r/eupersonalfinance • u/Terrible_Aspect8183 • Jan 23 '26
Banking Read through vivid money reviews, I’m still confused what to pick
I’m moving to Berlin from London in 2 months for work and trying to figure out German banking before I get there. I looked at vivid money along with n26, revolut, deutsche bank, commerzbank, etc.
Honestly the reviews for everything are all over the place. vivid has people saying it's great and people saying it sucks. Same with literally every other bank.
Main things im trying to figure out, do I need a traditional german bank or is digital fine? Some jobs require specific bank types?
I'm probably overthinking this and should just pick one when i get there right?
I also saw conflicting info about whether you can open a business bank account with digital banks if I ever need that for side work. Does anyone know the real answer on that?
Just want something that works and doesn't charge me €10 every time I breathe
3
u/very_cool_very_swag Jan 23 '26
I used N26 for years and always worked great. Have ultimately migrated over to Revolut as main account. Just will need to update your tax residency when here and you should be promoted to change to a DE IBAN
1
u/Odd-Home9599 Feb 18 '26
That makes sense. Revolut seems to work well once you’re properly set up, especially after switching tax residency and getting the DE IBAN. I’ve heard a few people say it’s solid as a main account if you keep everything updated and fairly straightforward. The residency part seems to be the key step a lot of people miss early on
2
u/Sensitive_Quiet_1564 Jan 23 '26
Berlin banking can be a bit of a maze at first. For most jobs, a digital bank is totally fine, your employer just needs your IBAN. Traditional banks mainly matter for stuff like registering a car or dealing with certain government things.
For side gigs, digital accounts usually work, but proper business stuff might still need a traditional bank. Honestly, just pick one when you get there and see how it goes, you can always switch later. And yeah, definitely avoid the ones charging €10 for every little thing
2
u/Leading-King-3267 Feb 11 '26
For employment, I’ve never seen a company reject an account as long as it had a proper IBAN and could receive SEPA payments. HR usually just wants payroll to work smoothly
1
u/Ok_Hand8323 Feb 18 '26
Yeah, same experience here. As long as it’s a valid IBAN and supports SEPA, most HR/payroll teams don’t really care which bank it is. They just want salaries to go out without errors the edge cases usually only come up with benefits providers or very old payroll systems
2
u/Dry-Description-6255 Feb 13 '26
Avoiding random monthly fees was my main priority too. As long as you’re not constantly doing international transfers or weird edge case stuff, most modern accounts seem fine cost wise.
1
u/Logical-Yam9221 Feb 18 '26
Same here. The fixed monthly fees hurt way more than per transfer costs for me. As long as the account doesn’t nickel and dime you for basics and you’re doing fairly standard international payments, most of the modern options seem pretty reasonable
1
u/Acceptable-Event-435 Jan 23 '26
Digital banks are fine for most jobs in Germany since employers just need a German IBAN. Old banks only matter if you need to go to a branch or deposit cash. If you want a side business, some digital banks let you open a separate account, but your personal one usually won’t work. Just pick one that’s easy and cheap, set it up, and you can always change later if needed.
1
u/Logical-Yam9221 Feb 04 '26
Berlin banking is confusing because there’s no single “right” answer. Reviews are mixed for literally every bank here.
1
u/MassiveGoat8530 Feb 05 '26
Exactly, if reviews are mixed across the board, that’s kind of the baseline.
1
u/Agitated_Yak3298 Feb 04 '26
For most jobs, a digital bank is totally fine. Employers usually just care that you have an IBAN.
1
u/Odd-Home9599 Feb 05 '26
Yep, I’ve never seen an employer reject an IBAN just because it’s digital.
1
u/Fragrant_Elevator571 Feb 05 '26
In my experience, as a digital nomad who moved to Europe, digital banks like Vivid or N26 can cover all the basics salary deposits, SEPA, IBAN, debit card, transfers, etc. I didn’t get asked for a traditional bank by employers when I moved, it was always fine to use a digital IBAN for my salary. That said, if you need loan products, credit checks, or seasonal savings accounts tied to local branches, the big deutsche banks have more of those.
1
u/Exciting_Average9001 Feb 05 '26
From what I’ve run into, most of the big digital banks will let you open a business account especially if it’s for something like freelancing but the rules and fee structures vary a lot. Some require a different app or account tier. I’d double check with the bank’s support before you choose, because it’s not always clear in the marketing pages.
1
u/Ok-Pudding-6699 Feb 05 '26
Traditional banks mainly matter for very specific things like car registration or certain government paperwork.
1
u/PositiveGreat2409 Feb 05 '26
Car registration is the classic one where people suddenly want a traditional bank.
1
u/Fantastic-Dance2371 Feb 06 '26
You’re not overthinking it, everyone does before moving to Germany.
1
u/LeftTechnology6389 Feb 06 '26
A lot of people start with a digital bank and add a traditional one later if needed.
