Best [FREE] Credit Cards in Germany 💳

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#expats #germany #expatsingermany #lifeingermany #expattips
In this video, we round up the 4 best FREE credit cards in Germany. We talk about the pros and cons, as well as what you should watch out for 👀.
Please refer to our guide: www.simplegermany.com/best-fr... for the most up-to-date information. The credit card market changes fast.
💳 Hanseatic GenialCard:
No longer our partner - low acceptance for our viewers
💳 Barclays Visa:
No longer our partner - low acceptance for our viewers
💳 DKB-VISA-Card:
No longer offers a free credit card
Alternatives:
💳 TF Bank Mastercard Gold:
👉🏼 www.simplegermany.com/tfbank-yt/
💳 Advanzia Gebührenfrei Mastercard:
👉🏼 www.simplegermany.com/advanzi...
💳 PAYBACK American Express card:
👉🏼 www.simplegermany.com/amex-pa...
📣 These links are affiliate links. When you click on the links of products we mention and purchase them we will receive a small commission. It will not make any difference to you in price, however, it allows us to keep Simple Germany alive and striving.
✨ RELATED GUIDES:
Best PREPAID credit cards in Germany
👉🏼 bit.ly/3x95ht8
📼 RELATED VIDEOS:
Schufa:
👉🏼 • The Schufa in Germany ...
Unconventional Ways to Learn German:
👉🏼 • 3 UNCONVENTIONAL ways ...
⏰ Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
00:51 - Do I need a credit card in Germany?
03:30 - Types of credit cards in Germany
05:07 - Hanseatic GenialCard
10:47 - Barclaycard Visa
12:27 - DKB-VISA-Card - No longer offers a free credit card
16:56 - Advanzia Gebührenfrei Mastercard
21:23 - Conclusion
22:23 - Which free credit cards do we have?
📺 Subscribe to our channel if you want more information on life in Germany as an expat:
/ simplegermany
We know how frustrating and painful it might be to move to a new country, especially if you don't fully speak the language. That's why we created Simple Germany.
Simple Germany provides tips & information in English about living in Germany as an expat. We talk about services that are friendly and easy to use to beat German bureaucracy. We also cover the cultural aspects of living in Germany. All of this brought to you from the eyes of an expat and a German duo. We want to help you settle in Germany more smoothly.🍻
🍿 Visit our website for more in-depth information on life in Germany:
www.simplegermany.com/
☕️ 💜 If this video was helpful to you, and saved you time of research, please consider buying us a coffee as a small donation.
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Опубликовано:

7 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 149

@simplegermany 2 года назад

💡UPDATE: There is a new alternative free credit card which is great for foreigners as you can get it without a long credit history. It is offered by the TF Bank (www.simplegermany.com/tfbank-free/). For further details you can check out our website: www.simplegermany.com/best-free-credit-card-germany/

@nurimustafa3817 2 года назад

I just applied for TF Bank card instead of Hanseatic. Hanseatic requires previous address which I don't know as I am new in Germany. Previous address must be address in Germany and must not be equal to current address. But TF Bank did not require previous address, and card arrived in around 3-4 week days

@GenerationOfPeacemakers 2 года назад

Foreigners who are coming for 6 months, what is the best credit-card or debit card ? No fee at ATM or other benefits?

@ran1133 Год назад

@@GenerationOfPeacemakers I used Deutschebank Debit Card When i came just for 6 month as student. That was at 2016

@GenerationOfPeacemakers Год назад

@@ran1133 Thank you for the information.

@07U Год назад

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any credit card in Germany. I am here for one month now. I get rejected automatically by every company. Some of them told me that it is just because I am very new in Germany. Even the bank wants to see 3 payslips... TF as well sent me a "welcome" message, but later sent me an email saying that I can't yet be their customer... From your guide it sounds very easy to have a credit card :/ People should know that probably for the first 3 months, they must have other means to pay online.

@Mozart4000 3 года назад

I'm always suprised at how much effort you put into making the videos. Not always of a technical nature but of the content. Probably takes it many, many hours. Thanks.

