I've been with Commerzbank for years and pay so much in fees every year for my checking account. I've heard that DKB and ING don't charge account fees, but do you need a minimum deposit or something like that?
Switching would probably be worth it for you if you're paying regular fees at Commerzbank. I know several people from my village who did exactly that, and they save a decent amount of money each year. With DKB you don't need a minimum deposit for the free checking account, and neither does ING - they've got really generous conditions. With ING it's basically so that the account is completely fee-free, and with DKB too, as long as you're getting money in regularly or making card transactions, but honestly you don't need much for that. My husband switched two years ago and didn't have any problems with it.
The only thing you should watch out for: take a look at what else is important to you. Do you need lots of ATMs near you? DKB has a huge network, ING does too, but not equally good everywhere. Some people also still have standing orders or insurance tied to their old bank - you just have to keep an eye on that. But if it's mainly about the account fees for you, I'd say: go ahead and switch. It's really not that much effort, and these days the banks make it relatively easy for you digitally.
With both banks you don't need a minimum deposit, that's a big plus!
But watch out - a lot of people miss the fact that the conditions for free accounts at online banks are often tied to certain things, like at least two incoming transfers a month or that you actively use the card. If you then don't do anything for months, the fees can come back! Otherwise, switching from Commerzbank is definitely worth it if you have to pay regularly there - that's just throwing money away for no reason
If you're paying fees regularly, switching is definitely worth it. I'm more of a practical type myself and I've been putting off stuff like switching banks for ages, but if you're losing money every year, that's just stupid. With DKB and ING you normally don't need a minimum deposit for a free checking account - it's just like that. DKB is actually pretty chill about it, they just want your account to not be completely dead. With ING I think you need either regular deposits coming in or a credit card, but you should double-check their website on that one because stuff changes every now and then.
The only thing that gets on my nerves with this kind of stuff is all the paperwork involved with switching, but honestly it goes faster these days than it used to. Most banks help you redirect your standing orders and stuff. Reading your question, I'm thinking - if you've been paying there for years, we could easily be talking about saving several hundred euros a year. That's real money you could use for more important things. So I'd say just do it. It's 2026 now and free accounts are completely normal by this point.
At DKB you actually do need regular income, but that's often overblown - even 200-300€ a month is enough, doesn't have to be much.
ING is similar, except they can have somewhat stricter conditions depending on how old your account is.
Honestly, switching away from Commerzbank is totally worth it if you're constantly losing money there 💶 I wouldn't drag my feet too long, because those few euros you save add up pretty decently over the years.
Log into answer.
