Credit /Debit Cards in Germany

[johncrossley]

Chase bank accounts are pretty good - no fees and decent rates (or at least they were last time I checked).
It doesn't need to be a main account and I don't think they even do a credit check that shows up on credit records if you apply.
You do need to be able and willing to do everything via an app though.
Their policy of keeping the physical card number a secret can also cause problems.

I wouldn't recommend Chase for transport as they won't tell you the card number unless you use TfL services. Also, their customer service is abysmal. There are better options.

 

[DanielB]

I'd suggest anyone whose bank charges a fixed fee needs to consider changing banks. It's an archaic practice that predates large scale use of debit cards abroad, and really needs to be knocked on the head.

Well, I just use the credit card (as it has only the percentage charged, didn't write that clearly in my original post).
Changing banks doesn't help much as all other large banks in the Netherlands charge a higher percentage than my bank. So in total there isn't much difference except for very small transactions.

 

[sor]

Can't say I've ever felt the need to carry cash in my travels in the Eurozone and Switzerland, albeit mostly in cities. I only took some out just for the novelty of handling non-British notes.

I did manage to crash a card terminal at a store in Amsterdam after trying to use my UK credit card with it. Not sure how that happened but it didn't happen again even with the same type of terminal where the contactless pad is on the side rather than the top as it tends to be here. I thought that design was a Dutch thing until I saw one in Greggs.

Is the banking sector over there rather less competitive or something. In the UK it seems to be trivial to get a bank account or credit card that does not charge an additional fee for payments abroad, just conversion into GBP at whatever the current Visa/MC rate happens to be. Don't even need to use a "challenger" bank.

 

[rvdborgt]

Is the banking sector over there rather less competitive or something. In the UK it seems to be trivial to get a bank account or credit card that does not charge an additional fee for payments abroad, just conversion into GBP at whatever the current Visa/MC rate happens to be. Don't even need to use a "challenger" bank.

I think indeed Dutch (and Belgian) banks are less competitive. Most of them now charge for having a bank account, extra for a credit card, and using those cards will indeed typically cost a small fixed fee for a debit card (plus an exchange fee), or just an exchange fee for a credit card. Maybe Revolut etc. aren't claiming too many customers yet.
I've changed to a (Belgian) bank with a simple free account that has no extra costs if you do everything online and only need a debit card. Then a credit card from another bank that costs €5 per year and that also gives 0.5-1% cashback (it basically pays for itself after 1/2 months), and then Revolut for all non-euro payments (since their charges are way below the 2.15% echange rate of my credit card). Once Revolut offered iDeal payments, I cancelled my Dutch bank account, since they wanted extra money because I live abroad.

 

[AdamWW]

even with the same type of terminal where the contactless pad is on the side rather than the top as it tends to be here. I thought that design was a Dutch thing until I saw one in Greggs.

That really caught me out in an Albert Heijn.
Fortunately a friendly security guard realised my problem and showed me what to do.

Never seen one like that in Greggs though.

 

[ivanhoe]

I was in Passau, Nuremberg and Düsseldorf last 2weeks and only encountered a cash only situation in an Irish Bar in Passau(popped in to watch Villa Liverpool).
Even the Toilets in the stations were allowing contactless). Very widespread acceptance of cards but always sensible to have some cash with you

 

[riceuten]

For fee-free foreign currency transactions I have a Currensea card linked to my HSBC current account. Currensea's exchange rate is also extremely keen. These days I find in Germany that contactless payments via Google Pay on my smartphone are getting much easier.

I use Currensea as well, but am aware - as I have the basic package - that they build in a 0.5% uplift on the exchange, which means day to day is fine, but I wouldn't book a hotel on it.

 

[DanielB]

Is the banking sector over there rather less competitive or something. In the UK it seems to be trivial to get a bank account or credit card that does not charge an additional fee for payments abroad, just conversion into GBP at whatever the current Visa/MC rate happens to be. Don't even need to use a "challenger" bank.

Apparently yes. I just had a look what a standard package for a bank account, online banking, savings account, debit card and credit card would cost at the most common Dutch banks and most are around €7/month. Some are slightly cheaper, others slightly more expensive but the difference is usually a few cents. There are even banks which charge a fee for withdrawing Euros at cash machines other than their own ones.

