Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Revolut. Compare fees, insurance, services and find the best card for Germany.
This comparison examines 10 cards in Germany, among them DKB Visa Kreditkarte, Hanseatic GenialCard, ING Visa Debitkarte, Revolut Standard, across the Visa, Revolut, American Express networks. Three things genuinely separate one card from another, and the annual fee is only the first: next come the bundled insurances, trip cancellation, medical cover abroad, baggage, purchase protection, whose value often exceeds the fee as soon as you travel, and foreign exchange charges, which quietly cost 2 to 3 per cent of every purchase in another currency with traditional issuers and nothing at all with the neobanks. Payment and withdrawal limits matter too, and they are negotiable. The table compares them line by line, without an overall score: the right card for a frequent traveller is not the right card for someone who rarely leaves home. Anyone going abroad twice a year usually saves more with a no-foreign-fee card than a premium card's insurance ever returns in claims.
Select 2 to 4 cards to compare side by side.
Visa
Mastercard
Amex
Revolut
| Criteria | DKB Visa Kreditkarte Standard | Hanseatic GenialCard Standard | Amex Platinum High-End |
|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | €2.49/month (€29.88/year) | €0, no conditions | €60/month (€720/year) |
Payment Limit/month | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
ATM Limit/week | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Within credit limit |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not included | Optional, paid | Travel insurance package (medical, cancellation, baggage, liability, accident) |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not included | Optional, paid | Included in the travel package |
Luggage Insurance | Not included | Not stated | Included in the travel package |
Purchase Protection | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Concierge Service | Not included; free emergency card and cash if lost abroad | Not stated | Platinum service |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Not stated | More than 1,550 airport lounges |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | Up to 8% of the trip price via the bank's travel portal | Membership Rewards: 1 point per euro spent |
International Acceptance | Very wide (Visa network) | Very wide (Visa network) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard, especially at small shops |
Overview of all cards. Scroll horizontally on mobile.
| Criteria | DKB Visa Kreditkarte Standard | Hanseatic GenialCard Standard | ING Visa Debitkarte Standard | Revolut Standard Standard | Revolut Plus Standard | American Express Card Premium | Revolut Premium Premium | Amex Platinum High-End | Revolut Metal High-End | Revolut Ultra High-End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Annual Fee | €2.49/month (€29.88/year) | €0, no conditions | Included with the ING current account (account terms apply) | Free | €2.99/month | €5/month (€60/year) | €8.99/month | €60/month (€720/year) | €15.99/month | €65/month |
Payment Limit/month | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) |
ATM Limit/week | Within credit limit | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Within credit limit | Up to balance (debit card) | Up to balance (debit card) |
Travel Insurance (Medical) | Not included | Optional, paid | Not stated | Not included in this plan | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Travel insurance package (medical, cancellation, baggage, liability, accident) | Travel insurance included per plan terms | Travel insurance included per plan terms |
Trip Cancellation Insurance | Not included | Optional, paid | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Included in the travel package | Not stated | Not stated |
Luggage Insurance | Not included | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Included in the travel package | Not stated | Not stated |
Purchase Protection | Not stated | Not stated | No credit protection (debit) | No credit protection (debit) | No credit protection (debit) | Not stated | No credit protection (debit) | Not stated | No credit protection (debit) | No credit protection (debit) |
Car Rental Insurance | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Concierge Service | Not included; free emergency card and cash if lost abroad | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Platinum service | Not stated | Not stated |
Airport Lounge Access | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Discounted lounge access | More than 1,550 airport lounges | Discounted lounge access | Unlimited access to partner lounges |
Cashback / Rewards | Not stated | Up to 8% of the trip price via the bank's travel portal | Not stated | RevPoints: 1 point per €10 spent | RevPoints: 1 point per €10 spent | Membership Rewards (points for rewards, travel or miles) | RevPoints at a higher rate than entry plans | Membership Rewards: 1 point per euro spent | RevPoints at an enhanced rate | RevPoints at the highest rate in the range |
International Acceptance | Very wide (Visa network) | Very wide (Visa network) | Very wide (Visa network) | Very wide (Mastercard network) | Very wide (Mastercard network) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard, especially at small shops | Very wide (Mastercard network) | Narrower than Visa or Mastercard, especially at small shops | Very wide (Mastercard network) | Very wide (Mastercard network) |
Explore the details of each type of coverage and service.
| Card | Travel Insurance (Medical) | Trip Cancellation Insurance | Luggage Insurance | Car Rental Insurance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
DKB Visa Kreditkarte | Not included | Not included | Not included | Not stated |
Hanseatic GenialCard | Optional, paid | Optional, paid | Not stated | Not stated |
ING Visa Debitkarte | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Standard | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Plus | Not included in this plan | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
American Express Card | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Premium | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Amex Platinum | Travel insurance package (medical, cancellation, baggage, liability, accident) | Included in the travel package | Included in the travel package | Not stated |
Revolut Metal | Travel insurance included per plan terms | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
Revolut Ultra | Travel insurance included per plan terms | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated |
* Cover depends on each card's terms; "Not stated" means the issuer does not mention it on its product page.
Our recommendations based on your usage profile.
You travel several times a year and want travel insurance plus airport lounge access.
More than 1,550 lounges, a travel insurance package and €770 of advertised annual credits, for €60 a month. Revolut Metal (€15.99/month): travel insurance, unlimited exchange and €800 of free withdrawals a month, with wider acceptance.
