Deutsche Kreditbank

What Deutsche Kreditbank does

Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB) is a German direct bank headquartered in Berlin and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BayernLB (Bayerische Landesbank). Founded in 1990, it operates a dual-channel model: a digital-first direct bank serving over 5.9 million retail customers via web and mobile, complemented by 26 physical branch locations that serve business customers with sector-specialized advisors. DKB ranks among Germany's top-20 banks by balance sheet (EUR 135.8 billion as of end-2025), positioning it as the country's second-largest direct bank. Its business customer franchise is concentrated in sustainability-oriented verticals — renewable energy, residential housing, agriculture, healthcare, social services, municipalities, energy & utilities, and tourism — with EUR 61 billion in loans outstanding to business customers contributing to UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The retail product set centers on a free Girokonto (current account) bundled with a Visa Debitkarte, augmented by a paid Visa Kreditkarte (EUR 2.49/month), Girocard (EUR 0.99/month), personal and auto loans (from 6.79% APR), Baufinanzierung mortgages, and a free securities Depot with access to over 6,000 instruments. Business customers access industry-tailored financing and the Verwalterplattform and Treuhänderplattform software modules. DKB's technology stack is cloud-based: it runs on AWS, deploys SAS Financial Crimes Analytics on SAS Viya for sub-50ms real-time fraud scoring (mandated by EU Instant Payments Regulation), and has selected Upvest's cloud-native Investment API to power brokerage, custody, and settlement for a target of over 2 million securities accounts by 2030.

DKB's revenue model is multi-stream and primarily subscription- and interest-driven. Interest income from lending (personal loans, mortgages, overdraft at 7.91–8.51%, Baufinanzierung) anchors earnings, supplemented by recurring card fees, account maintenance fees for sub-threshold accounts (EUR 4.50/month without Aktivstatus), depot transaction fees (EUR 10–30 per order), and a securities savings plan engine (EUR 1.50 per execution). Sustainability-linked capital markets activity (a EUR 500 million EU Green Bond issued November 2025) and a planned EUR 2 billion Significant Risk Transfer (SRT) arranged by Deutsche Bank contribute capital and fee income. The DKB 2030 strategy commits approximately EUR 500 million in growth investment, including the new Upvest-powered brokerage platform launching end-2026 and the state-subsidized Altersvorsorgedepot launching January 2027.

Name

Deutsche Kreditbank

Legal name

Deutsche Kreditbank AG

Website

https://dkb.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB) is a German direct bank serving over 5.9 million retail customers and business clients in sustainability-focused sectors, operating from 26 branches with EUR 135.8 billion in total assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Savings Institutions and Other Depository Credit Intermediation (52218)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Green/Climate Development Banks & Funds (FSABAKAH), SME/Industrial Development Banks (FSABAKAF)

Keywords

• Direct banking services
• Retail banking products
• Sustainable finance lending
• Consumer credit products
• Securities brokerage

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Banking Services: DKB generates revenue primarily through interest income on lending products (personal loans, mortgages, overdraft facilities), account maintenance fees for accounts below the monthly minimum deposit threshold, and card-related fees (credit card monthly fees, ATM withdrawals in certain conditions). The free current account model with Visa debit card is used as a customer acquisition channel, with upsell opportunities for credit cards, personal loans, and securities accounts.
2. Green Bond Issuance: DKB issued its first EU Green Bond of EUR 500 million on 12 November 2025 to fund wind and solar projects in Germany, demonstrating its focus on sustainable finance and climate protection.
3. Significant Risk Transfer (SRT): DKB plans its debut transaction in the market for significant risk transfers (SRTs), involving a portfolio of about EUR 2 billion of renewable power financing in Germany. The bank sells junior and mezzanine portions of underlying financing to offload credit risk.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB) operates as a German direct bank providing retail and business banking services. Core offerings include a free Girokonto with Visa Debitkarte, personal and auto loans, securities brokerage (Depot), savings products (Tagesgeld, Festgeld), and payment cards for individual customers. For business customers, DKB provides industry-specialized financing across renewable energy, residential housing, agriculture, healthcare, municipalities, energy & utilities, and tourism, supported by 26 physical branch locations with dedicated advisors.

