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easybank (ehemals Barclays) review 2026

How good is easybank (ehemals Barclays) really?

BaFin-regulated 74/100 points
kosten.org editorial team
Last updated: 2026-09-09
74/100
Points

The easybank Visa – known as the Barclays Visa until February 2026 – is one of the most popular free credit cards in Germany. The background to the name change: the Barclays Group sold its German retail business to the BAWAG Group at the start of 2025, and since the beginning of February 2026 it has operated as easybank. Terms, contract and login details have remained unchanged, existing Barclays cards stay valid and will be replaced automatically by the end of 2027 at the latest. The card is still issued without a requirement for a current account and offers free cash withdrawals worldwide. We rate it using our 100-point methodology for credit cards.

Highlights of our easybank (ehemals Barclays) review

  • easybank (formerly Barclays) scores 74/100 points in our rating – a strong free credit card offer.
  • Permanently €0 annual fee with no conditions.
  • Free cash withdrawals worldwide – one of the best offers.
  • Flexible instalment repayment with a 0% interest promotion for new customers.

1 Annual fee & costs

18/20
Points
The easybank Visa is permanently free – no annual fee, no hidden costs. New customers get a 0% interest promotion on purchases for the first 3 months. After that, the revolving interest rate for instalment repayment is 18.38% a year. Important: instalment repayment is activated by default – anyone who wants to pay off the full amount each month has to set the repayment rate to 100%. Scoring (18/20): Permanently free with a fair new-customer promotion. Only the high revolving rate for the unwary costs points.

2 Cash withdrawals

18/20
Points
Free cash withdrawals worldwide – at all Visa cash machines. No limit on the number of withdrawals. Equally free in Germany and abroad. That is one of the best cash offers on the credit card market. Cash cannot be deposited. Scoring (18/20): Outstanding – free worldwide with no limit. Full marks narrowly missed because of the lack of a deposit option.

3 Paying worldwide

12/15
Points
No foreign-currency fees apply in the eurozone. Outside the eurozone, easybank charges a foreign-use fee of 1.99%. That is customary in the market, but not ideal for frequent travellers. Visa acceptance is excellent worldwide, with more than 130 million acceptance points. Scoring (12/15): Good eurozone terms, but 1.99% outside the euro area is not top.

4 Bonus programme & extras

2/10
Points
No bonus programme, no cashback function, no insurance. The easybank Visa is a pure basic credit card without extras. For customers who expect miles, points or insurance cover, that is a drawback. Scoring (2/10): No bonuses, no cashback, no insurance. A purist card without extras.

5 Security

7/10
Points
3D Secure for online payments. Instant card blocking via the app. With the move to the BAWAG Group, statutory deposit protection of up to €100,000 applies, plus currently €3 million via the German deposit protection fund – previously the British FSCS applied. The provider is BAWAG AG, German branch, in Hamburg; the group is supervised by the Austrian FMA and the ECB, and the German branch additionally by BaFin. Scoring (7/10): Good security standards and much better deposit protection than in Barclays days. Points deducted because the main supervision is abroad.

6 App & management

6/10
Points
The easybank app (formerly the Barclays app, updated automatically) offers card management, a transaction overview and repayment settings. 3.8 stars in the App Store. Push notifications on transactions. The repayment rate can be switched flexibly between instalment repayment and full repayment. Scoring (6/10): Functional app with all the necessary features. Not as polished as neobank apps.

7 Customer service

4/8
Points
Phone support in German. Online chat available. No branches in Germany. The Trustpilot rating (2.2 stars) points to room for improvement in service. Scoring (4/8): Reachable, but poor customer ratings.

8 Acceptance & network

7/7
Points
Visa network with more than 130 million acceptance points worldwide. Apple Pay and Google Pay are supported. Contactless payment available. No current account needed – the card can be settled from any German account. Scoring (7/7): Maximum acceptance through the Visa network. No current account requirement.

Pros & cons at a glance

Pros

  • Permanently €0 annual fee
  • Free cash withdrawals worldwide
  • No current account required
  • 0% interest for new customers

Cons

  • No bonus programme or cashback
  • 1.99% foreign-currency fee outside the eurozone
  • Instalment repayment as the default
  • Poor service ratings

Conclusion: easybank (ehemals Barclays) review

74/100
Good (2.3)

The easybank Visa scores 74 out of 100 points and is an excellent choice for customers looking for a free credit card with free cash withdrawals worldwide. Anyone who needs bonus programmes or premium features should go for American Express or DKB.

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