@adityagujaria2598 3 года назад

Days if you add editing too.

@SpringLeafWolf 3 года назад

Yay!! It's here 😁 awww I appreciate you both so much ❤ thank you!

@stephanteuscher6583 2 года назад

Exactly my experience! I'm a frequent traveller and I had the Barclay card for a few years until the Barclays annoyed me. Since then I have the Hanseatic card and as a backup the Advanzia which is actually luxembourgian. Both work great in most cases. It can happen that the Hanseatic does not work with some older electronic devices like the greek tollgates and some dealers still use. In this case the Advanzia always worked for me. Good work, girls!

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Thanks so much for you comment! Yes, you are right about the Hanseatic not always working in older devices. That’s why it’s always good to have a backup 🙂

@AdegokeObasa 2 года назад

Thanks a lot for this video, it was very insightful for me.

@tradingakademi1557 2 года назад

awesome videos. appreciate the effort. keep it up!

@srs.shashank 2 года назад

Super Helpful!!

@abhishekhirve4608 3 года назад

Very useful information Thank you so much both of you.

@paolaguatibonza2316 2 года назад

I am new to your Channel and loving it so far! There is a lot of useful info, thank you very much for the effort you put and the well thought topics you choose. It made me feel a little overwhelmed though😅 hopefully I’ll get the hang of it soon.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Welcome! Yes, you will. Just take it step by step 😉

@virajgomez6298 3 года назад

Thank you for the informative video. Would it be possible to do a video on the various DB Bahn cards.

@garias1975 Год назад

Hello Jen and Yvonne. I love how you explain the topics in your videos. I was about to ask for another Credit Card Payback American Express, but after check the text of the video and the links, I found that you already have information about it and the Payback program. Thanks much for your information. About the 2% of comission for expenses out of euro-zone, it happens also with other cards, I have one VISA from Sparkasse Düsseldorf and they charge "1,75% für Währungsumrechnung" . I believe that cards without this comiisssion at the end charge its commission in the conversion rate.

@mezomoza7 Год назад

My favourites are: 1. Payback American Express 2. Amazon LBB + Amazon prime subscription = permenant 3% discount on Amazon Deutschland

@moniquevamado 2 года назад

Thank you!

@bmn6283 2 года назад

This is the most informative channel ever! Keep it up ladies you’re doing a good job. There’s so much my South African husband and I didn’t know until I discovered your channel. It’s so so so helpful

@ericpeter9137 2 года назад

Much love 😊😊😊😊

@ak_7973 3 года назад

20:45: Yes, this is absolutely right. I am using it and it is such a pain. I have to keep reminders not to forget payment. Also, the transfer to their bank account takes 3-4 days. I think you are wrong with the "ability to have positive balance", it is possible. I have done it twice.

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Ah Good to know! Thanks for the insight! 😊

@muclee 2 года назад

Nice video, thanks! I'm an expat in Germany. I wonder if travel insurance benefit is also a factor when you choose a German credit card. Or, just ignore it and buy a travel insurance separately.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

We do the later 😅

@shaktiray9370 Год назад

Thank you so much for the information. Does Barclays have any hidden fees, such as maintenance fees?

@simplegermany Год назад

The card itself is free, there only is the interest of you don’t pay back in time.

@LeandroFerrerColina Год назад

Guten Morgen Entschuldigung für eine kurze Frage, wie lange dauert es, die Karte und die PIN zu aktivieren, bis Sie die E-Mail erreichen?

@dejavujoyeriaybisuteria4568 Год назад

@simplegermany Thanks for doing this deep research! Another question I have, is there any (revolving) credit card that gives some rewards? I've been looking for one that can give me miles, cashback, etc, but I didn't find it so far. Maybe that's not a thing in Germany?

@simplegermany Год назад

Some credit card providers have some premium cards you can pay for to get points, miles, etc. However, the programs are not as popular or as big as in countries like the USA.

@insideAdirtyMind 3 года назад

I have a credit card, I used it in 2015 once.

