DZB BANK
DZB BANK is a German cooperative bank providing central settlement, payment guarantees, credit risk management, and financing services to European trade associations, retailers, and suppliers across 18 countries, operating as a subsidiary of ANWR GROUP since 1979.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1979
- HeadquartersMainflingen, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DZB BANK does
DZB BANK GmbH is a specialized German banking institution founded in 1979 and headquartered in Mainhausen near Frankfurt, with a second office in Düsseldorf focused on international clients. It operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of ANWR GROUP eG, one of Europe's largest trade cooperations. The bank's core business is "Zentralregulierung" (central settlement), a financial infrastructure that consolidates invoicing, payment guarantees, and credit risk management across trade networks of European purchasing associations, retailers, and suppliers spanning 18 countries and multiple sectors including shoes, bicycles, leather goods, toys, books, baby products, sporting goods, and building materials. The bank guarantees supplier payment regardless of retailer payment terms while providing retailers with flexible ordering backed by DZB's interim financing.
The platform's central settlement system functions as a digital invoice transfer layer connecting associations, retailers, and suppliers, consolidating supplier receivables into single payments and embedding credit insurance. The product portfolio extends beyond central settlement to DZB Payment (POS), which accepts EC Cash and credit cards at the point of sale with guaranteed settlement; DZB ePayment, an e-commerce payment integration enabling merchants to accept standard payment methods without additional certification; and tailor-made financing solutions. An online portal provides paperless document management, billing statements, and account administration.
Revenue is generated through transaction fees on processed payments, fees on POS and e-commerce payment processing, managed services for credit risk evaluation embedded within settlement, and spread income on interim financing during the payment cycle between supplier delivery and retailer settlement. Distribution is exclusively indirect: services are delivered through partnership channels with trade associations and cooperative purchasing groups, with associations acting as intermediaries between DZB and member retailers/suppliers. DZB BANK is supervised by BAFin and participates in the BVR institutional protection scheme, providing regulatory backing and deposit insurance that anchor the value proposition.
DZB BANK firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DZB BANK
- Legal name
- DZB BANK GmbH
- Website
- https://dzb-bank.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1979
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DZB BANK is a German cooperative bank providing central settlement, payment guarantees, credit risk management, and financing services to European trade associations, retailers, and suppliers across 18 countries, operating as a subsidiary of ANWR GROUP since 1979.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DZB BANK industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Banking Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Depository Credit Intermediation (5221), Commercial Banking (52211)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Business Credit Institution (6159), Functions Related To Depository Banking, Nec (6099)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout) (FSAGAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Payment Reconciliation, Reporting & Settlement Infrastructure (FSAGABAH), Trade & Invoice Payments (Cross-Border B2B) (FSAMAIAL)
Keywords
Where DZB BANK is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Mainflingen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
DZB BANK business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Central Settlement Services: Fees charged for processing payments between suppliers and retailers through the central settlement system. DZB BANK guarantees payment to suppliers and collects from retailers on agreed payment cycles.
- Payment Processing: Transaction fees from POS and e-commerce payment acceptance services including EC Cash, credit cards, and digital payment methods.
- Credit Risk Management: Credit evaluation services and credit insurance embedded within the central settlement offering, eliminating separate credit insurance costs for suppliers.
- Financing Services: Interim financing provided during the payment cycle between supplier delivery and retailer payment settlement. Also includes investment/financing services for customers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom enterprise pricing for associations and cooperatives |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
DZB BANK product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DZB BANK provides central settlement (Zentralregulierung), payment processing, credit risk management, and financing services to European trade associations, their member retailers, and suppliers. Through its central settlement platform, the bank guarantees payment to suppliers while offering retailers flexible purchasing terms, processing consolidated invoicing and interim financing across 18 European countries.