Product overview

Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB) is a direct bank offering a comprehensive digital banking platform for retail and business customers. The retail offering centers on the free Girokonto with Visa Debitkarte, supplemented by optional Visa Kreditkarte and Girocard. Credit products include Privatkredit (personal loan), Autokredit (auto loan), and Modernisierungskredit (modernization loan), all available with digital application and instant decisioning. Investment products span the free Depot (securities account/DKB-Broker) with over 6,000 securities, the upcoming Altersvorsorgedepot (state-subsidized retirement depot launching 2027), plus Juniordepot and Gemeinschaftsdepot. Savings products include Tagesgeld and Festgeld. The business segment (DKB-Business) serves eight sectors: renewable energy, residential real estate, municipalities, healthcare, agriculture, municipalities, energy utilities, and tourism, with specialized accounts and the Verwalterplattform and Treuhänderplattform modules. Value-added services include free real estate valuation, cash deposit via Cash im Shop network, digital account switching via Qwist, and video identification via WebID. DKB recently launched brokerage services powered by Upvest (targeting 2M+ accounts by 2030) and upgraded fraud detection via SAS on AWS.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Girokonto (Current Account) Free current account bundled with a Visa Debitkarte for retail customers in Germany. Includes worldwide free card payments, mobile banking via DKB-App, real-time SEPA transfers, and free account management subject to monthly minimum deposit or under-28 age criterion.
• Visa Debitkarte (Debit Card) Free Visa debit card issued alongside the Girokonto, enabling worldwide free cash withdrawals and payments at all Visa acceptance points for customers maintaining Aktivstatus. Direct debits draw from the linked current account.
• Visa Kreditkarte (Credit Card) Optional Visa credit card for Girokonto holders at EUR 2.49 per month. Features include worldwide free payments and ATM withdrawals, emergency card and emergency cash services abroad, free digital kiosk access (3 newspapers/magazines monthly), and Apple Pay / Google Pay support.
• Girokarte (Girocard) Optional Girocard (formerly EC-Karte) at EUR 0.99 per month. Enables chipTAN-based login and transaction authorization and supports contactless payments at German merchants.
• Privatkredit (Personal Loan) Personal loan for retail customers with terms from 12 to 120 months and amounts from EUR 2,500 to EUR 100,000. Features automatic best interest rate (from 6.79% effective annual rate), fully digital application and identification, payout within 30 minutes for the Sofort variant, free special repayments, and optional repayment pauses.
• Autokredit (Auto Loan) Purpose-bound auto financing loan for new or used vehicles with terms of 24 to 120 months and loan amounts from EUR 5,000 to EUR 100,000, with the option of payout within 30 minutes of approval.
• Modernisierungskredit (Modernization Loan) Home improvement loan for value-preserving or value-increasing measures on owned properties. Terms of 36 to 240 months and amounts from EUR 10,000 to EUR 50,000.
• Depot (Securities Account / DKB-Broker) Free securities trading account (DKB-Broker) for stocks, ETFs, funds, bonds, derivatives, and crypto-ETNs with access to over 6,000 securities. ETF/fund savings plans from EUR 25/month. Flat-fee pricing: EUR 10 for orders up to EUR 5,000; EUR 15 for EUR 5,000-20,000; EUR 30 above. 100% discount on issuing charges for all funds and fund savings plans.
• Altersvorsorgedepot (Retirement Depot) State-subsidized securities depot for private retirement savings launching in January 2027. Invests in ETFs, funds, or bonds with government allowances of up to EUR 540 per year. No capital guarantee but higher return potential than traditional Riester or Rürup products.
• Juniordepot (Junior Securities Account) Securities account for children designed for long-term wealth building. Limited to age-appropriate securities (bonds and funds), excluding speculative instruments, and typically paired with a savings plan.
• Tagesgeld (Daily Deposit) Daily deposit account with flexible access and attractive interest rates of up to 2.7% per annum. Funds are available at any time without a lock-up period.
• Festgeld (Fixed-Term Deposit) Fixed-term savings account offering guaranteed interest rates for the agreed deposit period.
• Kinderkonto / Girokonto u18 (Children's Account) Free current account for children and teenagers from birth. Includes free Visa Debitkarte, parental controls, no overdraft (Dispo) facility, and a bundled free savings account. Aktivstatus is included regardless of deposits for under-28s.
• Gemeinschaftskonto (Joint Account) Joint current account for couples or flatmates with two Visa Debitkarten, designed for shared household expenses with a common overview of spending.
• Studierendenkonto (Student Account) Free current account for students under 28 years with the same feature set as the standard Girokonto, including a Visa Debitkarte for worldwide payments.
• DKB-Business (Business Account) Branch-based current account solutions for German business customers across specialized industries including residential real estate, renewable energy, agriculture, healthcare, municipalities, energy & utilities, and tourism, supported by dedicated industry advisors in 26 branch locations.
• Baufinanzierung (Real Estate Finance) Real estate financing and mortgage lending products for residential and commercial property purchases in Germany.
• Verwalterplattform (Property Manager Platform) Online platform for property managers supporting legally compliant management of rents, security deposits, maintenance reserves, and service charges, used by KRASEMANN and similar property management firms.
• Treuhänderplattform (Trustee Platform) Online platform for trustees to manage client funds cost-effectively, conveniently, and in a legally compliant manner.
• Cash im Shop (Cash Deposit Service) Cash deposit service enabling customers to deposit EUR 50 to EUR 999.99 per day at over 12,000 retail partners (REWE, dm, PENNY, Rossmann, Budni, toom) using a barcode generated in the DKB-App via the TÜV-certified viacash network. Fee is 1.5% of deposit amount.
• EU Green Bond (Capital Markets Issuance) EUR 500 million inaugural EU Green Bond issuance on 12 November 2025 to fund wind and solar renewable energy projects in Germany, aligned with the EU taxonomy for climate protection. Syndicate includes ABN AMRO Bank N.V. and Bayerische Landesbank.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5.9 million retail customers served
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UpvestcoreTechnology or Integration · 10 March 2026Upvest selected as long-term infrastructure partner to power DKB's brokerage services under the DKB 2030 strategy. Upvest's cloud-native Investment API will handle full-stack brokerage, custody, and settlement for new securities accounts from end of 2026, with existing accounts migrating in 2027. Target is over 2 million securities accounts by 2030.
• SAScoreTechnology or Integration · 25 February 2026DKB deployed SAS Financial Crimes Analytics on SAS Viya via SAS Managed Cloud Services on AWS for real-time fraud detection and transaction scoring in 50 milliseconds. AI-driven platform combines machine learning, real-time decisioning, and integrated case management to meet EU Instant Payments Regulation requirements.
• Hogan LovellsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 November 2025Hogan Lovells advised the syndicate of banks (including ABN AMRO and Bayerische Landesbank) on DKB's first EU Green Bond issuance of EUR 500 million for wind and solar projects in Germany.
• EnergieAgentur.NRWminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2016EnergieAgentur.NRW co-hosted an evening event with Bundesverband Windenergie and DKB on March 10, 2016, in Aachen to discuss wind energy usage and upcoming EEG auctions starting in 2017.
• Bundesverband Windenergie - Regionalverband Rheinland (BWE)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 March 2016Bundesverband Windenergie Regionalverband Rheinland co-hosted event with EnergieAgentur.NRW and DKB on March 10, 2016, focusing on wind energy development in the Aachen region.
• Qwist GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQwist provides automated account switching service enabling DKB customers to switch their existing bank account to DKB in under 10 minutes by automatically notifying payment partners.
• ees Europe Conference / Expert PanelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDKB experts participated in ees Europe Conference panel discussion on financing dynamics and commercial models for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Germany, alongside experts from terralayr, Engie, and EnBW.
• Media Carrier SolutionsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia Carrier Solutions provides digital kiosk service for DKB Visa credit card holders, offering access to over 1,100 newspapers and magazines in more than 30 languages, with 3 free publications per month.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Consorsbank (BNP Paribas subsidiary): German direct bank and broker owned by BNP Paribas, focused on brokerage, savings, and current accounts. Closely comparable to DKB-Broker on securities trading and to DKB retail on free banking products.
• ING-DiBa (ING Germany): ING's German retail bank and one of Germany's largest direct banks, directly competing with DKB on free current accounts, savings, securities, mortgages, and consumer credit. Closest comparable by business model, scale, and product breadth in the German direct-banking segment.
• Comdirect (Commerzbank subsidiary): German direct bank and broker owned by Commerzbank, offering current accounts, savings, securities trading, and lending. Direct competitor to DKB's retail and brokerage propositions with overlapping target customers and product set.