@simplegermany 3 года назад

😅

@nomirrors3552 3 года назад

What about Debit Cards? I'm curious which cards are used to access money in your back account.

@simplegermany 3 года назад

In Germany the most common debit card is the so called girocard, also referred to as EC card or Maestro. These cards cannot be used for online payments. The neo mobile banks usually offer debit cards in form of a Mastercard, which can be used for online payments, however, they are not accepted in all shops in Germany, as some shops still only accept the girocard or cash.

@trendingtopper Год назад

Please make video om that do we always need to use credit cards to improve schufa score or we don't need to have credit cards? How else we can improve schufa score? What things can make our schufa nagetive.

@simplegermany Год назад

No, you don't improve your Schufa score by using credit cards. We have a video where we talk all about the Schufa: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-jjUQJcnTtOA.html. Or you can read our guide for more details: www.simplegermany.com/how-to-get-schufa/

@ravanpee1325 3 года назад

Why do you need a credit card? For traveling outside Europe 😅 (Außer man ist privatversichert, was aber nur ca. 10-15% hier nur sind)

@rohithmunnangi 2 года назад

Does any of the cards offer cash backs?

@Martin-ot7xj 11 месяцев назад

Hi there, did you try Bank Norwegian Visa credit card? is it good ? thnx

@DevarshRBhatt Год назад

Can you explain effective annual fee, especially context of hanseatic bank credit card. Also one can request English customer service for advanzia card

@simplegermany Год назад

We will soon release a new video on loans in Germany, where we will explain the effective annual fee. 😊

@olive2255 3 года назад

I love you videos is really inspiring ❤, my question is can I have a credit card if my schufa score is very bad?

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Thanks 😊. So it's hard to give a definite answer to that, as the algorithms also take other matters into consideration. Maybe try to get the Advanzia card and if that doesn't work, you can always get a prepaid credit card, where there is no SCHUFA check done: www.simplegermany.com/best-prepaid-credit-card-germany/

@ahmeterkamozturk8095 2 года назад

I want to have a credit card in Germany. Which banks give a credit card to a customer as s/he is a new expat(temporary residence permit) in Germany ? How much Schufa score should be at least minimum?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

You will have to try your luck with the different cards we describe. The algorithm of who gets accepted or not is not public, so we can't guarantee who will accept you or not. You can find the most up to date selection in our guide: www.simplegermany.com/best-free-credit-card-germany/

@andyspark5192 2 года назад

siehe auch Targobank Kreditkarte

@EricOnYouTube 2 года назад

Hello Yvonne. I have to ask.... you say in this video that you are with the DKB, but you don't recommend the DKB in the banking video. Why is that? Thanks.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Because DKB is notoriously known for not accepting foreigners unfortunately 🙁

@EricOnYouTube 2 года назад

@@simplegermany oh, yes of course. I need to remember that you are trying to help our ex pats. 😀. Thanks

@MstarAuto 8 месяцев назад

Smoothly 🥰

@coolsumma 2 года назад

Hello... I have tried to apply for the credit cards online (Hanseatic and Barclay) but I get stuck in their online fields when they require a "previous address". Obviously I just moved to Germany so I don't have a 'previous address' in Germany. But the sign up page will not accept a foreign address. How does someone new to Germany sign up in this case? Any advice? Has anyone else had a similar problem? Many thanks!

@diegofeyn66 2 года назад

Did you solve it?

@pratiknarendraraut6889 Год назад

You got answer?

@chupstyle Год назад

Same here. Please post if you find an answer/resolution.

@mamabear3428 2 года назад

Haven't been in Germany since 2005. Last I remember no store or restaurant accepted visa credit cards, only EC card. Has that changed since then ?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Yes it has! Credit cards are accepted more, but still not everywhere 😉

@mamabear3428 2 года назад

@@simplegermany I was surprised back then that big stores like media markt or kaufland wouldn't accept visa cards.