You want a free card for everyday use and travel.
No annual fee, no bank fees for payments and withdrawals abroad. Beware of instalments (18.30% effective rate): repay the full balance. Revolut Standard: free, €200 of free withdrawals a month and fee-free exchange up to €1,000 a month.
You pay a lot by card and want points you can convert into miles.
Membership Rewards for €5 a month, free from year two depending on spend. Amex Platinum: 1 point per euro and a welcome bonus of up to €340 in total, but a €720 annual fee.
You want a credit card linked to your German current account.
€2.49 a month, free payments and withdrawals worldwide, €30 bonus for a first card applied for by 31/12/2026. ING Visa Debitkarte: included with the account, free in euros but 2.20% outside the eurozone.
Girocard (formerly EC-Karte) is the national debit card supplied with most German current accounts. It is mainly used in Germany. For online shopping, hotel bookings, car rental and travel, a Visa, Mastercard or American Express card is still needed.
A debit card (ING Visa Debitkarte, Revolut) charges the account immediately. A credit card (DKB, Hanseatic, Amex) groups spending and debits it once a month, or offers instalment repayment with interest. Some car rental firms require a true credit card for the deposit.
Merchant fees are higher than for Visa and Mastercard, whose interchange fees are capped in the European Union (0.2% debit, 0.3% credit). Hotels, large retailers and online shops often accept it; for bakeries, taxis and small restaurants, carry a Visa or Mastercard.
Yes. The Hanseatic GenialCard has no annual fee, with no conditions, and charges nothing for payments or withdrawals abroad. Instalment repayment from 3% a month is possible: without full repayment, the effective rate is 18.30%. The DKB Visa Kreditkarte costs €2.49 a month, with a €30 bonus for a first card applied for by 31/12/2026.
Revolut is handy for travel: fee-free exchange up to €1,000 a month on the free plan, unlimited from Premium (€8.99/month), apart from the weekend markup on Standard and Plus. A German current account is still useful for Girocard, salary, direct debits and Schufa. Many people combine both.
The free or entry-level cards compared here include no travel insurance. Revolut Metal and Ultra include it, and Amex Platinum offers a full package (medical, cancellation, baggage). Read the terms: limits, excesses and the requirement to pay for the trip with the card. For a long stay outside Europe, a dedicated Auslandskrankenversicherung is safer.
The DKB Visa Kreditkarte and Hanseatic GenialCard charge nothing for payments worldwide; Revolut applies its rate without a fee within plan limits. The ING Visa Debitkarte charges 2.20% outside the eurozone. Always decline the conversion offered by the terminal or ATM and pay in the local currency.
Spending with the American Express Card or Amex Platinum earns Membership Rewards points (1 point per euro with the Platinum). They convert into rewards, travel or partner airline miles. A point is generally worth more as miles than as vouchers.
The German bank card market has a feature unique in Europe: the Girocard (formerly EC-Karte). This national payment network, run by German banks, comes with most current accounts. Visa and Mastercard are gaining ground, and banks are gradually replacing Girocard with Visa or Mastercard debit cards, but some merchants still accept only Girocard. Neobanks such as N26 or Revolut issue only Visa or Mastercard cards.
Germans have traditionally preferred cash (Bargeld), but card use is growing fast. Sparkassen (municipal savings banks) and Volksbanken (cooperative banks) issue most Girocards. Online banks often supply a Visa debit card with the account, but their fees outside the eurozone differ: the ING Visa Debitkarte charges 2.20%, while the DKB Visa Kreditkarte (€2.49/month) is free for payments worldwide. The Schufa score determines eligibility for a credit card.
Three card types coexist: Girocard for everyday payments in Germany, Visa or Mastercard debit cards for online and foreign purchases, and credit cards (Kreditkarte) for hotel bookings and car rental. Travel insurance is reserved for paid high-end cards (Amex Platinum, Revolut Metal and Ultra). Neobanks N26, Vivid Money and Revolut attract users with their apps and low exchange fees. Dynamic currency conversion (DCC) offered abroad remains a trap: always pay in the local currency.
EU rules cap interchange fees at 0.2% (debit) and 0.3% (credit). Girocard is usually included with the Girokonto, whose price depends on the bank and conditions (incoming payments, age). Withdrawals are free at your own network's ATMs (Sparkassen, Volksbanken, Cash Group, CashPool) and often charged elsewhere. Outside the eurozone, payment fees range from zero (DKB Visa Kreditkarte, Hanseatic GenialCard) to 2.20% (ING Visa Debitkarte). BaFin supervises issuers, and deposits are protected up to €100,000 under EU deposit insurance.
For everyday use in Germany, a Girocard or debit card is still useful alongside a credit card. For travel, choose a card with no fees abroad (DKB Visa Kreditkarte, Hanseatic GenialCard, Revolut within plan limits). With the GenialCard, always repay the full balance to avoid interest. If you want lounges and insurance, weigh the Amex Platinum's annual cost (€720) against its advertised credits. Finally, check that your network's ATMs are close to where you live.
* Fees collected in October 2026 from issuers' official pages (DKB, Hanseatic Bank, ING, American Express, Revolut). They may change: check with the issuer before applying. Supervised by BaFin. Deposits protected up to €100,000 (Einlagensicherung).