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The best credit cards compared 2026
Our credit card comparison currently lists 27 cards, sorted by permanent annual fee. The easybank Visa is highlighted: according to easybank there is no annual fee, no foreign currency fee and no withdrawal fee (cash in euros from €50); ATM operators may still charge their own fees. If you repay in instalments you pay interest (effective annual interest according to easybank 21.51%, as of 10/2026). Note that these are German providers and the conditions apply to customers living in Germany.
Fee-free alternatives include the gebührenfrei.de Mastercard GOLD, the awa7 Visa or the Hanseatic GenialCard (caution: withdrawals in Germany cost €3.95 each with the GenialCard). The DKB Visa Card is a debit card linked to the DKB current account – transactions are debited from the account immediately. Above all, compare cash withdrawal fees, foreign currency fees and the interest rate on instalment repayment: that is exactly where the “free” cards differ.
What is a “real” credit card?
With a real credit card (also called a revolving card) you receive a short-term loan. Your purchases are collected and settled once a month. You then have a choice: either repay the full amount or pay in instalments.
💡 Tip: switch on full repayment
Many credit cards have instalment payment switched on by default. That means you only repay a minimum amount and the rest accrues interest – often at over 15% p.a. So be sure to switch to full repayment!
Card types at a glance
- Credit card (revolving): a real credit card with an instalment option
- Charge card: monthly statement, repaid in full
- Debit card: charged to your account immediately, like a bank card
- Prepaid card: can only be used with a topped-up balance
What costs do credit cards involve?
The cost of a credit card is made up of several components:
- Annual fee: €0 to several hundred euros (premium cards with insurance)
- Foreign currency fee: 0% to around 3% of the amount spent in a foreign currency
- Cash withdrawal fee: €0 to 4% per withdrawal
- Borrowing interest: 10% to 25% p.a. on instalment repayment
With our calculator above you can work out the actual monthly cost of each credit card based on how you use it.
Advantages of a credit card
- Worldwide acceptance: Visa and Mastercard are accepted in over 200 countries
- Suitable for deposits: often required for rental cars and hotels
- Extra benefits: travel insurance, bonus programmes, cashback
- Contactless payment: Apple Pay and Google Pay integration
- Buyer protection: chargeback in case of fraud or non-delivery
Disadvantages of a credit card
- Risk of debt: instalment payment can get expensive
- Hidden costs: use abroad, cash, interest
- Not accepted everywhere: small shops, some countries
- Risk of fraud: online fraud through data misuse
How safe are credit cards?
Thanks to modern security standards such as 3D Secure 2.0, EMV chips and tokenisation, credit cards are very safe. For unauthorised transactions you are normally liable for no more than €50, and often not at all.
⚠️ Important: block your card if it is lost
If your credit card is stolen or lost, block it immediately via the emergency number 116 116 (free of charge from Germany) or directly in your provider's app.
How to apply for a credit card
- Compare: use our calculator to find the best card for you
- Apply: click “View offer” and fill in the online form
- Verify your identity: complete VideoIdent (video call) or PostIdent (at a post office)
- Activate: the card arrives by post within 5–10 days
Billing, interest-free periods and instalment payments in detail
With a credit card that is billed monthly, the issuer collects all transactions for a period and invoices them together. Depending on the purchase date, several weeks pass between the purchase and the debit date, during which you keep the use of your money. This interest-free period is not a permanent free loan: it depends on you settling the statement in full. Whether it applies, and for how long, is set out in the terms and conditions and the price and service list of the individual card.
If you pay only part of the balance, the actual credit begins. Legally this is a consumer loan under sections 491 ff. of the German Civil Code (BGB), for which the provider must supply the standard European consumer credit information in advance (section 491a BGB) and check your creditworthiness (section 505a BGB). A worked example using freely chosen sample values: if €1,000 of a €1,000 statement remains unpaid and the effective annual rate in this example is 15%, about €12.50 of interest is charged in the first month. If this repeats over a year, the cost adds up to more than €150 without the debt falling noticeably when only a small minimum amount is repaid.
You should therefore check with every new card whether full repayment by direct debit is set up. If your current account is not covered on the debit date, return-debit charges and sometimes default interest arise as well. A standing order to a settlement account or a sufficient buffer on the current account prevents this. You can dispute an incorrect SEPA direct debit within eight weeks of the charge (section 675x BGB).
Using a credit card abroad: exchange rate and fees
Outside the eurozone the issuer converts payments into euros. A foreign currency fee and the exchange rate used can both matter. Under Regulation (EU) 2019/518, providers must disclose the total mark-up over the European Central Bank reference rate for card payments in other EU currencies. This helps with comparisons, because a 0% fee is worth little if the exchange rate itself contains a large mark-up.