For savings accounts there is more competition, so that's why I've got my savings at another bank than my normal account and have an account at a third bank for some investment in stock as an additional pension.

Not sure how that happened but it didn't happen again even with the same type of terminal where the contactless pad is on the side rather than the top as it tends to be here.

Hmm, I can't remember having ever encountered a contactless pad on the side. Most common is hold your card in front of the display and in some cases it's above the display.

 

[rvdborgt]

Hmm, I can't remember having ever encountered a contactless pad on the side.

That type is quite common in Belgium.

 

[Bahnopa]

I use Currensea as well, but am aware - as I have the basic package - that they build in a 0.5% uplift on the exchange, which means day to day is fine, but I wouldn't book a hotel on it.

I use Currensea for virtually all transactions in Europe - the charges imposed by HSBC for Visa use abroad are eye-watering, and Currensea's 0.5% uplift fades into insignificance in comparison.

 

[riceuten]

I use Currensea for virtually all transactions in Europe - the charges imposed by HSBC for Visa use abroad are eye-watering, and Currensea's 0.5% uplift fades into insignificance in comparison.

Outside of larger transactions - moi aussi ! I have (so far) not had any refusals either, which is not the case with other cards

 

[AdamWW]

Hmm, I can't remember having ever encountered a contactless pad on the side. Most common is hold your card in front of the display and in some cases it's above the display.

Nor had I until I went to get something at Rotterdam Centraal for breakfast on the sleeper the next morning.

 

[johncrossley]

Apparently yes. I just had a look what a standard package for a bank account, online banking, savings account, debit card and credit card would cost at the most common Dutch banks and most are around €7/month. Some are slightly cheaper, others slightly more expensive but the difference is usually a few cents. There are even banks which charge a fee for withdrawing Euros at cash machines other than their own ones.

Do you need a credit card or are you just using it for foreign transactions? As far as I can tell, N26 would work for most things and is free except for a 10 euro fee for the delivery of the Mastercard debit card. It doesn't charge for non-euro payments using your card and allows 2 free ATM euro withdrawals per month. If you want more free ATM withdrawals then you could get a Revolut account as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 May 2026 ==

I use Currensea for virtually all transactions in Europe - the charges imposed by HSBC for Visa use abroad are eye-watering, and Currensea's 0.5% uplift fades into insignificance in comparison.

There are plenty of UK bank accounts/credit cards that have 0% uplift for foreign transactions and some of them pay cashback as well. What is the advantage of the HSBC/Currensea combo?

 

[mad_rich]

There's an automatic Mastercard chargeback right for DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) that the customer did not agree to. No evidence is required beyond DCC being applied and cardholder statement that they did not agree to it.

There is no defense to this chargeback, and the correct resolution is to accept at First Chargeback and re-present for the local currency amount.

This is obviously quite expensive for the merchant and impacts their chargeback rates (thus risk profile & processing costs) and so it's now rare for merchants to be very pushy about DCC...

I've had a few transactions over the years where DCC has been applied without my consent (I tap, then the merchant takes the terminal back, and answers the question for me before I have a chance to think).

I'd always assumed it wasn't worth chasing up, but I may do now. Thanks!

Does Visa have anything similar?

 

[Bahnopa]

Do you need a credit card or are you just using it for foreign transactions? As far as I can tell, N26 would work for most things and is free except for a 10 euro fee for the delivery of the Mastercard debit card. It doesn't charge for non-euro payments using your card and allows 2 free ATM euro withdrawals per month. If you want more free ATM withdrawals then you could get a Revolut account as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 May 2026 ==



There are plenty of UK bank accounts/credit cards that have 0% uplift for foreign transactions and some of them pay cashback as well. What is the advantage of the HSBC/Currensea combo?

Currensea does a good deal at keen rates with foreign card transactions - and I am too idle to move several accounts from HSBC!

 

[crablab]

Does Visa have anything similar?

Yes, they have a chargeback code for it. I have no firsthand knowledge of their interpretation of the scheme rules, but I imagine it's similar. Generally schemes prefer to side with the customer in these sorts of dispute.

