Best Virtual Credit Cards in Germany

Virtual credit cards aren’t very common in Germany. But they have become more popular since online shopping is growing rapidly together with the usage of online banking. Even in traditional Germany, online spending seems to be the new normal.

The best virtual credit cards in Germany are:

Bunq (MasterCard)
VIABUY (MasterCard)
Netbank (MasterCard)
Neteller (MasterCard)
VIMpay (MasterCard)
Kredupay (Mastercard)

So you have been living in Germany for a while and decided to make online payments and purchases easier? A virtual credit card can be a good solution for this. In this article, you will learn all about virtual cards in Germany and which one is the best. If you need a proper credit card in Germany, check out this article.

Best virtual credit cards in Germany

Unfortunately, virtual credit cards aren’t well known and widely spread in Germany as they may be in other places. Here we picked the best of them, so you can shop online in Germany or internationally with ease:

Bunq
VIABUY
Netbank (MasterCard)
Neteller (MasterCard)
VIMpay (MasterCard)
Kredupay (Mastercard)

	VIABUY	bunq easy Bank
Annual fees in the 1-st year	69,90€	2,99€
Annual fees in the 2-nd year	19,90€	2,99€
Money transfers	Free	Free
Payments in EUR	Free	Free
Payments in the non-EUR currencies	2,75%	Free
Cash withdraws worldwide	5€	0,99€

Our pick – Bunq

Bunq is a relatively new banking concept founded in the Netherlands. The offer new generation banking; everything is online, simple, and fast.

If you reside in the EU, Bunq is an excellent option. It will allow you to use banking not only in Germany but also in other countries at no cost.

Bunq is one of the best online banks; the app has an amazing user interface and is simple to navigate.

The personal account costs 2,99 EUR per month; with that, you will get 25 sub-accounts, multiple debit cards including MasterCard and Maestro, and a travel card at no extra cost; all will be shipped to you.

They offer a 1-month free trial, during which you can test the product.

Best features of Bunq:

Bank account without credit score check
Shop safely with disposable virtual cards
Instant transfers/payments
Free ATM withdrawals
3 free cards (1x Maestro, 2x Mastercard), 5 virtual online cards, and up to 25 IBAN bank accounts
24/7 lockable, support in 7 languages
online and mobile banking
banking app for your smartphone

*If you are a freelancer – a special account for you with simple payouts, taxes, and invoice management.

VIABUY

VIABUY is a prepaid Mastercard credit card that you can use anywhere in Europe and abroad. It’s possible thanks to the IBAN you will get with that card. IBAN comes in handy when you need to do transactions within the EU regularly.

The registration for VIABUY is straightforward. You need only to prove your identity and address.

Best features of VIABUY:

European IBAN
Free SEPA transfers
compatible with all German bank accounts
High acceptance rate
No credit score check
Free payments in EUR
Customer service 24/7

Drawbacks:

69,90 EUR annual fee in the first year, but only 19,90 afterward

Netbank

Netbank is a normal German bank offering bank accounts, cards, loans, and financing and deposits.

Best features of Netbank:

Virtual Mastercard, no plastic, easy handling
Add funds from any German/foreign bank account
Available after 24 hours
No credit score check
Fast reload in 24h
Worldwide usage
High security
Fee is just 7,50 EUR per year
Limit 10,000 EUR

Netteller

Neteller is an online wallet that you can use to make online purchases, payments, money transfers, buy and sell cryptocurrencies based in the UK.

The wallet comes with Neteller virtual MasterCard and a physical card. It works almost the same as a bank account.

Best features of Neteller:

Available and works in over 100 countries
Available in 28 different currencies, including EUR, USD, AUD, GBP, CAD, INR
Add money via the bank, credit card, debit card, POLi, BPAY, iDEAL, cryptocurrency, etc.
Spend up to 6,300 EUR per day

VIMpay Prepaid Mastercard

VIMpay is a mobile payment system based on a prepaid Master Card. The card system was developed and launched by the two fintech companies PayCenter and petaFuel.

Best features of VIMpay:

No annual fee
No contract period
Management of several accounts in one app
Compatible with all German bank accounts
IBAN
No annual turnover limit
Accepted worldwide
Mobile payments can be made via Google Pay, Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay, in addition to VIMpayGO
Send money via VIMpay Chat or QR code

Limitation:

It can only be used via the smartphone app

Things you should know about a virtual credit card with VIMpay

You must have a German bank account
10 EUR is a one-time activation fee
Maximum card balance of 10,000 EUR
Annual fees for the paid subscriptions from 24 EUR to 96 EUR for Ultra
2% commission on payments in foreign currency
You will receive a physical card with paid versions

Also read: Best banking accounts for international students in Germany.

Kredupay

The virtual Mastercard credit card from Kredu from Bremen is quite a market novelty in Germany. It’s a virtual credit card with a credit line (overdraft facility).

The card provider also ensures simple and convenient usage of the Mastercard card with a credit line of up to 2,000 EUR if you ever find yourself in need of financing. Hence, KREDU helps you in unexpected financial emergencies 24/7.

Best features:

Virtual Mastercard
Annual fee of 99 EUR
Purchase the card online and use it immediately
25 EUR starting credit
Available for people with a minimum monthly income of 500 EUR
Up to 2,000 EUR limit in the credit
Worldwide payments

What is a virtual credit card?

