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by Udo 3775 days ago
I'm a (german) DB customer as well, and I can't say I share a lot of these experiences.

> Buggy app and web interface, sometimes the login fails or hangs randomly

This never happened to me, maybe I'm just lucky. There used to be a problem with the web interface when you entered the banking system's URL without "https://" but that's not really the same.

> The way to authorise online transactions is with a piece of paper with 100 codes printed on it (TAN list)

I think the TAN list is just there to get you started (and for some technophobic Germans). I used it to set up SMS TANs immediately, and I think there is still an option for a dedicated TAN generator device (at least there used to be). Don't use the TAN list!

> Stupid useless cards. The default account (€5/month) comes with a card (EC Karte) that can only be used at German ATMs and in most German stores.

An EC Card is the thing you need to go shopping in Germany. It's entirely appropriate for this country, and contrary to what you claim it works just fine internationally (at least mine does). While it's true that some banks offer a separate VISA credit card, it shouldn't be a problem for you to get one elsewhere. As for VISA debit cards, I'm not sure if those even exist in Germany.

3 comments

Actually most of the time German VISA and MasterCards work as a debit card. Payments are cleared from your checking account / Giro, instantly or nightly, so you are never really in debt, rather than being a second account that is always negative and partially or fully paid off each month. I am not sure which type is more common, but I usually ended up with the debit card style.
Actually the TAN list is probably more secure than SMS TAN and push TAN, which have been hacked in the past.
> Don't use the TAN list!

What's behind this recommendation?