Broad incumbents

• Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken (cooperative banking group): Germany's large cooperative banking group with deep branch network serving retail, SME, and agricultural customers. Comparable on business customer financing (especially agriculture and housing) and on retail deposit-taking, though distributed via local cooperative branches rather than a direct model.
• Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe: Germany's largest retail-banking franchise comprising savings banks and Landesbanken. Directly competes with DKB on retail deposits, mortgages, and SME lending across Germany; a broad incumbent DKB benchmarks against in branch-based segments.
• Postbank (Deutsche Bank subsidiary): German retail bank owned by Deutsche Bank with a hybrid branch and digital model. Competes with DKB across current accounts, mortgages, consumer credit, and securities, particularly in the mass-affluent German retail segment.

Emerging players

• N26: Berlin-headquartered neobank offering mobile-first current accounts, savings, and trading products across Europe. Targets the same German retail customer base as DKB with a digital-native proposition; key emerging threat in the direct-banking segment.
• Trade Republic: Berlin-based broker and neobank offering commission-free securities trading plus cash interest and savings products. Direct competitor to DKB-Broker and a substitute for DKB's current-account-plus-investing proposition.
• Scalable Capital: Munich-based digital broker offering securities trading, savings plans, and managed portfolios. Comparable to DKB-Broker on ETF savings plans and order-fee pricing; increasingly overlapping with DKB's retail investment proposition.
• Tomorrow Bank: German sustainable-banking challenger offering current accounts and sustainable investment products. Niche overlap with DKB's ESG positioning, particularly relevant given DKB's strong green-finance brand and customer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/deutsche.kreditbank
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dkb

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Deutsche Kreditbank