@mdefthakharulalam9659 2 года назад

So is it like, I used 1000 euros from the card and paid in whole next month, so will there be effective interest rate applicable? Or there will not be any charge?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

In this case you should have no extra cost, as you balance your spending within 30 days 😊

@DANESH7 2 года назад

My reaction is the same when you say there is actually cash withdrawal fees for the Gebührenfrei credit card. So, if I don’t pay for the cash I withdraw from it within the time period I have, which is to be done manually for this card, I’ll be charged? Is that the only charge or is there something else too? Thank you :)

@simplegermany 2 года назад

There are other costs if you don’t balance your credit out in time, as it is usual with credit cards 😉

@DANESH7 2 года назад

@@simplegermany Yes. So, with Gebührenfrei, for every cash withdrawal, there will be an effective 19.44% p.a. charge, is that correct? Regardless of me paying it back within time or not. Thank you for your reply! I would also like to say that your videos are really informative while being entertaining too. I like you both. You got my subscription very quick. :)

@markrobinson5774 Год назад

Why I want this thanks to much because you should always have two credit cards MasterCard and a Visa this one's going to be mostly for traveling if you're not in the US and you go abroad and people are funny thank you

@Martin-ot7xj Год назад

Hi there what is the meaning of genialcard ? did you mention for Hanseatic card? thnx

@simplegermany Год назад

Genialcard is simply the product name of the credit card from Hanseatic Bank.

@Martin-ot7xj Год назад

@@simplegermany thank you for your quick answer

@jeffkwok6297 2 года назад

Can i link any banking account (even outside germany) to Hanseatic?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Hey Jeff, I just checked with the Hanseatic Bank. If you are already a customer with a linked German account, you can switch it to a foreign account. You can also try to apply with a foreign account, however, they are having issues during the application sometimes. So it could work, or not. So your chances are better with a German account. 😊

@alexandermikhaylov8134 3 года назад

are there cashback or other bonuses which come with these credit cards?

@simplegermany 3 года назад

The Advanzia card comes with a Travel Insurance, although be sure to read the find print before you rely on it fully. None of these cards have cashback. Cashback credit cards usually don't have such great overall conditions.

@taticavazotti3368 2 года назад

Hey! Could you too explain how does the payback app work?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Do you mean the whole payback program or just the mobile app?

@markrobinson5774 Год назад

Is this Bank good I think about getting a bank with gebuehrenfrei Bank? Let me know bye

@PuertoRokk1 2 года назад

I want to take a credit card only for emergencies can you guys please tell me what is effective annual interest rate? Is that important if i barely gonna use the credit card?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

The effective annual interest rate is only Important if you don’t pay your debts on your credit card in time 😉

@PuertoRokk1 2 года назад

@@simplegermany thank you so much

@prinkeetdargan 2 года назад

for hanseatic card, how much is the time frame for payback period?

@simplegermany 2 года назад

It is automatically set to charge 3% (minimum 20 euros) from your bank account each month. You can increase it to 100% - it is fully up to you how much you want to pay back each month. However, should you only pay back partially, you will start paying the interest rate on the pending amount.

@prinkeetdargan 2 года назад

@@simplegermany hello, no i am asking number of weeks to pay back amount. For example total bills of october, till which date it should be paid in november?

@ramblingmillennial1560 11 месяцев назад

I'm kinda confused why a charge "credit card" in Germany actually helps with your Shufa score cuz... it's just your money? It's essentially a glorified debit card really lol. The preapid card is even less of a credit card in my eyes. But do the charge cards charge the amount immediately or at the end of the month?

@simplegermany 11 месяцев назад

Typically once a month on a set date.