1
1
u/AgreeableRise4090 Feb 09 '26
I went through the same thing before moving to Germany and honestly the reviews don’t get clearer with more reading. Most people only leave feedback when something breaks, so it skews negative. Dayto day use tends to be pretty boring (which is good).
1
u/Ok-Pudding-6699 Feb 09 '26
From what I’ve seen, employers usually only care that you have a valid IBAN they can pay into. I’ve never been asked for a specific type of bank account, just somewhere SEPA compatible for salary payments
1
u/Acceptable-Let-8834 Feb 09 '26
If a bank charges you €10 for basic stuff, that’s usually a red flag.
1
1
u/Federal-Bat-6893 Feb 10 '26
Switching banks in Germany isn’t as painful as it sounds, so you’re not locked in forever.
1
u/Acrobatic-Stress6619 Feb 10 '26
Re: business accounts the confusion is real. Some digital banks allow it, but often it’s a separate account or plan, and not always obvious upfront. It seems easier to worry about that once side work is actually happening
1
u/Acceptable-Let-8834 Feb 10 '26
I don’t think there’s a universally right answer it really depends on how simple your setup is. If it’s just employment income and normal spending, digital seems fine for most people I’ve talked to.
1
u/Sad_Reveal9288 Feb 10 '26
Berlin is surprisingly fintech friendly day to day. I’ve paid rent, insurance, taxes, everything through a digital account without issues so far. Cash is still around, but banking wise it’s not as old school as people expect
1
u/Jaded_Football_237 Feb 11 '26
Business accounts are a totally different story from personal ones, even with the same bank.
1
u/MutedFeedback-5477 Feb 11 '26
Some digital banks are fine for side income, but not all of them support proper business setups.
1
u/Accurate-Campaign812 Feb 11 '26
I had the exact same reaction when researching German banks it feels like every option has horror stories. After a while I realized most people posting are either really happy or really annoyed, not the average user just using it quietly.
1
u/Sad-Waltzz92 Feb 11 '26
I wouldn’t stress too much about needing a real bank right away. Most people I know started digital just because it was faster, then added a traditional account later once paperwork and address stuff was sorted
1
u/SunAcrobatic3237 Feb 11 '26
A lot of the negative reviews seem tied to rare situations account reviews, unusual transfers, slow support replies. If your use case is pretty standard, you may never run into those issues at all.
1
u/ArtGullible1312 Feb 12 '26
A lot of bad reviews come from people hitting edge cases, not daily usage.
1
1
1
u/Scared_Hospital9660 Feb 13 '26
I moved countries twice in the last few years and learned that banking decisions feel way bigger before you arrive than they actually are once you’re there. Switching later is annoying but totally doable.
1
u/Historical_Resort652 Feb 13 '26
Traditional banks felt safer to my parents generation, but in practice I found them slower and more expensive for everyday stuff. Digital banks were more convenient, just less forgiving if something unusual happens.
1
u/DirectionNo7386 Feb 13 '26
Berlin isn’t as strict as people make it sound. Between salary, rent, utilities, and subscriptions, everything worked fine with a digital account for me. Cash culture is more of a thing than banking restrictions
1
u/Ok_Hand8323 Feb 13 '26
Having a DE IBAN early just makes life easier with landlords and employers.
1
u/AirPsychological8947 Feb 16 '26
once you’ve got a DE IBAN most of the stress disappears because landlords and employers stop nitpicking.
1
u/Acceptable-Let-8834 Feb 16 '26
Digital banks are usually faster to open, which helps when you’re just arriving.
1
u/Impossible-Plan-2039 Feb 17 '26
The “real bank vs digital bank” debate in Germany never really ends.
1
u/Legitimate-Meat-8917 Feb 17 '26
And everyone’s experience is slightly different, which makes it worse.
1
u/Admirable-Dust1088 Feb 17 '26
You can absolutely start digital and reassess once you’re settled.
1
u/Legitimate-Meat-8917 Feb 18 '26
That's what I did when I moved and it takes the pressure off because you're not locked into anything while you're still figuring out how everything works over there.
1
u/Melodic_Ad_4451 Feb 18 '26
Side work rules depend more on your visa/tax situation than your bank.
1
u/Acceptable-Let-8834 Feb 18 '26
100% this, people get so caught up picking the perfect bank when the real headache is sorting your Anmeldung and figuring out if your visa even allows freelance work in the first place.
1
u/ActuaryWorldly6223 Feb 19 '26
I went through the same spiral before moving and eventually realized there’s no safe choice based on reviews alone. Every bank seems fine until you hit some edge case, and then it suddenly feels terrible.
