HEIDELBERG (dpa-AFX) - Nearly one in four bank customers (23 percent) now pays at least 100 euros per year for the maintenance of a current account. This is according to a survey by the comparison portal Verivox. For 5 percent of respondents, annual fees even total more than 200 euros. For the study, the market research institute Innofact surveyed 1,003 people aged 18 to 79 at the end of April 2026 on behalf of Verivox. According to the data, the survey is representative in terms of age, gender, and federal state affiliation.

According to the survey, customers of Sparkassen (savings banks) have to dig particularly deep into their pockets. There, more than one in three (34 percent) pays a three-figure annual amount for their current account. At cooperative banks, such as Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken, this share stands at nearly 26 percent. Overall, just under a fifth (18 percent) of all respondents have a completely free account.

Many direct banks and smartphone banks offer free current accounts. However, some providers require a minimum monthly deposit for this. Furthermore, they do not have branches that customers can visit in case of questions or problems.

'The Sparkassen continue to operate a dense branch network that reaches far into rural areas,' says Oliver Maier, Managing Director of Verivox Finanzvergleich GmbH, according to the press release. 'This is expensive, but it also offers added value to consumers for whom personal on-site advice is important. It is therefore legitimate for this proximity to customers to be priced into the account fees.'/lea/DP/zb