@chrisya1705 2 года назад

Thank you for explaining this. I didn't know about the hidden fees for the Advanzia card! A bit sketchy though. I have a question: how do you pay the billing for Advanzia if the IBAN is LU (Luxembourg) and you have a German IBAN DE? Won't that also incur additional fees from your bank just to pay for the Advanzia billing? It also seems impractical since I cannot transfer from DE to LU using my mobile app and have to go to the Filiale.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Hey Chris, LU and DE IBAN are both part of the SEPA system and should work without any issues and without any additional fees, also from your mobile banking app. If you however transfer money outside of SEPA and outside of Euros then you will face additional fees. Hope that helps! 😊

@saharnazeri631 10 месяцев назад

You cannot use advanzia card for paying bills . It will be rejected and fines you Advanzia is awful in many reasons like there is no support and charge you in wrong interests, in despite of they have advertised

@DevarshRBhatt Год назад

It seems getting hands on hanseatic bank credit card is veey difficult especially if you are a international student hence you have a temporary residence permit, with more often than not less than 2 years since arriving in Germany and obviously you own no property. Although most international students using credit cards are using it as debit cards to buit SCHUFA score.

@simplegermany Год назад

Yes, as a student it is indeed more difficult to get a credit card. It is a misconception that you need credit cards to built your Schufa score in Germany. You start with a score of 100 and simply need to pay bills etc. But you do not need to build a credit.

@NikkyElso Год назад

This video has made me very thankful for American Credit Cards other than the Cash Advance fees (which all American Credit Cards have)

@hashimoto00 Год назад

Can u please explain what is a Girocard ? is it the same as Mastercard or Visa card ? or is it something Germany exclusive!? and where one can get a master or a giro card ?

@simplegermany Год назад

It is a Germany exclusive card. From all the banks that we discuss in our guide: www.simplegermany.com/best-german-bank-english-speakers/ only Commerzbank offers a girocard. Mainly traditional branch banks do and online banks don't offer them at all or started charging for them.

@hashimoto00 Год назад

@@simplegermany What are girocard advantages ? different from a Mastercard or a visa

@simplegermany Год назад

They get accepted most throughout Germany. Especially in gastronomy and smaller shops you will still encounter cash only or girocard.

@Masood1810 10 месяцев назад

This is so confusing. In India we have a debit card which is a card to withdraw money from your bank account, spend your money online, etc. We then have a credit card which is a card that gives us a loan and we can use it and pay back when we're billed or pay in installments. These are two main types. We don't interchange the names of these cards as they mean different things. Banks have many more products from banks like prepaid cards, meal passes (given by employers), add-on cards to give to family, etc. We also have online payment methods, payment from bank's mobile app to transfer from one bank account to another. It looks like our banking tech is very advanced here. I no longer use paper money or my bank cards. I use my mobile to make payments for everything - paying my bills, shopping, send money to friends/ family, etc. It's called UPI and is a unique way to pay, developed in India!

@simplegermany 10 месяцев назад

We also use our phone for everything these days. And there is a distinct difference in debit and credit cards in Germany. The main difference to other countries is that most (not all as we describe in the video) credit cards get charged to your bank account once a month. It is rather uncommon to pay the loan on the credit card in installments. It is possible though with TF Bank and others.

@buximam 3 года назад

Hi, nice informative video. I liked the comparison. I wonder why you didn't mention Amex? Any particular reasons?

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Because there is no free Amex card out there to our knowledge 😉

@abhisheksamanta1 2 года назад

No Amex?? Hands down better than all three cards you mentioned.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Not necessarily in Germany, especially if you are looking for a free credit card with customer friendly conditions 😉But of course, everyone prefers different options 😊

@gerdpapenburg7050 3 года назад

Hanseatic card - Interest rate of 13.6% Barclay Cqrd - 18.38% I would never ever get those cards because I do not like to pay interest rates.

@simplegermany 3 года назад

That’s why it is great that you can turn both of those credit cards into charge cards so you will never really pay interest as long as your bank account has enough money in it 😊

@trendingtopper Год назад

@@simplegermany how can we turn it into charge cards?

