Second current account in Germany: four smart upgrades after you get started
By: Simon Heinrich – Last updated: 07/2026
What matters most to you?
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✈️ Travelling
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👨👩👧👦 Joint account
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💳 Cashback
Once your first account is up and running and your day‑to‑day life in Germany feels stable, you can optimize your setup intentionally. The goal isn’t to collect accounts – it’s to add one extra account for the specific job that matters most to you. In practice, that second account often becomes the one you use most, while your starter account stays in the background for fixed bills, salary payments, or monthly transfers from a blocked account. A second account is also a safety net: your card can get retained by an ATM, blocked for security reasons, or you might temporarily lose access to online banking. If you only have one account, that can immediately create friction in everyday life – paying in stores, withdrawing cash, or keeping essential direct debits running. With a backup account (and ideally a second card), you stay flexible and can handle these situations with much less stress.
For help about how to open a bank account, take a look at our article How to Open a German Bank Account: Step-by-Step Guide.
Second bank account in Germany: four smart upgrades after you get started
By: Simon Heinrich – Last updated: 02/2026
What do you want to improve?
travel-friendly bank account
For hotels/car rentals and spending abroad – ideally with strong card features and low foreign‑currency costs.
Account with in-person branch service
If you want branch access and in‑person service; some accounts can be free if you meet the conditions.
Joint account
Keep shared household expenses separate from personal spending – both partners can pay with their own card.
Cashback
For cashback in Germany, a suitable credit card is usually a better lever than changing your current account.
Once your first account is up and running and your day‑to‑day life in Germany feels stable, you can optimize your setup intentionally. The goal isn’t to collect accounts – it’s to add one extra account for the specific job that matters most to you. In practice, that second account often becomes the one you use most, while your starter account stays in the background for fixed bills, salary payments, or monthly transfers from a blocked account. A second account is also a safety net: your card can get retained by an ATM, blocked for security reasons, or you might temporarily lose access to online banking. If you only have one account, that can immediately create friction in everyday life – paying in stores, withdrawing cash, or keeping essential direct debits running. With a backup account (and ideally a second card), you stay flexible and can handle these situations with much less stress.
On this page you’ll find:
Our four criteria
To avoid getting stuck in endless comparisons, focus on four practical criteria:
- Easy access to cash: You should be able to withdraw cash reliably in Germany – and, if needed, abroad.
- Free account fees with realistic conditions: “Free with conditions” is fine as long as the requirements (e.g., monthly incoming payments) match your situation.
- Large, reputable institutions: For standing orders and direct debits, reliability matters more than fancy features.
- Smooth account opening & identification: Ideally a straightforward identification flow – either via the already familiar PostIdent (often more predictable than video calls) or, where available, via the eID function of your electronic residence permit.
Travelling: an extra account for life on the go
If you travel frequently – or you often pay or withdraw cash outside the euro zone – a travel‑focused account can be a real quality‑of‑life upgrade: better card options, clearer fees, and fewer surprises when you’re abroad.
What to look for:
- Foreign‑currency fees for card payments
- Rules/fees for cash withdrawals abroad
- Whether you actually need a “real” credit card (for deposits at hotels/car rentals), or if a simpler setup is enough
Recommendation: Consorsbank
Consorsbank markets its current account with “free choice of card,” including a free credit card – often a key feature for travel. The account is free for people under 31 or with monthly incoming payments of at least 700 Euro per calendar month.
Link-Platzhalter:
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Interner Ratgeber/Details: Reise-Konto: So wählst du richtig
Branch service: when you want to handle things in person
If branch access matters to you – for example, because you prefer dealing with certain issues face‑to‑face – a traditional branch option can be a useful add‑on, even if you mainly use online banking.
What to look for:
- Can you meet the “free account” conditions long‑term?
- What happens in months where you fall below the threshold (fees)?
- Do you really need a branch regularly, or only “just in case”?
- Is there actually a branch near you?
Recommendation: Postbank
With Postbank “Giro extra plus,” account management is free if you have 3,000 Euro in cashless incoming payments per calendar month. If incoming payments are up to 2,999.99 Euro, the account costs 11.90 Euro per month. You can use the branch finder to check branch availability.
Link-Platzhalter:
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Interner Ratgeber/Details: Filialkonto: Für wen lohnt sich das?
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Extern: Postbank – Details & Konditionen
Joint account: separating personal and shared spending cleanly
For couples and families, a joint household account is often the biggest “organization win.” Rent, utilities, childcare, groceries—everything shared runs through one account, while personal spending remains separate.
What to look for:
- Conditions for free account fees (e.g., incoming payments)
- True equal access for both people (separate logins, own cards)
- Clear internal rules: what counts as “household” vs. “personal”
Recommendation: DKB joint account
The DKB joint account is free for everyone under 28 or with monthly incoming payments of 700 Euro per calendar month. It includes separate online banking access for both people and two free Visa debit cards.
Link-Platzhalter:
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Interner Ratgeber/Details: Haushaltskonto: Setup für Paare
Cashback: typically better via credit cards
If you want ongoing cashback/rewards in Germany, options are limited in everyday use. In practice, many workable setups revolve around American Express plus partner programs like PAYBACK.
What to look for:
- Acceptance in daily life (Amex isn’t accepted everywhere like Visa/Mastercard)
- Whether your card spending is high enough for rewards to matter
- Whether you’ll actually use the points in a meaningful way
Direct recommendation: PAYBACK American Express
The PAYBACK American Express is free. You earn 1 PAYBACK point per 3 Euro of card spend (with exceptions such as gas stations). Points can be redeemed in different ways, including payouts once you reach a minimum threshold of 200 points (1point=1Cent).
If you mean cashback more as “discounts/benefits”, you can also look at the Postbank Giro pur (free from 900 Euro incoming payments per calendar month): it gives you access to the Postbank benefits world with over 100 partner offers. For classic cashback based on card spending, credit cards are usually better suited than current accounts because the benefits are linked directly to your card payments.
Link-Platzhalter:
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Interner Ratgeber/Details: Reise-Konto: So wählst du richtig
Next step: stay stable, then optimize deliberately
A good banking setup should feel boring: bills run smoothly, cash access is reliable, and you always know which account is for what. That’s why it usually works best to build this in steps – first a stable foundation, then one targeted upgrade (travel, branch access, household), and only then extras like cashback – rather than trying to pick the “perfect” account model on day one.