kosten.org editorial team
Last updated: 2026-03-13
68/100
Points

The gebührenfrei.de Mastercard Gold from Advanzia Bank is one of the few permanently free gold cards on the German market. It comes with travel insurance and no foreign-currency fees. We review whether the gold lives up to its promise.

Highlights of our gebührenfrei.de review

  • gebührenfrei.de scores 72/100 points in our rating – free gold with travel cover.
  • Permanently €0 – no annual fee despite gold status.
  • No foreign-currency fees when paying anywhere in the world.
  • Travel health, trip cancellation and luggage insurance included.

1 Annual fee & costs

16/20
Points
A permanently free Mastercard Gold – no annual fee, no conditions. The card is a revolving credit card with instalment repayment as standard. The interest rate for instalment repayment is 24.24% a year – one of the highest on the market. Be sure to switch to full repayment! Cash withdrawals are free in Germany and cost 4% abroad (minimum €5.95). Scoring (16/20): A free gold card is top. The extremely high revolving rate if instalment repayment is used carelessly costs points.

2 Cash withdrawals

10/20
Points
Free in Germany at all Mastercard cash machines. Abroad, fees of 4% (minimum €5.95) apply. That is a clear drawback compared with the easybank Visa (formerly Barclays), which is free worldwide. Scoring (10/20): Free in Germany, unfortunately expensive abroad. Only half convincing.

3 Paying worldwide

15/15
Points
No foreign-currency fees when paying – worldwide. That is a genuine unique selling point and makes the card ideal for travellers and online shoppers at international merchants. Mastercard acceptance at more than 100 million locations worldwide. Scoring (15/15): Full marks – no foreign-currency fees worldwide is unbeatable.

4 Bonus programme & extras

7/10
Points
No traditional bonus programme. Instead, a comprehensive travel insurance package: travel health insurance, trip cancellation insurance, luggage insurance and rental car insurance. Other providers often charge €50–100 a year for these benefits. Scoring (7/10): No points programme, but the insurance cover is real added value.

5 Security

6/10
Points
3D Secure for online payments. Card blocking by phone. Luxembourg supervision (CSSF). Deposit protection through the Luxembourg deposit guarantee fund (FGDL) of up to €100,000. Scoring (6/10): Solid security, but Luxembourg rather than German regulation.

6 App & management

4/10
Points
Management is primarily via the online portal. The app has 3.2 stars in the App Store and is limited in function. A transaction overview and repayment management are available. Apple Pay is supported, Google Pay is not. Scoring (4/10): Weak app rating, no Google Pay. Clearly behind the competition.

7 Customer service

4/8
Points
Phone support in German, but via Luxembourg. Email contact available. No branches. Availability is rated as average. Scoring (4/8): Reachable, but not outstanding. A Luxembourg head office can be a disadvantage when making complaints.

8 Acceptance & network

6/7
Points
Mastercard network with more than 100 million acceptance points worldwide. Contactless payment available. Apple Pay supported. No current account needed – settlement via any bank account. Scoring (6/7): Wide Mastercard acceptance. Deduction for the missing Google Pay.

Pros & cons at a glance

Pros

  • Permanently free Mastercard Gold
  • 0% foreign-currency fees worldwide
  • Travel insurance package included
  • Free cash withdrawals in Germany

Cons

  • High revolving interest rate (24.24%)
  • Cash abroad is expensive (4%)
  • Weak app
  • Luxembourg regulation

Conclusion: gebührenfrei.de review

68/100
Good (2.6)

The gebührenfrei.de Mastercard Gold scores 72 out of 100 points and is ideal for travellers: no annual fee, no foreign-currency fees and travel insurance included. Be sure to switch to full repayment to avoid the high revolving interest rate!

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