What 1822direkt does

1822direkt is a German direct banking brand and 100% subsidiary of Frankfurter Sparkasse, itself part of the Helaba (Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen) group and the broader Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe. Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Frankfurt am Main (Friesstraße 20), the company operates with 51-100 employees and runs a branchless, digital-first banking model serving German retail customers only. Its product surface spans a free current account (GiroDirekt) under conditions, savings products (Tagesgeld up to 2.80% p.a., Festgeld up to 2.40% p.a.), a free securities depot with access to 3,800+ Sparplan-eligible funds/ETFs, lending products (Baufinanzierung from 3.53% Sollzins, Ratenkredit, Autokredit, Dispokredit), and ancillary offerings such as Junior Depot, Edelmetalle, and the bevestor robo-advisor. Distribution is purely digital through the 1822direkt.de website, the 1822direkt-banking.de online portal, and the 1822TAN+ mobile app (iOS/Android), with mortgage Beratung additionally delivered via eHyp and FINMAS platforms and fallback to parent Frankfurter Sparkasse branches.

The technology stack centers on a digital direct banking platform with online banking, electronic securities trading infrastructure (Clearstream custody integration), contactless mobile payments (Google Pay, Apple Pay), and security features such as 3D-Secure and the 1822TAN+ two-factor authentication app. Proprietary user-experience modules include a digital Kontowechselservice and Depotwechselservice for friction-free migration from competitors. The business model combines multiple recurring and transactional revenue streams: net interest margin on lending products and savings (interest spread between deposit and loan rates), securities trading commissions (€2.90 per order for new customers via gettex, scaling to €4.90 + 0.25% for existing customers), ETF Sparplan fees of 1.50% (€1.50–€14.90 range), and revenue from precious metals and fee-based robo-advisory. Pricing-led acquisition is supported by promotional savings rates, a referral program (Kunden werben Kunden at €100 premiums), and content marketing through the Ratgeber, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), and SEO.

Name

1822direkt

Legal name

1822direkt

Website

https://1822direkt.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

1822direkt is a Frankfurt-based direct banking subsidiary of Frankfurter Sparkasse (Helaba Group) offering fee-free current accounts, savings, securities trading, mortgages, and loans to German retail consumers through a fully digital platform with no physical branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Interest earned on mortgage lending (Baufinanzierung), consumer loans, and credit facilities (Ratenkredit, Autokredit, Dispokredit). Interest margin on lending products.
2. Securities Trading Commissions: Order commissions for securities trading: 2.90€ for new customers (until mid-2026) for orders over 1,000€ via gettex; 4.90€ + 0.25% (min 9.90€, max 54.90€) for existing customers. Additional trading place fees of 2.95€ for domestic orders.
3. Savings Product Interest Spread: Margin income from savings products including Tagesgeld and Festgeld accounts, where interest paid to depositors is lower than rates charged on loans.
4. ETF Sparplan Fees: 1.50% of sparplan rate (minimum 1.50€, maximum 14.90€) for ETF savings plans. Some fee-free ETF sparplan options available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

1822direkt is a direct (online) banking subsidiary of Frankfurter Sparkasse that delivers retail financial services to German consumers entirely through digital channels. Its core offering centers on the free GiroDirekt current account, complemented by savings products (Tagesgeldkonto, Festgeldkonto), securities trading (Wertpapierdepot with ETFs, funds, stocks), mortgage financing (Baufinanzierung), and personal/auto loans (Ratenkredit, Autokredit, Dispokredit).

Product overview

1822direkt is a direct banking subsidiary of Frankfurter Sparkasse offering a comprehensive digital banking platform. The core product portfolio centers on the GiroDirekt current account as the primary hub, supplemented by savings products (Tagesgeldkonto, Festgeldkonto), securities trading (Wertpapierdepot, Junior Depot), and lending products (Baufinanzierung, Ratenkredit, Autokredit). Additional modules include mobile payment integration (Google Pay, Apple Pay), credit cards (VISA, MasterCard Gold), precious metals investing, and the digital asset management service bevestor. Supporting services include account switching, depot transfer, and the 1822TAN+ authentication app. The offering positions itself as combining traditional Sparkasse security with modern direct banking convenience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GiroDirekt: Free checking account product offering no account maintenance fees for customers with monthly income of 700 EUR or for those under 30 years old, including a free girocard with V PAY
• bevestor
• Junior Depot