Since online banking is booming, virtual credit cards are also becoming increasingly popular. A virtual card is a credit card where you no longer have a plastic card in your hand but only the card information necessary to make purchases and payments online. This will be sufficient for any online transaction.

These cards are also called online credit cards and consist of the 4 most important credit card information:

Credit card number
Expiration date (MM/YY)
Verification number (CVV, CVC)
Name of the cardholder

Virtual credit cards are considered to be a quick, easy and secure way to pay for purchases, travel, services, etc. online. However, virtual credit cards have the same concept as prepaid credit cards, so you will need to load the balance before making a purchase.

Thus, they don’t allow overdrafts; that’s why in most cases, no credit score (Schufa) check is required. Therefore, almost everyone can apply for a virtual credit card. For a normal credit card, one will need some sort of income.

You can apply for a virtual credit card easily and quickly online.

Conclusion:

Virtual credit cards are payment cards that are primarily suitable for online shopping and are usually issued without a credit check.

Best Credit Cards in Germany for Students

Is virtual credit card a good option for you?

If you like to shop online a lot (especially internationally), this type of card can be a great solution while living in Germany. Moreover, a good virtual credit card is free of charge.

Also, a virtual credit card can be particularly suitable for people who can’t apply for a classic credit card due to a negative credit score.

Virtual credit cards are payment cards that are primarily suitable for online shopping and are usually issued without a credit check. However, they are only suitable for online payments.

Unlike German credit cards, you won’t have an overdraft facility with a virtual credit card. Thus, a customer must load some funds into the account before using it.

You can top a virtual credit card with:

Bank transfer
PayPal
Western Union

You must have some other payment option available, like a regular German debit or credit card. Never rely on only virtual credit cards.

Finally, virtual credit cards definitely can’t compete with standard credit cards. Their use is very limited, both in everyday life and while traveling.

Hence, we would recommend getting a classic credit card, that offers much more freedom and flexibility. Check out these providers: Free Mastercard Gold, DKB, and AMEX payback.

Anyway, if you need money, you can also apply for a personal loan in Germany without the necessity to open any credit card. Read here about how foreigners can take a loan in Germany and more about personal loans in Germany.

Best Credit Cards in Germany

Advantages of virtual credit cards

There are definitely some benefits you will get with a virtual credit card:

No credit score (SCHUFA) check
Easy application without a waiting period
Full control of expenses
Security
Worldwide acceptance
Available for people with low to no income
Available for people with poor credit score
Easy recharge
No physical card – no risk of theft
No need to set up a new checking account

Disadvantages of virtual credit cards

As always, some disadvantages come with the usage of virtual credit cards:

No physical, real credit card
Can only be used online
No cash withdrawals
Possible fees – annual fees or fees for top up
Potential fees for purchases in different currencies
Not suitable for travel
No overdraft possibility (in most cases)

Virtual or regular credit card?

As you can see, virtual credit cards have some limitations, especially when you want to loan some money from the card provider. It’s also not suitable for traveling if you are into that.

Hence, all frequent travelers will need to apply for a real credit card. With this card, you can also pay for all your online purchases.

In addition, many classic credit cards offer numerous other benefits such as:

Contactless payment at shops
Paying and withdrawing cash free of charge worldwide
Booking rental cars or hotel rooms
In some cases, you will get additional insurance coverage
Bonus programs – earning Payback points and miles.

Because virtual credit cards often include fees to it, you will save money with a regular credit card. Moreover, many credit card providers offer rewards or funds to new customers. Yet, for some reason, Germans still barely use credit cards, but it will probably change in the near future.

Best Credit Cards in Germany

Best credit cards in Germany

Our top alternatives to virtual credit cards in Germany are:

Bank	Monthly fees	Card type	Cash withdrawals in EU/abroad	Payments in EU/abroad	Bonus	Interest rate
Barclays Visa card	Free	Visa	Free/Free	Free/Free	0% interest rate on spendings under 500 EUR	Zero interest rate on spendings under 500 EUR, after - 18.38%
American Express Payback	Free	AMEX	4%	Free/2%	1 payback for each 2 EUR spent Plus 1,000 extra payback points as a start	Variable
TF Bank	Free	Mastercard	Free/Free	Interest rate		19,39%
Deutschland-Kreditkarte	Free	Visa	Free/Free	Free/Free	Credit line 2,500 EUR No interest rate in the first 3 months	16,90%
Free Mastercard Gold	Free	Mastercard	Interest rate 1,49%	Free/Free		19,44%
DKB Visa Card	2,49 EUR	Visa	Free/Free	Free/Free	Cash-back up to 20%	6,58%
Targobank Classic	Free	Visa	Free/3,5%	Free/1,85%		12,83%

If you are looking for a regular free credit card with a credit limit, which you can use in everyday life in Germany and when traveling, the DKB credit card, including a current account, is a good choice.

This card is one of the best in Germany; it can be used abroad free of charge (payments and withdrawals).

In the end, you should decide for yourself what is the best option, a virtual credit card or a classic one. Eventually, you can use your German checking account for necessary payments and transactions; check all opportunities out!