdraw cash almost worldwide free of charge. Without active status, withdrawals within the eurozone remain free at most ATMs.

Overdraft Interest

According to the data available, DKB charges the same rate of 8.51% per year for both arranged and unarranged overdrafts — a comparatively low and easy-to-remember figure.

Security and App

Deposits are protected up to EUR 100,000 via the Entschädigungseinrichtung des Bundesverbandes Öffentlicher Banken Deutschlands GmbH. The app offers individual security settings by card and country, photo-based transfers, push notifications for account and card activity, and the option to lock cards temporarily or permanently. A switching service is also available.

Who Is the DKB Girokonto For?

The broad target group — from minors to students and employees to retirees and the unemployed — shows that DKB is not aiming at a single customer segment. The account is particularly attractive for anyone who either regularly receives at least EUR 700 in salary or comparable payments (making it permanently free) or is under 28. Anyone who needs branch banking or phone customer service is in the wrong place at DKB, a pure direct bank.

Opening an Account

The account is opened entirely online, usually including video identification; visiting a branch is not possible at DKB, since it has none.

Pros and Cons

Verdict

DKB's Girokonto stands out with an attractive set of conditions for free account maintenance, cheap card options and a well-known new-customer bonus. Anyone who wants to collect the full EUR 200, however, also has to open a Tagesgeld account and keep track of several deadlines — for anyone who wanted an interest-bearing digital second account anyway, that's a fair deal, but realistically most people will only end up with the EUR 150 block.