Opening a bank account in Stuttgart

this is not half as exciting as some of the threads... but a necessity nevertheless!

i have 2 wks in which to open a bank account before my first laughable wage appears, any suggestions which ones are better? I'm a mature student on a work placement, although wont get a free a/c as you have to practically be a foetus to get a student account

so is it going to be deutsche bank? BW? commerz? please help!

ta muchly x

There are some free bank accounts for all.
Norisbank offers one. They are a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank, so you can use all of the CashGroup ATMs.

There are some other free accounts as well...watch out for any minimum monthly deposit amounts. If you do a search, you'll find a number of options discussed on TT.

Best bank account in Germany, I believe, is Deutsche Kredit Bank. www.dkb.de. I have my own account there.

Advantages: No fees. Instead you get interest rates at 3.8% currently, for every euro you have on your account.
You draw your money via a free-of-fee VISA Credit Card, with no extra charges, world-wide, from every ATM that has a VISA sign on it. I heard there are problems sometimes in the US because some ATMs there want an extra fee if you draw money from them.

Drawback:
You have no physical bank, no real person in front of you. It's a real *online-only* account. Your contact to the bank goes via email and phone (9 cent/per minute calls, inside germany).

Their email support seems being mega-fast, compared to what I'm used to with other support contacts to German companies. Usually I get an answer to my emails to DKB in around 2 hours (Mon thru Saturday). Phone support is off on Saturday/Sunday, IIRC ...

In the end it will all come down to how good your communication with them works, and you definitely should make sure that it works very well, when it comes to money ... :) That is either your German or their English is good enough to keep up a good line of understanding. So to say ... :)

They're not perfect, it seems ... :) Sometimes, not very often so far, a feature of my bank customer pages simply seems gone for a few hours ("An error occured: Your credit card data could not get loaded" In German. Something like that, to give you one example ... but everything was fine a few hours later ... :) ... But stuff like this happened to me as well with my old, Non-DKB bank ...

There were already threads on the subject:
http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index...showtopic=75715
http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index...showtopic=75554

Write them an email, and let them know, what you're looking for: Click "Kontakt" on their main page. This way you'll get an impression of how good communication will work ..

Good luck!

Walk into a Sparkasse.
They are obliged to take any customer without any bullshit.

No, they aren't "TT sexy", with a virtual online ATM in Malibu dispensing Icelandic Kronor that you will never use anyway.
Rather the backbone of the local economy in the community you live in.

Okay, me again: Some addendum to my previous posting regarding "Deutsche Kredit Bank":


True, but with the DKB Maestro Card (previously called EC-Karte) you pay fees, if you draw money from ATM's not owned by DKB. And AFAIK at least in the Western part of Germany there are no DKB ATM's. So it's important for DKB customers to only use their DKB VISA card for drawing money, if they want to avoid fees being charged.

OTOH using the DKB Maestro for shopping is free of charge for DKB customers. There are certain fees, IIRC, that DKB is charging, but so far I wasn't charged with them, if they exist. Probably simply because the usual stuff I'm using my DKB account for is free, like remittances, shopping via MAESTRO (EC) card, drawing money with the VISA card etc. etc. ...

No matter what you do: You can do a simple check for a list of German bank fees via google.de: "Preisverzeichnis" is what the list of bank fees for a specific bank (or maybe even other sorts of businesses) is mostly called, it seems. So say you see a bank with a web site like foobank.de, and you want to know what fees they charge, you can type in on google.de:

site:foobank.de preisverzeichnis

Alternatively you can replace preisverzeichnis by agb ("Allgemeine Geschäftsbedingungen") - I hate to read Geschäftsbedingungen - in general long lists of the the written conditions defining the business rules between a customer and some corporation: it's mostly boring law speech. But the AGB's in German law seem to be important, at least when it comes to problems between a customer and some corporation.

Or simply try this pattern on google.de:

banken preisverzeichnis preisaushang

As a general rule of thumb I try to avoid shops that do not present me their "Preise" (fees, prices, charges, or so) on their web site: If they make it necessary to call them for their prices, or if I even have to personally appear in their "physical" shop they're out of business for me. No-no-no, as Amy W. perhaps might put it ... :)

And if their price lists are not very straight forward and transparent then again these companies are out for of business for me.