Products and services

• GiroDirekt (Girokonto) Free current account offering for German retail customers, including a free girocard with V PAY (Sparkassen-Card), free cash withdrawals, mobile payments, and overdraft facility. No account maintenance fee for qualifying customers.
• Tagesgeldkonto Daily-call deposit account for German retail savers, providing promotional 2.80% p.a. interest on balances up to €250,000 for 6 months before reverting to the standard base rate.
• Festgeldkonto Fixed-term deposit account offering up to 2.40% p.a. interest for German retail customers with terms of 6 to 24 months and a minimum investment of €5,000.
• Wertpapierdepot (Securities Depot) Securities depot for German retail investors to trade stocks, ETFs, funds, and certificates, with free depot management, access to over 1,200 savings plan-eligible securities, and promotional trading commissions.
• Junior Depot Securities depot for minors and young investors offering free depot management and over 170 fee-free ETF savings plans, plus promotional bonuses for opening and first trades.
• Baufinanzierung (Mortgage Financing) Mortgage financing product for German property buyers covering new construction, follow-on financing, rental property investment, modernization loans, and energy-efficient home financing, starting from 3.53% bound borrowing rate (Sollzins) with interest discounts for energy-efficient properties.
• Ratenkredit Installment loan for German consumers' personal financing needs, including eco-credits with a 0.10% interest rate discount for photovoltaic systems and heat pumps.
• Autokredit Specialized vehicle financing loan for German consumers purchasing cars or other vehicles.
• Dispokredit Overdraft credit facility linked to the GiroDirekt current account, providing flexible short-term borrowing for German retail customers.
• bevestor Digital wealth management platform under the 1822direkt umbrella offering automated investing with sustainable investment characteristics based on a scientifically grounded investment concept for German retail investors.
• Wertpapiersparen (Securities Savings Plans) Automated savings plans for securities including stock savings plans (over 1,100 companies), ETF savings plans, fund savings plans, and certificate savings plans, with over 170 fee-free ETF execution options.
• Edelmetalle (Precious Metals) Precious metals investment products available for German retail investors seeking diversification beyond securities.
• Kreditkarte Credit card products including VISA and MasterCard Gold variants with bundled insurance benefits, offered as add-ons to the GiroDirekt account.
• 1822direkt Anlage-Kompass Investment guidance tool that helps German retail customers select suitable ETFs and funds based on three categories of the most popular investment products.

Quantifiable outcome

• No customer losses ever in Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sparkassen-FinanzgruppecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe with its institutional guarantee scheme. Has never been a customer loss in the Sparkasse group's history.
• XtrackersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerETF provider partner for special campaigns (Sonderaktionen) offering fee-free trading on selected Xtrackers products.
• AmundiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerETF provider partner for special campaigns (Sonderaktionen) offering fee-free trading on selected Amundi products.
• L&G (Legal & General)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerETF/funds provider partner for special campaigns (Sonderaktionen) offering fee-free trading on selected L&G products.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• N26: N26 is a Berlin-based digital bank serving German retail customers with a mobile-first Girokonto and savings; relevant peer for the under-30, mobile-only customer segment that 1822direkt targets via its free sub-30 GiroDirekt.
• Trade Republic: Trade Republic is a leading German neobroker offering commission-free trading, savings plans and a broad ETF universe, increasingly competing with 1822direkt's Wertpapierdepot and under-30 customer acquisition.
• Scalable Capital: Scalable Capital is a Munich-based neobroker with broker and wealth-management offerings, competing directly on free ETF Sparpläne, low-cost trading and digital onboarding in the German retail-investor market.
• Tomorrow Bank: Tomorrow is a Hamburg-based sustainable neobank offering Girokonto and integrated impact investing — competes with 1822direkt's ESG positioning and under-30 Gen Z acquisition motion.

Direct peers

• flatexDEGIRO: flatexDEGIRO is one of Europe's largest online brokers with deep ETF and securities-trading penetration in Germany, directly competing on trading commissions, depot pricing and ETF Sparpläne.
• ING Germany: ING's German retail bank is a pure-play direct bank with a flagship Girokonto, savings products, securities trading and a large Baufinanzierung franchise, competing head-to-head with 1822direkt on price, awards and product breadth.
• Consorsbank (BNP Paribas): Consorsbank is a German direct bank and online broker offering current account, savings, securities trading and ETF Sparpläne — a close retail-banking peer to 1822direkt with overlapping target customers.
• Volkswagen Bank direct: Volkswagen Bank direct offers Girokonto, savings and consumer/auto loans as a direct bank to German retail customers — a relevant peer on the consumer-credit and direct-banking side.
• DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank): DKB is one of Germany's largest direct banks, offering Girokonto, Tagesgeld, Wertpapierdepot and Baufinanzierung online — the closest 1:1 competitor across the full 1822direkt product stack and customer segment (German retail).
• Comdirect (Commerzbank): Comdirect is a German direct bank and online broker (now operating brand under Commerzbank) competing with 1822direkt on Girokonto, Depot, ETF Sparpläne and securities trading.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRBDQNUv3hg9Je7ug4onEPQ
• Facebookde-de.facebook.com/1822direkt
• Instagraminstagram.com/1822direkt
• TikToktiktok.com/@1822direkt
• Xx.com/1822direkt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1822direkt-gesellschaft-der-frankfurter-sparkasse-mbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about 1822direkt