 

[Bald Rick]

Even the Toilets in the stations were allowing contactless

Wipe and swipe.

 

[riceuten]

Do you need a credit card or are you just using it for foreign transactions? As far as I can tell, N26 would work for most things and is free except for a 10 euro fee for the delivery of the Mastercard debit card. It doesn't charge for non-euro payments using your card and allows 2 free ATM euro withdrawals per month. If you want more free ATM withdrawals then you could get a Revolut account as well.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 27 May 2026 ==

Not available in the UK - you need to be an EU/EEA resident to open an account.

There are plenty of UK bank accounts/credit cards that have 0% uplift for foreign transactions and some of them pay cashback as well. What is the advantage of the HSBC/Currensea combo?

Some HSBC cards charge or load the exchange rate just under 3% - with Currensea it’s 0.5% - less with paid for versions of the card.

 

[DanielB]

Do you need a credit card or are you just using it for foreign transactions? As far as I can tell, N26 would work for most things and is free except for a 10 euro fee for the delivery of the Mastercard debit card. It doesn't charge for non-euro payments using your card and allows 2 free ATM euro withdrawals per month.

Things like hotel bookings are still more practical with a creditcard as it enables to guarantee your reservation without the need to pay in advance (which would be the case with a mastercard debit card). In my case the credit card also offers a discount when booking via Expedia (though my account at a hotel chain gives a larger discount).

Furthermore I've got some online subscription where a creditcard is the only means of payment and actually I most frequently use the card domestically. Very convenient to be able to purchase something online without needing to think about changing the limit of my debit card or to think about transferring money from my savings (as those are at a bank from which a transfer doesn't arrive immediately on my normal account)

 

[johncrossley]

Not available in the UK - you need to be an EU/EEA resident to open an account.

@DanielB is in the Netherlands

Some HSBC cards charge or load the exchange rate just under 3% - with Currensea it’s 0.5% - less with paid for versions of the card.

Why not simply use one of the cards that charge 0%?

 

[riceuten]

@DanielB is in the Netherlands

Why not simply use one of the cards that charge 0%?

Perchance he doesn’t have one. What I like about Currensea is that it lifts the money from my current account. For other cards (Monzo/Revolut/Bunq), I need to recharge said account.

 

[johncrossley]

Perchance he doesn’t have one. What I like about Currensea is that it lifts the money from my current account. For other cards (Monzo/Revolut/Bunq), I need to recharge said account.

If you use a credit card then it can be paid off automatically by direct debit. If you got a Monzo account (for example) you could dispense with the HSBC account altogether.

 

[Bahnopa]

As an old geezer I have a deep mistrust of Monzo, Revolut et al.

 

[riceuten]

As an old geezer I have a deep mistrust of Monzo, Revolut et al.

As an old geezer, I have money in various Fintech banks, and traditional banks, and have saved a lot of money by doing so, and avoided having to endlessly pull money out of ATMs which try every trick in the book to get you to use DCC and offer eyewateringly high usage fees (€6 often in France). I would never use a Fintech bank as my main account, mind. Healthy distrust is a good thing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

As an old geezer, I have money in various Fintech banks, and traditional banks, and have saved a lot of money by doing so, and avoided having to endlessly pull money out of ATMs which try every trick in the book to get you to use DCC and offer eyewateringly high usage fees (€6 often in France). I would never use a Fintech bank as my main account, mind. Healthy distrust is a good thing.

I use Monzo as my main account and haven't had a problem. FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) in the UK deals with the risk of it going bust, though in reality I'd expect it to be taken over by a big bank for the tech if it got to that point as then the shares would be dirt cheap.

 

[riceuten]

I use Monzo as my main account and haven't had a problem. FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme) in the UK deals with the risk of it going bust, though in reality I'd expect it to be taken over by a big bank for the tech if it got to that point as then the shares would be dirt cheap.

My biggest concern is that Monzo, Revolut and other banks have this habit of freezing your accounts for weeks whilst they do "due diligence" - which has happened with Santander and Nationwide, who normally do the same in a day or two.