My apologies if you already knew the Google stuff I was suggesting

Good luck, again!

blinkin' flip wolfgang, you know WAY too much about banking... thankfully for me ;-)

well, have emailed both DBK and ING-Diba in my bestest bad german and i eagerly await their reply. will also look at the preis wotsits too online. gotta get it sorted soon, i get paid soon :-s

thanks for your help!!! woo

... I hate to waste my money ... That's why I had to learn a little ... :)

Please note that if DKB says yes, it'll usually take about 10 days until you have your PINs, maestro card, VISA card etc ... IIRC.


Welcome ... :) Just come back if you need to know more, no matter whether it's related to DKB or not ...

Nice Sunday

Oh, and as to Sunday: American rock count-down being on currently. AFN: 102.4 FM, Stuttgart area ... :)

... tho a lil different: on my previous Volksbank (or what ever was their name at this time) account: IIRC I couldn't either log in to this Volksbank account, or I couldn't order some remittance from it. Forgot about the exact sort of problem ... fading memory ... Sorry ... :)

Hey Woo,

Please pass along any info you find out from the banks as I am trying to find out the best one to join as well.

Cheers.

well, i think i'm gonna bit the proverbial financial bullet and go with DKB

I sent them an email on Sat, i got a reply on the Sunday (so v quick replies even at the w/e) plus i cant get to a bank Mon-Fri as i work (just started=days off a no-no) and i cant imagine what else i will be needing to use my account for apart from having my rent taken out each month, and getting dosh out the wall for a drink

if i have any problems, i shall let you all know (oh and of course blame wolfgang hehe only joking)

thanks for all your advice, it s really appreciated
woo xx

Unless you are REALLY in the boondocks sure you use a bank that only has Monday-Friday opening hours.
You'll only maybe go in there a couple of times a year anyway.

Go in your lunchbreak or on the day of the week they are open late, my local Sparkasse is open till 1800 on Thursdays.

Unless you have some chav-tastic jobsworth sort of job, I'd go with the locally employed professional recommendations.

Unless you are a pikey, you are not going to be wanting to drop off you cash at the bank on a regular basis. An lunch hours are only really for those who spend their working lives clock watching.

In a professional environment, internet banking is the way forward.

And you don't have to pay some muppet for keeping your cash for you.

The lunch hour you need to worry about is the bank's, not yours in a job anyway.
Everything is automated now, including paying cash on the rare ocassions you need to.

And if the bank has branches they can re-route stuff.
ie when I needed to get a new card and sign for it they arranged for that to happen at a branch near work rather than the branch at home.

Ironicly enough, I don't do internet banking though someone I know on Hartz IV does.

hmmmm me again,

just tried opening the account online and it wont let me go any further because i can't "ergänzen wenn möglich eine deutsche Voranschrift der letzten 5 Jahre" because ive lived in england. its the "wenn moeglich" bit that's annoying because you'd think that if it wasn't "moeglich" there would be an alternative resolution. hey ho, i have emailed them anyway to see what's what and will let you know once i have an answer... so hold fire all you potential DBK customers :-)

woo

This is one of the reasons I suggested walking into a Sparkasse Woo.
Cos they will take anyone and you don't have those kind of complications.
Let us know how it goes.

Why not click the drop down menu, choose the country where you were before, and fill in street, town, Postleitzahl etc. ... ?

New to Germany: Walk into Sparkasse with ur Stadt anmeldung, address proof and passport, with little questions and a few minutes later u will have an Account. They might make a fuss about making an appointment at first.