@tubz Год назад

Is the concept of a cash-back or rewards credit card not a thing? In the US, almost every credit card has some rewards for using it. Like 2% cash back for example. Or points can use to buy flights. This is one of the many reasons why Americans have several credit cards. Seems like this isn't a thing in Germany

@simplegermany Год назад

It's not such a big thing. Those credit cards exist, but have different fees. The Amex PAYBACK card is a free credit card to use to join a rewards program. We talk about it in our guide: www.simplegermany.com/payback-card-germany/

@vishwasnagaraju8260 2 года назад

Hi, your videos are beneficial and you have put in considerable effort, thank you for that. It would be great if you can wrap the contents in a smaller duration videos.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Thanks for your feedback Vishwas! You can of course speed our videos up with RU-vids options or you can also check our guide out: www.simplegermany.com/best-free-credit-card-germany/

@jessicamartinezs8864 3 года назад

Thank you very very much, your videos are very helpful. I’m a new subscriber and I would like to know if you can help me dividing between ING and Sparkarsee as my bank for a current account. Thanks in advance ❤️🇨🇴

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Hi Jessica, super cool that you are moving soon! We will be releasing a video about bank accounts for English Speakers soon, in the meantime you can take a look at our guide: www.simplegermany.com/best-german-bank-english-speakers/ - ING nor Sparkasse offer their services in English, so you have better options to choose from ☺️

@frankderessener4477 2 года назад

I would recommend ING because the fees are much lower and most services are for free. Have fun and take care.😉

@jessicamartinezs8864 2 года назад

@@frankderessener4477 thanks you very much, I have to choose for my blocked account.

@jessicamartinezs8864 2 года назад

@@simplegermany thank you sooo much. I’m exiting for that video. ☺️☺️

@jessicamartinezs8864 2 года назад

Thank you very much

@reinerbergkamen7852 3 года назад

Irgendwie ist euer Video extrem leise

@supertobino 3 года назад

damn hanseatic is visa only, am I right? so no india.... :(

@supertobino 3 года назад

oh well advanzia then....

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Yes, it is a Visa card. What do you mean with ‘no India’?

@supertobino 3 года назад

@@simplegermany visa is a system that does not widely work on the indian subcontinent

@simplegermany 3 года назад

Huh that’s interesting because based on my research Visa and MasterCard are the two most widely accepted cards. Which card type is most accepted based on your experience?

@supertobino 3 года назад

@@simplegermany in india mastercard is everywhere, amex is second to my experience

@Vonkater 3 года назад

Money on the card is a debit card.

@fash9340 2 года назад

Well, I am very disappointed with Hanseatic Bank. Because of my nationality they rejected me.

@simplegermany 2 года назад

That’s a shame to read. Do you mind sharing which nationality? This way we can warn others in the future.

@fash9340 2 года назад

@@simplegermany Oh, thank you for your comment. I come from Iran. There are other places that do not offer any service to us. However, that you for your excellent guidance in different topics. You are amazing.

@JSDev776 2 года назад

is that true? for 3 months you don't have to pay any interest? nice! so can you can go to Aldi ask them for lot of cash in the bill, charge it to the card, then invest the money for 3 months and then pay back your credit card debt and keep the interest. LOL

@gunhoogunsd1 Год назад

DKB simply decline everybody who is not from EU, you at least need to have a permanent resident permit

@alwayscuriousbutsad6584 2 года назад

prepaid credit card= debit card

@simplegermany 2 года назад

Not exactly, the system works slightly different and the card says credit on it and not debit, which can impact your possibility to pay at some venues. But yes you need to have the money up front 😉

@mhabuburrahman6685 Год назад

I applied for Hanseatic GenialCard and finally bank decided not to give me a credit card. The reson the said “Wir haben Ihre Anfrage geprüft, aber können Ihrem Wunsch leider nicht entsprechen. Die Prüfung erfolgte insbesondere auf der Grundlage der von Ihnen zur Verfügung gestellten Daten im Rahmen einer automatisierten Einzelentscheidung.” I am confused about the reason, its not clear to me. I am from Bangladesh and living in Germany 5 years and having other credit cards. I have a good full-time job and address. I really don’t get the reason why they say NO. is it because of my nationality or what?

@simplegermany Год назад

Sorry it didn’t work out for you. All banking providers have an algorithm that pretty much accepts or rejects. They never tell you the reason. That’s why we name different providers to increase your chances.