When paying abroad, terminals and cash machines sometimes ask whether you want to pay in euros or in the local currency. As a rule, choose the local currency. With euro billing (dynamic currency conversion) the terminal operator sets the rate, which is usually less favourable than your bank’s rate. Also expect cash withdrawals with a credit card to carry their own fee and to accrue interest from the day of withdrawal, because there is no interest-free period. If you travel often, check the terms for use abroad and for cash separately.
A short check before you leave is worthwhile: is the card enabled for your destination, are the payment and withdrawal limits sufficient, and do you have the blocking number to hand? Many car hire firms and hotels require a genuine credit card with a credit limit for deposits, so a debit or prepaid card is sometimes not a solution there. A second card from a different network in your luggage protects against outages.
Credit check, Schufa and credit limit
For cards with a credit function the issuer checks your income and payment history before approving you. A request to credit reference agencies such as Schufa (Germany’s main credit bureau) is usual. A mere enquiry about terms is invisible to others, whereas an actual application can appear in your record as a credit enquiry. So do not apply to many providers at the same time: compare the terms first, then apply selectively.
The credit limit depends on your income and existing obligations. A high limit is not automatically an advantage: it can weigh on your creditworthiness in later loan applications, because banks treat it as potential debt even if you never use it. A lower limit that covers your monthly spending is the better choice for many people. You have the right to find out free of charge what data is stored about you: under Article 15 GDPR you can request information from Schufa and other agencies.
If your application is rejected and the decision is based on a credit report, the bank must tell you the main reasons on request. Then check your data for errors and have incorrect entries corrected. If you cannot get a card with a credit function, prepaid or debit cards, which need no credit limit, are an alternative.
Withdrawal, cancellation and complaints
If you apply online for a credit card with an instalment function, you generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal as a consumer (section 495 BGB in conjunction with section 355 BGB). The period only starts once you have received all the mandatory information. For cards without a credit function, you can cancel at any time: under section 675h BGB a framework contract for payment services may be terminated by the customer without notice, and the contract may stipulate a notice period of one month at most.
Before cancelling, wait for outstanding transactions, switch standing orders and subscriptions to another payment method and redeem bonus points or credit. If the card is stored for travel bookings or streaming services, a failed payment may otherwise follow. Note that with some providers the card is only closed once the last balance has been settled.
If you have a dispute with the issuer, you can first complain in writing. If that does not help, consumer arbitration bodies can assist, for example the arbitration board of the Deutsche Bundesbank or the ombudsman schemes of the banking associations. BaFin, the financial regulator, also supervises credit institutions and accepts consumer complaints. The procedure is generally free of charge for you.
Frequently asked questions
That depends on how you use it. For many users the easybank Visa is a good fit – no annual fee, no foreign currency fee and no withdrawal fee from the bank. If you often withdraw cash in Germany, check the withdrawal fees in the comparison above; if you want travel insurance, you are more likely to find it with paid Gold or Platinum cards.
There are many permanently free credit cards with no annual fee. Cards with travel insurance or a miles programme mostly cost between roughly €30 and €140 per year in our comparison; some cards are only cheaper in the first year (e.g. Eurowings Classic: €14.50 in the first year, €29 from the second year).
Most likely with a prepaid or debit card: they work on a balance basis, so many providers do not run a SCHUFA check (Germany's main credit bureau; an identity check is still mandatory). Example: the prepaid Mastercard from VIMpay. Some credit card banks do not check creditworthiness via SCHUFA but through other credit agencies (e.g. Instabank via Experian) – but a credit check still takes place there too. More in our prepaid credit card comparison.
Visa and Mastercard are equivalent – both are accepted in over 200 countries worldwide. The differences lie in the terms of the issuing bank, not in the network itself.
Often yes. With many real credit cards the interest-free period only applies to purchases; cash withdrawals – depending on the bank – accrue interest from the day of withdrawal or are charged a fee. Check the provider's list of prices and services. Debit and prepaid cards carry no credit interest because the amount is taken directly from your balance.
For unauthorised payments after loss or theft you are liable for a maximum of €50 under section 675v of the German Civil Code (BGB) – and not at all if you could not have noticed the loss or the payment was made without strong customer authentication. Full liability only applies in cases of intent or gross negligence, for example if the PIN was written on the card. So block the card immediately (app or 116 116).
With a charge card the balance falls due in full once a month and instalment payment is not possible. A revolving card lets you pay only part of it and charges interest on the rest. Check the terms to see which type the card is and which repayment method is preset.
When billing in euros, the terminal operator often sets the exchange rate, and it is usually less favourable than your card issuer’s rate. The local currency is therefore generally the cheaper choice.
An application for a card with a credit function can be recorded as a credit enquiry, and a high credit limit may be taken into account in later financing. The card itself does no harm if you settle your statements on time.
You can cancel the contract at any time under section 675h BGB, and the contract may specify a notice period of one month at most. Switch subscriptions and redeem bonus points beforehand so that no payment fails.