Been here for a while: If u have been here for a while and understand how banking works here then take a direkt bank account. In my experience, DKB is the best. Never have i come across such a super fast reply to emails. Almost all my mails were replied within 10 mins. As mentioned by someone earlier, it has its own disadvantages that its a totally online banking. But in Germany u dont need personal banking.

yeah, tried that, still wouldnt work... seems there are a few peeps that are selling the "sparkasse will take anyone" line Might be my next step!

will console myself in some wine until i get that return email from DKB
woo :-)

Error messages at the right side that would talk about what is missing?: I just tried that Antrag for testing, filled in some nonsense, and filled in I was from Britain. Next page I chose the "voranschrift" thing, fantasizing I had lived in Großbrittanien, filled in some fantasy address etc. and on the next page was presented a few options to download, save etc. the finished Antrag, IIRC ... It wasn't a problem at all ... :(

Wrong browser? Internet Explorer? I use some Firefox variant. Did you refuse their cookies?

grrr perhaps i am just a techno retard
will give it another go... the only cookies i'm familiar with are the ones ive just wolfed down with that tasty wine...(note to self: must get out more)
watch this space for more computerised hiccups
w

ohhh dear... no it didnt happen.
it keeps asking me to :- "Bitte überprüfen Sie das Format im Feld PLZ." which i do, but keeps coming up red and wont let me go any further.
Ive tried changing how i write my postcode, pleadin with it, even offered to buy it dinner... but no, it just wont have it.

how do i know if ive blocked cookies? (ive just eaten some washed down with wine, but i have a feeling thats not what you mean)

oh this is going to be painful

No, Woo: My bad, I'm sorry.

Cookies are little files that can be saved to your computer from sites you're visiting. They're saved there either automagically (because your browser is set to accept them all, for example) or on a case-by-case basis, when your browser is set to ask you every time a site wants to set such a cookie: For example if you're able to log in to TT your browser most certainly has from what-ever reasons accepted the cookie it was presented by TT. Probably. The TT-cookie on your computer tells TT you're logged in correctly, and that, e.g., you have the right to post here by this very reason ...


Yes, never give up too early ...

Later ..

well i dont want to divert this thread too much, but i have problems sending emails from Outlook on my laptop so i think the problem lies with me and some stupid cookie techno prob i have no idea how to resolve.

will see what the DKB say on the matter and let you know in the next exciting episode... all this bank stuff is making me sleepy

cheers for now!

I just did the same as before, that is filling in fantasy stuff for the Antrag, but still fantasizing I was from Britain, and this time the page that asked me for the voranschrift didn't show up again at all: This smells like a bug from the DKB side. They might have removed that page after you emailed them. No, I don't believe it's your fault.


In the settings for Internet Explorer (provided you use that browser): I don't use that browser, so I cannot tell you exactly - i'm running Linux, and, as I wrote, some Firefox variant (called "Iceweasel") But as you're obviously logged in to TT, and your browser seems to accept these cookies, it has probably accepted those from DKB as well without telling you .. Don't worry, the DKB guys might find a solution ...

Better PM me with the Outlook/email prob , because I'm not sure the admins here will like it if we start a new thread with this sort of topic.

It might be a networking problem, or simply some unhappy Outlook settings. Shouldn't be too difficult to get it fixed ... :) ... Provided it isn't some DNS stuff making probs .. because if anything s**ks then it's DNS if it's broken ... :)

And no: cookies are not related to email software. Just to browsers. As far as I know at least.

Wolfgang

Opening a account with Sparkasse is quick, but they have a monthly charge if the minimum balance is less than 1250 EUR (with Sparkasse Munich). Most online banks (like DKB) are very selective when you try to open a account. Norisbank is a good choice.

.. and they have a branch near Stuttgart Haubtbahnhof.

http://www.norisbank.de

But I'd check their fees. Definitely. On

http://www.norisbank.de/formulare/formularcenter.html

you find more about them. Seems one has to be careful which ATM one chooses for drawing money off the wall with a Noris card: seems if one chooses the wrong ATM one pays at least a 6 Euro fee. See "Preis-/Leistungsverzeichnis" on that page for more. With the DKB VISA I don't care whose ATM it is I draw money from: all I have to see is the VISA sign on the ATM. No fees. Except when you're in the US. See my posting earlier in this thread.

And Norisbank has at least 3 cards:
noris Sparcard, noris Card und noris Servicecard .. too complicated for me ... With DKB usually one has just two cards: the VISA Credit Card, and the MAESTRO (aka EC-) Card. And as an option a 2nd VISA Credit Card "zum Sparen" (for saving puposes).

