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GEFA Bank

Experiences, reviews and information about the provider

BaFin-regulated Wuppertal

Details

Pros

  • German deposit protection plus the voluntary BdB deposit protection fund
  • Free account management in the deposit business
  • Very high investment ceiling even for large amounts
  • Long-established bank with a clear business model in Mittelstand lending

Cons

  • High minimum investment on call money and fixed-term deposits
  • No current account, no cards, no securities business
  • No branch offering for private customers
  • The change of owner in 2025 means a new group background

Fact sheet: GEFA Bank

Company nameGEFA Bank
Founded1949
HeadquartersWuppertal
Country🇩🇪 Germany
BaFin-regulated Yes
Deposit protection €100,000
Typedirektbank
Website gefa-bank.de *

About GEFA Bank

GEFA BANK GmbH, based in Wuppertal, was founded in 1949 and specialises in financing and leasing capital goods for the Mittelstand (small and medium-sized businesses). For a long time it belonged to the French Société Générale; as part of the sale of the Société Générale Equipment Finance division, it moved to the French Groupe BPCE in 2025. GEFA Bank has offered deposit products to private customers since 2012, specifically a call money account (Tagesgeld, instant-access savings) and fixed-term deposits (Festgeld) with staggered terms; the funds collected refinance the corporate business. As a German bank, GEFA Bank is supervised by BaFin (the German financial regulator) and is covered by statutory German deposit protection through the Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken (EdB); it is also a member of the voluntary deposit protection fund of the Association of German Banks (BdB). Because of the comparatively high minimum investment, the offer is aimed more at savers with larger amounts.

Special features

  • Part of the French Groupe BPCE since 2025, previously Société Générale
  • Private customer deposits refinance the bank's Mittelstand business
  • Member of the deposit protection fund of the Association of German Banks
  • Founded in 1949, one of the oldest providers in the German leasing and investment financing market

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