Best Free Credit Card in Germany [2024 List] - Navigate Germany
Due to rapid improvement in technology, people tend to have less cash and prefer to have a credit card in their pocket for ease and comfort. If you are an expat in germany, get your free credit card today.
Benefits of Having a Credit Card
✅ Pay educational fees, mess charges, hostel dues, and other payments.
✅ Book flights and hotel reservations in advance to avoid delays and inconvenience.
✅ Make international payments without any hurdles.
✅ Quickly deal with emergencies.
✅ Pay your shopping bills instore or online.
✅ Build your credit rating through your credit card payments.
✅ Get insurance coverage such as travel insurance and get your money back in case of flight delays, lost luggage, or trip cancellation.
✅ Easy to make deposits and large payments anytime.
✅ Safer option to carry and withdraw money.
✅ Enjoy bonus or cashback on the collected purchase points.
✅ Safer online payments and greater protection to consumers.
✅ Offer contactless payment via Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Drawbacks of Having a Credit Card
Here are the disadvantages of having a credit card.
⛔ High interest rate when balance carry forward from one month to another.
⛔ Negative impact on your credit worthiness if you miss any repayment.
⛔ Possibility of tricks and techniques to steal credit card information.
⛔ Expensive to get advance cash due to increase in fees.
⛔ Annual fees and surcharges.
⛔ Overspending than your limits impacts budget.
Cost of Credit cards in germany
The cost of credit cards in Germany starts from zero and goes to hundreds of Euros per year. There are several banks that offer credit cards at affordable prices.
Is it Good to Have Multiple Credit Cards in Germany?
Do not have multiple credit cards in Germany. A private organization is responsible for your credit score which is known as SCHUFA. Have a limited number of credit cards to maintain a good credit score. Do not have more bank accounts in germany.
Beware !! Not all Country’s Passport is accepted by German Fintech Banks.
If you want to open a German Fintech Bank account, then some Banks don’t accept all passports including Pakistani passports. Confirm this before starting the registration process, because application rejection will have a negative impact on your schufa score. If rejected, go to traditional banks or try banks account from Wise and Revolut
Best Free Credit Cards
Here is the list of the best free credit cards in Germany.
- BMW Credit Card
- Barclays Credit Card
- Deutschland Credit Card Gold
- Deutschland Credit Card Classic
- Gebuhrenfrei Gold Master Card
- Hanseatic Genial Credit Card
- Hanseatic Gold Credit Card
- Santander 1 Plus Credit Card
Comparison Between Various Credit Cards
Comparison between different credit cards will make it easy for you to choose one credit card according to your needs. See the below table and choose one best option that suits you best.
# | Type of The Credit Card | Cost | Credit Card Provider |
1 | Santander 1 Plus Credit Card | No charges | Visa |
2 | Deutschland Credit Card Gold | No charges | Visa |
3 | Deutschland Credit Card Classic | No annual fee, 0 – 45 EUR for the first year | Visa |
4 | Gebuhrenfrei Gold Master Card | No charges | Visa |
5 | BMW Credit Card | No annual fee, 99 EUR for the premium card | Master card |
6 | Hanseatic Genial Credit Card | No annual fee | Visa |
7 | Hanseatic Gold Credit Card | No annual fee in the first year From Second Year - Also 0 € with a turnover of at least 3,000 €, otherwise 35 € |
Visa |
8 | Barclays Credit Card | No annual charges | Visa |
Features of These Credit Cards
Additional feature of these credit cards are mentioned below;
BMW Credit Card
BMW credit cards offer a 1% discount with 5% refund on all travel bookings. Their repayment installments are very flexible.
Barclays Credit Card
These cards are for non-EU nationals in Germany. They do not have to pay the foreign currency charges and can withdraw cash without paying the atm fee. Repayment is interest-free for 59 days. Direct deposit is also available.
Deutschland Credit Card Gold
There are no withdrawal charges linked to this credit card however ATM operator charges apply. It include travel health insurance, cancellation insurance, flight delay insurance, and baggage delay insurance.
Deutschland Credit Card Classic
Deutschland credit card classic offers a travel discount of 5% with 15% cashback for online shoppers.
Gebuhrenfrei Gold Mastercard
This card has a seven week payment term without any interest. Their customer service is freely available 24/7. Get a 5% refund for renting a car. 5% credit is available for travelers.
Hanseatic Genial Credit Card
You can have interest-free installments in the first three months with this credit card. Direct debit is also possible with these credit cards and there are no minimum sales requirements. Their service quality is TUV certified. These credit cards provide a credit limit of up to 2500 Euros.
Hanseatic Gold Credit Card
This credit card offers the highest travel protection along with foreign health insurance and smartphone insurance. Direct debit is also possible with these credit cards.
Santander 1 Plus Credit Card
This credit card offers a discount of 1% with a 5% refund on overall travel bookings. Monthly installments are very flexible to repay the credited amount.
Get Your Credit Card
The application process of almost all credit card providers is very simple and quick. Their teams are always ready to help their customers and guide them to get the best card according to their needs. Whatever credit card provider you choose, visit them in person or online to apply for a credit card and get it within days. Your provider might ask you for a video chat verification or a few important documents to verify your details. Getting a credit card is very easy with a German address and a good credit score.
Conclusion
Credit cards have made it super easy to make any kind of payment without any hassle or paperwork. Now, you do not have to keep cash in your wallet, have your credit card and purchase whatever you want. Credit offers greater protection during your travels.
Jibran Shahid
Hi, I am Jibran, your Fellow Expat living in Germany since 2014, With my 10 years of experience, my aim is to bring you the well researched guides about life in Germany