Banking should be as simple as possible I believe. And I have problems when looking at the Noris Bank fee list to understand what's going on. Sorry if I spoil the party ... :)

@Woo: But if nothing else works Norisbank *might* (note the asterisks :) be an option. ... but I still believe we should be able to get your DKB account up and running ... So, as long as you don't give up, I won't ... :)

Oh, and just in case someone is wondering: Yes, I'm getting heaps of cash if I can navigate someone out there to DKB ... :) ... (No, i was lying ... Truth just is I wouldn't go anywhere else even if I got one percent more interest than via my DKB Cash account ...)

Am with wolfgangstuttgart on this.

DKB is really good. One should just be careful not to use the EC card in the ATM, then 10€goes right into DKB's pocket. Other than that, no hazzles what so ever. But their points system sucks big time.

True, if you were writing about their bonus system for finding them new customers. I just don't use it - simply because I don't like most of their presents ("DKB-Club-Prämien" is what they're calling it, I think ... :)

[EDIT, later]
Here's a relatively fresh German written article about money cards, if one needs them on holiday in foreign countries. They also write about German Direktbanken like DKB:
http://www.welt.de/finanzen/article2209114..._viel_Geld.html
[/EDIT]

You don't actually get multiple cards--just one ATM card and a credit card (if you choose that). Most people just get the noris Card. If you just have a Sparkonto but no Girokonto-type account (daily transactions), you get a Sparcard. If you are underage or not creditworthy, then you just get the Servicecard, which is only valid actually at norisbank.

DKB definitely has the advantage of free ATM transactions everywhere with their Visa card.
I have a norisbank account because I find the CashGroup ATMs to be sufficient and I need the ability to be able to deposit cash (which I can do for free at Deutsche Bank deposit-enabled ATMs--with DKB I'd have to go to another bank and pay for an Überweisung zugunsten Dritter).

Thanks for reminding to that. You also cannot transfer cash (Bargeld) to your own DKB account from a DKB office, as - IINM - there are none of them, at least not in the Western part of Germany. You need another bank for that. I found (never actually tried it) that at a Deutsche Bundesbank office one can transfer cash to another Non-Bundesbank German account for a fee of 1 Euro. Or that's at least how I understand the Bundesbank AGB 2008, page 108 on this PDF file (Thank you Google ... :) ... :

excerpt:


I'd recommend asking, just to be sure on that, at a Bundesbank branch next to you about this ...

Here's a page with the Bundesbank Filialnetz on it:
http://www.bundesbank.de/hv/hv_filialen.php

[EDIT: Jul 16 00:31 CEST 2008] Edited a little later after first posting ... [/EDIT]

I never would have thought about the Bundesbank, as I don't think about them as offering public consumer services, but that's good to know, as most of the other banks charge 7.50€-10€ for this service.

Sorry to be a twunt and I DON'T want to pinkel on W's parade.
But if you'd gone to the Sparkasse, rather than fiddling about with cookies and space cakes and shizzle, you'd have a functioning account by now and your bank card would probably be in the post to you.

So despite not living in the Stuttgart area, you are still recommending a 'local' banking system for 'local' people that you have not indicated that you have any experience of.

Despite the OP being on a low income, you are still advocating a bank that charges monthly fees.

Completely without irony, you continue to advocate a banking system that you have no experience of whereas the 'approximate' one that that you do seem to have experience of is currently taking a kicking on another thread.


Doesn't sound too good.


Doesn't look like they are going to win any awards for sterling customer service when they are indeed open.

Are you getting commision for signing up new customers or what?

Yep. Its the bonus system that i was referring to.

I suppose it depends on how desperate you are for a new cheapo toaster

With DKB, one can forget gathering free gifts.

Woo, I just checked again this problem with the DKB-Cash-Antrag that is not accepting your UK Zip-Code: It's relatively clear now that this is a bug on the DKB site. I tested it: Their system obviously does not seem to understand British Postal Codes - When I typed in a US zip code the DKB Antrag didn't complain at all. I believe it's the difference between both sorts of ZIP codes: US codes have only numbers, just as German ones. While British ZIPs have letters in them.