I have noticed that - in Germany anyway - certain cards/accounts seem to work better in shops and at ATMs without any particular rhyme or reason - Monzo, and Currensea, for instance - perhaps their fraud indicators are less fussy.

Others I have had a more variable experience with.

 

[johncrossley]

As an old geezer, I have money in various Fintech banks, and traditional banks, and have saved a lot of money by doing so, and avoided having to endlessly pull money out of ATMs which try every trick in the book to get you to use DCC and offer eyewateringly high usage fees (€6 often in France). I would never use a Fintech bank as my main account, mind. Healthy distrust is a good thing.

There's no one bank that does everything optimally so it is necessary to have a range of bank accounts/credit cards for different purposes. I'd rather use a Fintech bank than a legacy bank that has been ripping us off for decades. I won't have an account with them just because they are a legacy bank. You wouldn't put much money in a current account anyway unless it pays good interest.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I have noticed that - in Germany anyway - certain cards/accounts seem to work better in shops and at ATMs without any particular rhyme or reason - Monzo, and Currensea, for instance - perhaps their fraud indicators are less fussy.

There are banks that like to be notified if you're going abroad, and there are banks who just pick it up from your general pattern. But generally provided I do what the bank wants I've not had an issue.

The one issue I did have, not in Germany but in a German speaking country, is that the then very common SIX Card Services terminals in Switzerland wouldn't accept Co-op Bank Smile credit or debit cards, they would take in the card (the slots are like ATMs) and then freeze for a couple of minutes. No idea why, I didn't have an issue with any other card nor those cards with different merchant services companies there.

 

[jumble]

I have not been to Germany for many years but am going next week
Last time i encountered a few places that would only accept cash including the bus ticket office in Darmstadt and some cafes
I have been to Milan and Prague and Amsterdam and on those occasions I took no Euros/Crowns but have used only my Clarity and Santander zero legacy card
Question
Is it prudent to take some Euros for a week in Germany or have they caught up with the rest of the world re contactless?

Many thanks for all the comprehensive answers
How the world has changed from 20 years ago when we used to put a couple of grand on pre paid FX debit cards and take quite a bit of cash for our family holidays
A Legacy Santander zero is a fee free grandfathered credit card that gives the same FX free conversion as the Halifax Clarity and is no longer available as a new card.
FX does incur daily interest from time of ATM withdrawal so either pre load (or pay off at once via the app)
I never thought there would be more than 110 replies to my question
I am just off to collect £100 worth of pre ordered euros as better be safe than sorry
Moneysaving expert is your friend in getting a good rate

 

[riceuten]

Many thanks for all the comprehensive answers
How the world has changed from 20 years ago when we used to put a couple of grand on pre paid FX debit cards and take quite a bit of cash for our family holidays

That's how I used to do it.

A Legacy Santander zero is a fee free grandfathered credit card that gives the same FX free conversion as the Halifax Clarity and is no longer available as a new card.

I had something similar, but when the card was updated, I lost the free FX conversion, and there was no record of it on their system, and I couldn't find the letter that confirmed it. Years letter, when shredding lots of bank statements, I found it - but the world had moved on

FX does incur daily interest from time of ATM withdrawal so either pre load (or pay off at once via the app)

I remember someone saying they did this, and had to repay straight away, by the evening you had accrued a few pence interest ! There was a debate for a long time about whether withdrawing on a credit card tanked your credit rating.

I never thought there would be more than 110 replies to my question
I am just off to collect £100 worth of pre ordered euros as better be safe than sorry
Moneysaving expert is your friend in getting a good rate

With regard to Germany, and as a seasoned, regular traveller to there, I think that's very sensible. If you pull money out of an ATM (hopefully fee free) whilst you're there to replace it, then you won't need to order money for the next visit - as I said above, the exchange rates at supermarkets and the Post Office are shockingly bad - often 4-5 cents per pound adrift of the actual exchange rate. One of the things you will occasionally encounter there is an establishment that plasters its windows with Visa/MC stickers, but then moans about you paying with a card. There was a statistic oft quoted on travel blogs that the average German carries something of the order of €110 cash on them - I think the UK equivalent was something like £20. It's definitely something cultural.