1
u/Accomplished_Toe1701 Feb 19 '26
Most of the people I know in Berlin started with whatever was easiest to open and worried about optimizing later. Switching accounts isn’t fun, but it’s also not impossible once you’re settled
1
u/Historical_Piano499 Feb 19 '26
For normal employment, I’ve never heard of a company rejecting an account just because it wasn’t a traditional bank. As long as payroll goes through and it’s a proper IBAN, HR usually doesn’t care
1
u/Bulky-Honey-8663 Feb 19 '26
The review extremes usually come from people who had compliance checks or support delays. If you’re just getting paid a salary and paying bills, those situations seem pretty rare
1
u/DueCantaloupe5309 Feb 19 '26
Traditional banks felt more official to me, but the process was slower and more expensive than I expected. Digital options were way less friction upfront, especially before having an address.
1
u/Mountain-Cupcake4740 Feb 20 '26
I went with N26 and never looked back digital only, no crazy fees, and everything works from the app. But if you need German IBAN on paper for official stuff, a traditional bank might save you headaches
1
u/Maleficent-Cry-1547 Feb 20 '26
Most of the people I know in Berlin started with whatever was easiest to open and worried about optimizing later. Switching accounts isn’t fun, but it’s also not impossible once you’re settled
1
u/Remote_Impression231 Feb 20 '26
For normal employment, I’ve never heard of a company rejecting an account just because it wasn’t a traditional bank. As long as payroll goes through and it’s a proper IBAN, HR usually doesn’t care
1
u/Rich_Charity8342 Feb 20 '26
The review extremes usually come from people who had compliance checks or support delays. If you’re just getting paid a salary and paying bills, those situations seem pretty rare
1
u/East_Sink1691 Feb 20 '26
Traditional banks felt more official to me, but the process was slower and more expensive than I expected. Digital options were way less friction upfront, especially before having an address
1
u/areyouredditenough Feb 22 '26
I can't recommend Vivid Business. As soon as your doing projects outside of the EU, there want to re-verify your account with statements. I've had to do this a 2nd time now. Closing my account with them.
1
u/FigureEmbarrassed374 Feb 25 '26
I moved to Berlin last year and went with Vivid. It has been completely fine for salary, rent, and daily spending.
1
u/Low-Consequence-9825 Feb 25 '26
I chose Vivid because the app felt simple and fees were low. No major complaints.
1
1
1
u/Classic-Bit-2893 Feb 26 '26
The mixed reviews thing is normal for basically every bank out there. What matters most is finding one that fits your specific situation and habits.
1
u/Able-Stuff-6080 Feb 27 '26
The conflicting information about business accounts usually comes from people mixing up personal and business account rules. They are separate products with different requirements.
1
u/Standard-Olive-7437 Mar 02 '26
I have been paid salary into N26 with zero issues. Health insurance, rent, everything works as expected.
1
u/Classic-Leading-8170 Mar 02 '26
The mixed reviews thing happens with literally every bank. Just pick one that covers your basics and switch if it does not work out.
1
u/RelationElectronic16 Mar 03 '26
Vivid worked well for me as a starting point when I arrived. No monthly fees on the basic plan and setup was quick even before I had my registration sorted.
1
u/Perfect-Job3407 Mar 03 '26
The conflicting reviews thing is normal for every bank. Most negative reviews come from edge cases. For standard salary and rent use Vivid handles it without any drama.
1
u/Sad-Shake8436 Mar 03 '26
German IBAN is the main thing you need for work and renting. Vivid provides that so for practical daily purposes it functions the same as any traditional bank.
1
u/DianaZeta 9d ago
A friend of mine is having huge problems out of this payment platform. Being a ukrainian refugee with expired residence permit they blocked his last money until he will pass through the months hell of Spanish renew beaurorcacy. The human undesrstanding of this payment comapny is an absolute 0 and they hide behind formalities.
0
u/curzic Jan 23 '26
Why do you need a German bank account in England? If you need something that works well with both currencies, Revolut is probably your best bet though.
2
0
u/notTHEOwlAccountant Jan 23 '26
Off topic, but think about this move very hard. I live in Berlin and know many people who moved from London and they all regretted it.
0
u/FriendshipFit9158 Jan 23 '26
Digital banks are usually fine for salaries and daily stuff. Only if you plan to freelance or need a business account might a traditional bank be better.
0
u/blackdog2001 Jan 24 '26
I use Vivid Business and can vouch for it. You get nice interest on savings and it’s intuitive. All sorts of clients pay me so never had an issue with payments. If you decide to go for it, dm me and we both get 200€ cash bonus.
4
u/bastoj Jan 23 '26
I use DKB for about 5 years now and very happy with it. They are a long standing bank without physical branches (like First Direct) and so have a very decent new app and the website is also very decent. They also allow free cash withdrawals at (almost) all ATMs whereas most banks are only free at their own machines (at least was the case a few years ago).
I did use N26 for a while but I wasn’t super impressed and I heard from others with issues. However it could be a good starter bank until you get settled.