So forget, if possible, what I said about a bug with your browser. It looks like the DKB guys will have to fix this problem, not you.

If possible write them an email and tell about the problem, if you've not already done that ..

Oh, and I found a thread on TT about DKB:
http://www.toytowngermany.com/forum/index...showtopic=78806

Or check out the Norisbank option. The CashGroup ATMs (Commerzbank, Deutschen Bank, Dresdner Bank, HypoVereinsbank oder der Postbank) are sufficient for free cash withdrawl within Germany.

You don't have to live in an area to comment about the banks, they are much of a muchness Germany wide.
I live in Munich but my credit card is based in Saarbrücken, so obviously I can't possibly recomend the bank that issues it can I ?

Why did I recommend someone go to the Sparkasse rather than elsewhere?

1. They are not for profit, the provide financing for the local economy that the big banks won't touch and although not for profit, any profits go into the local community.
2. I am cynical about "free" banking. Some of the examples I have seen suggest that the banks try and claw back the money. A couple of times at the wrong ATM and you will have eaten up your "savings". Plus, "free" banking is the hook to get you to buy other financial products. If you manage to avoid that, the banks don't really want you as a customer.
3. They have the largest branch and ATM network, online banking and bank machines where you can do your stuff electronicly if you want.
4. It's a fairly new arrival who needs a bank account NOW. Sparkasse is the least hassle option. If the OP decided they saw a better deadl elswhere later on, you can easily change.

Apart from Sparkasse! It is a chain of national cash maschines but is not a national banking system. I am struggling to see why you are finding this so difficult. The OP will be tied to their poxy local branch in a way that is inconceivable for people familiar with twentieth century banking practices.


Go ahead, but perhaps it would be best on a thread about credit card recommendations.

If you can't see any difference between the requirements of a current account and a credit card, there is not much to say really.

i think DKB def want my money as theyve been trying to ring my 13 times in 2 days about my internet problem LOL
Anyway, upshot is, i could put my current details in where i tried to put my previous address and bob's yer aunty's husband.... account sorted = happy me with no fees and no time off work.

Watch this space for if it all goes tits up tho

The OP would NOT be tied to one local branch with the Sparkasse.
"My" branch is near where I live but I can face to face access services near where I work on the RARE (like maybe once or twice a year) when I need to.
With the largest network of ATMs and banking machines, Sparkasse is easy to use round the clock, whereever you are.

I'll happilly admit the downsides of the Sparkasse:

They can be a little bit provincial, international banking is not their thing.
But if you just want to have your salary paid in and have your rent and bills paid out, it's fine.

They are legally separate banks between cities / districts.
So if I am Berlin and want to go into a Sparkasse and discuss a Munich Sparkasse mortgage, I can't.
But you have to ask yourself how often such a scenario would happen anway.

Whooaaah! That's good news woo. Congrats. 1000!!! ... I didn't quite get, yet, the part with bob's your aunty's husby, but that's probably not so important ..

I had a few emails back and forth on the topic with DKB over the last hours: A few things, that might be noteworthy to mention here:

1. DKB currently can't process English written emails. They were apologizing for it, but that's what they wrote me yesterday.
2. DKB wrote me today they're getting DKB-Cash account applications on a daily basis from people living in the UK having no problems filling in their postal code. The check routine on the DKB home page would be looking for an appropriate empty space in the postal code block for Großbrittanien.
3. DKB wrote they'd have a look at their online check routine for postal codes.

I knew this specialty with the empty space in the UK ZIP, filled in accordingly, and never ever was able to finish some test Antrag successfully ... and wrote a relatively detailed report on when it failed to DKB. Let's see ...

Whatever: Woo, I hope you'll let us know when you're part of the club ... :)

I'll have a beer or 2 on that (well: two .. :) this evening ... :)

Congratulations again, and I really hope things go all well ..

Oh: and you still can walk into a Sparkasse, just in case ... tho' I'm not sure there is one at all around here. And if you want I'll go there with you. I'll try to look funny and extremely stupid (I'm good on that, I swear ... :), so things will hopefully become a little more bearable ... ;)