Stiftung Warentest has checked 28 credit cards available nationwide and determined which ones are particularly cheap and even free. GIGA shows you the recommended providers.

Does the house bank offer a credit card? A nice offer – but perhaps also associated with comparatively high costs. It can be worthwhile to get a credit card from an alternative provider to save a lot of money every year. Cost drivers are in particular Annual fees, transaction fees, ATM withdrawals costs or Annual interest for partial payments. Some or all of these costs can be avoided.

Recommended credit cards in 2021 according to Stiftung Warentest: DKB, ICS, Barklaycard, Hanseatic and Paysol

The Stiftung Warentest (Edition financial test 03/2021) highlighted five inexpensive providers. Were crucial in the consideration the cost in the second year usage, as discounts are sometimes included for new customers in the first year. These are the recommended offers:

We have linked the offers of the providers above, with a click on the name you will get directly to the offer. Some providers not mentioned here are for the most part free of charge, but could not prevail in the current comparison by Stiftung Warentest – for example, because withdrawing from machines can result in considerable fees under certain circumstances (e.g. comdirect Visa card).

Paying by credit card: these are the advantages

All of the credit cards mentioned can be used for contactless payments in shops – a hygienic payment method that has become more popular in the wake of the corona pandemic and is also preferred by some retailers.

Many providers also support procedures such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, so that the plastic card can remain in the wallet and the mobile phone handles the payment process instead. According to Stiftung Warentest, credit cards are particularly useful for online purchases and travel.