ATMs in Germany [Geldautomat 2024] - Navigate Germany

Looking for cash management in Germany? No worries, you will find around 100,000 ATMs to manage your daily transactions in Germany.

Cash Withdrawal Defined

Cash withdrawal is converting money in your bank account into cash to meet your daily expenses.

Cash Withdrawal Methods

1. Withdrawal with ATM
2. Withdrawal from Bank
3. Withdrawal through Cashback

Withdrawal with ATM

Cash withdrawal through an ATM is simple and easy: inserting your card in the machine, typing in your PIN and the amount you need to withdraw, and getting your cash and card.

Withdrawal from Bank

Cash withdrawal can be challenging as you must visit the bank during open hours. You will request an employee in the bank to process your cash withdrawal request. He will check the bank details and the available funds in your bank account before giving you cash. Before you visit a bank for cash withdrawal, you must know your transaction limit so you can manage your budget well.

Withdrawal Through Cashback

Cash back facility is available at various retail stores where you can add the amount to your shopping bills and get the cash in return.

Find ATM in Germany

Geldautomat is German word for ATM. When looking for the nearest ATM spot, type “Geldautomat near me” in Google.

Major Banks Offering ATM Facility

Three major banks in Germany offer ATM facilities and have ATMs at different locations. These ATMs are located inside or outside of every bank, airport, fuel filling station, and shopping mall. You can use online locators to locate these ATMs, such as;

1. Postbank ATM locator
2. Commerzbank ATM locator
3. Deutsche Bank ATM locator

Money Withdrawal Process From ATMs in Germany

Due to technological advancement, ATMS withdrawals made it easy to get cash in hand. Here is the complete process to withdraw money from an ATM in Germany.

• Insert your card into the ATM
• Select your language
• Input your PIN and select the transaction type
• Enter the desired amount and press enter
• Get your card and collect cash from the ATM

Bank cards in germany

Whether you have a foreign debit or credit card, you can use any of the cards to withdraw cash from ATMs in Germany. You can confirm from your home bank if you can make a transaction in Germany. It does not matter if your card has a chip, pin, or magnetic strip, your card will work in Germany. If you are moving abroad, you must inform your hom bank to have smooth transactions and bank services in Germany. If you do not inform your home bank, they might block your card and consider the transaction in Germany as suspecious.

You will find only numbers on the keyboard in German ATMs so do not forget your four-digit PIN (personal identification number)to make smooth transactions. Your debit or credit card will work in a German ATM if the card is relevant to the compatible card service. If you have a Visa or Mastercard, check the compatibility from your ATM which will have the logo of your network on it. If the logo is not on the ATM, you need to move to another ATM by using an online locator for example Visa ATM locator or MasterCard ATM locator near you..

Charges to Use ATMs in Germany

There are three kinds of charges to use an ATM in Germany. These charges are not hidden as your ATM will generate an alert to inform you about these charges whenever you make a transaction. These charges include;

• Local fees
• Exchange rate fee
• Home bank fee

Local Fees

Banks in Germany do not charge any fee but private ATMs have fees for foreigners in Germany. When you move to Germany, do not forget to check if your ATM is by a bank or a private facility. There will be no logo, bank name, or brand on private ATMs such as Cashpoint, Euronet, Cash Zone, or Travelex.

Exchange Rate Fee

An exchange rate fee applies when a transaction is made from your card at a German ATM. Banks usually use the mid-market rate when converting cash from one currency to another. Do not make transactions in your home currency because of the different exchange rates and dynamic currency conversion, so always make your transactions in Euros.

Home Bank Fee

This fee applies when you use your home bank card abroad. Every bank has different charges and your local bank can tell you if you want to know your home bank fee. When you are abroad, you will pay a withdrawal fee or a foreign currency transaction fee.

How to Avoid ATM Charges

Follow these tips to avoid ATM fees in Germany;

• Get a fee-free card from your home bank
• Make larger withdrawals rather than making frequent withdrawals to avoid fees per transaction. Ask your bank to increase your transaction limit to make one larger transaction.
• Use global ATM alliance machines
• Do not use credit cards as they are cash advances. Prepaid credit cards are highly expensive and charge up to 3% of the transaction amount, so use debit cards only.
• Use wise to transfer money because of the mid-market exchange rate.
• Prefer cash groups that offer access to the member banks and you can have a free transaction.

Conclusion

It is not easy to have cash in hand all the time so everyone is carrying a card in his/her pocket which makes it easy to withdraw cash anytime, anywhere. Be careful when you are using ATMs in Germany and if there are alerts, check them carefully.