Comparison: Number26 better than DKB?
Often, comparisons declare one account as the winner. This depends on the criteria that one draws up as editors. Does it really help you?
This comparison is different! In any case, these are two absolute top accounts. The question is not which is better, but which suits you better!
Our comparison will help you making the right decision.
 DKB |
 Number26 |
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|---|---|---|
| The most sought features | ||
| Account management |
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| Withdrawing |
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| Cards |  1 or 2 Visa Cards free of charge  1 Girocard (V Pay), free of charge |
 1 MasterCard free of charge planned is a „Kombicard“ (combination of cards) with debit feature |
| The most significant differences | ||
| Account type | Current account with overdraft facility and credit line D. h. this means up to Euros 15,000 loan on account and credit card are possible at a corresponding creditworthiness and income. |
Current account on credit base Prepaid: all money that wants to be spent, must be transferred to the account previously. |
| Foreign transaction fee |
At cash withdrawals at the ATM, no foreign transaction fee is charged. |
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| Availability | by phone around the clock (24/7) or by e-mail / post | by phone from Mon–Fri 9:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. or by e-mail |
| Emergency card |
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| Further differences between DKB and Number26 | ||
| Cash withdrawals with the credit card | Euros 1,000 per day and credit card (2 Cards = Euros 2,000) | Euros 600 per day (up to Euros 2,000 per week) |
| maximum card charging | unlimited | up to Euos 25,000 per day |
| maximum card payment | unlimited | 2 × Euros 4,000 per month (offline / online) |
| Transfers | Transfers possible worldwide | Transfers currently only within the SEPA-area, expansion is planned |
| Card transactions | Visa credit card collects them without interest until the automatic monthly settlement with the current account | Card transaction are immediately debited from the current account (debit-system) |
| Interest | Credit interest (Visa-Savings) Loan interest (if current account is in the red) |
interest-free account |
| Refund of foreign charges |
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| Joint account |
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| Language | German | German / English |
| Blocking of the credit card | around the clock via the telephone customer service | anytime (partial) blocking and un-blocking of the credit card possible through the banking-app (instructions, german article) |
| Complementing products | Securities account, Junior account, Loans | still in planning |
| Similarities (clearly less than differences) | ||
| What both offer |
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| Account opening (important to know!) | ||
| Creditworthiness check |
About 65 % pass this check; find tips here. |
No Schufa-query, no questions on income– at more than 99 % of successful applications on account opening, one can speak of an account opening guarantee. |
| Application on account opening | online | online (german article) |
| Legitimating (identity check) | from Germany | |
| • via video-chat (WebID) or • PostIdent-procedure |
• via video-chat or • PostIdent-procedure |
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| from abroad | ||
| • via video-chat (IDs in German language) • Legitimating of bank, notary or lawyerlegitimation |
• via video-chat (many ID-cards) | |
| Application on account opening is accepted from: | ||
| • Germany, Austria, Switzerland (any nationality) • worldwide for German citizens |
• Address (for sending the credit card) Germany or Austria (any nationality) | |
| Further requirements | – | modern Smartphone |
| Starting the account opening |  (read more information) |
(read more information) |
My personal conclusion
Although, at first glance, both accounts are free of charge and both bear the costs of your cash withdrawals around the world, there are a lot of differences. Some differences will be important to you, others won´t.
It depends on which features are important to you!
I was asked by some of my readers (before I set up this comparison), if they should cancel their DKB account, because Number26 is offering almost the same thing, but appears somehow hipper.
I want to warn you, because whoever cancels the account at the DKB (article in German language), will probably never ever get an account at this bank again. This is the policy of the bank.
Perhaps, you want to join me and use both accounts and credit cards for different purposes. Thanks to the presented differences – see comparison – the DKB and Number26 complement each other beautifully.
DKB and Number26 complement each other beautifully!
Example 1
For example, you can withdraw cash free of charge USA with the DKB Visa credit card at the ATMs (you can do this with Number26 too), but you will get a refund of the local ATM-fees on request from the DKB.
In contrast, it makes more sense to use the N26 MasterCard for credit card payments in foreign currencies abroad, as it does not charge the foreign transaction fee. The DKB charges 1.75%.
Example 2
Use the DKB Visa credit card for payments within Germany, but you should pay for purchases on the Internet with the MasterCard of Number26.
Do you remember the press outcry, when millions of credit card details were stolen from SONY? This happens in smaller online stores on a daily basis and is a latent danger for anyone, who uses the credit card on the Internet.
With the distinction between offline and online transactions, you can greatly reduce this risk. Thanks to the blocking and un-blocking feature of the N26 app, you can even un-block the MasterCard right before a card payment and block it afterwards again. Number26 really solved that issue well.
If you have to decide: Take both!
Video summary of the comparison DKB vs. N26
Maybe you want to help that this comparison will be read by more readers. For this purpose, I have produced especially this video… multimedia content can be shared even easier, right? The video is in German language with English subtitle:
Suscribe for the channel? www.DeutschesKonto.TV
Link to the provider ⇒ DKB: www.dkb.de | Number26: www.number26.de
The idea for this comparison comes from a fan (page in German language) of this special portal. Thanks a lot for it! You can see that this site is “alive“ and can be further developed with your help. Take the opportunity e.g. to supplement this comparison with your notes and experiences.
We love the commitment of smart bank customers, as this advances oneself and others mentally and often practically. Thank you!
Excellent comparison and examples! I implore you to keep it updated as the accounts change to keep it awesome 😀
Thank you for this great comparison. I have chosen the DKB, because I have heard that the DKB cancelled the foreign transaction fee and N26 has implemented it.
This is an outstanding decision, many thanks for this posting here!
In fact, N26 has worsened its conditions several times in the past months.
At the DKB, there were also changes, however, to a great extend – partially even very obviously – positive for us bank customers 🙂 Here is the current overview: https://www.deutscheskonto.org/en/new-dkb-conditions/
I checked out both and n26 seem to have a catch when it comes to withdrawing and depositing. I think I might go with dkb despite I just want a simple checking account where I can deposit and withdraw,dkb makes it seems easier to link up with PayPal as well which will make transfering easier
Hello I believe that you should update the table as both banks have implememnted the active customer initiative.
Thanks
Hey, hey. This is a blog post (like a journal) and marked with a date. Just like with yesterday’s newspaper, we do not change our entries afterwards, either. But one can use the comments feature to continue writing about further developments. Smart banking customers help us – and especially each other – by doing so.
One more advantage of DKB VISA credit card: you can rent cars with it. You could also with the N26 free card, but if they see it is a debit type of card, they won’t allow you to rent a car (personal experience, summer 2018).
Thanks!