Product overview
DZB BANK operates as a specialized banking institution focused on the trading sector, offering a unified service platform centered on Zentralregulierung (Central Settlement). The product portfolio includes DZB Payment for point-of-sale transactions, DZB ePayment for e-commerce, and comprehensive financing solutions. All services support European trade and purchasing associations across multiple sectors including shoes, bicycles, leather goods, toys, books, children's products, sporting goods, and building materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Zentralregulierung (Central Settlement) Central settlement service for trade associations, member retailers, and suppliers providing payment guarantees, risk coverage, credit evaluation, and standardized billing processing. The bank guarantees payment to suppliers regardless of retailer payment terms while enabling flexible ordering for retailers and interim financing across the payment cycle.
- DZB Payment (POS) Point-of-sale payment solution offering all standard payment methods including EC Cash and credit card acceptance with payment guarantee for merchants.
- DZB ePayment E-commerce payment solution integrating all standard payment methods into merchant systems without additional certification requirements.
- Finanzierung (Financing) Tailor-made financing solutions supporting trading activities, including investment financing for business growth even in low-interest environments.
- Netzbetrieb (Network Operation) Commercial network operation offering merchants a single point of contact for all financial and technical questions related to their payment solution.
Quantifiable outcome
- Elimination of credit insurance costs for suppliers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use DZB BANK
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DZB BANK technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
DZB BANK partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- HandelnDenken NetworkminorInitiative launched by DZB BANK in 2009 to bring together managers of cooperative trading organizations for creative exchange of ideas. A platform for discussing future challenges and opportunities in cooperative retail.
- ANWR GROUPcoreParent company and cooperative group operating in the non-food retail sector. ANWR GROUP generates over 14.5 billion euros in business volume with more than 5,000 independent companies and nearly 10,000 sales outlets across footwear, sports, and leather goods sectors.
- AKTIVBANK AGcoreSpecialist bank for factoring and purchase/sales financing since 1990. Serves over 18,000 customers including more than 8,700 association members and 9,500 suppliers across 46 associations in over 15 sectors. Provides factoring services complementing DZB's central settlement offering.
- Genoverband e.V.minorGerman Cooperative Association - industry association membership
- Bundesverband der Deutschen Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken e.V. (BVR)coreFederal Association of German Cooperative Banks. DZB BANK is affiliated with BVR and participates in institutional protection scheme. Provides deposit protection and institutional security.
- Bankenfachverband e.V.minorBanking Association representing nearly 60 member institutions specializing in consumer, investment, and automotive financing.
- BVR Institutssicherung GmbHcoreOfficial institutional protection scheme for German cooperative banks. Provides deposit insurance and institutional security for DZB BANK.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DZB BANK competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AKTIVBANK AG: German factoring and trade-finance specialist serving >18,000 customers across 46+ associations and 15+ sectors. Already a strategic partner of DZB BANK and the most direct comparable in terms of association-mediated B2B credit services for the cooperative trade sector.
- FactorFlow / Deutsche Factoring Bank: German factoring bank providing receivables purchasing and working capital financing to mid-market businesses. Directly comparable to DZB's interim financing and credit risk management services within the trade-supplier-to-retailer flow.
- VR Payment GmbH: Payment processor for the German cooperative banking sector, providing POS and e-commerce acquiring services. Directly comparable to DZB Payment and DZB ePayment within the same cooperative banking ecosystem and member base.
Broad incumbents
- Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (cooperative banking network): Federation of German cooperative banks that DZB BANK is itself affiliated with. The Volksbanken/Raiffeisenbanken network is the broader incumbent ecosystem of cooperative banks in Germany, sharing regulatory and deposit-protection mechanisms with DZB and competing for member business banking relationships.
- Coface: Global trade credit insurance and B2B receivables management company. Overlaps with DZB's embedded credit risk management and payment guarantee services for suppliers, though Coface focuses on insurance underwriting rather than settlement infrastructure.
- Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade): World's largest trade credit insurer with deep EU presence. Comparable to DZB in offering supplier payment guarantees, but as a broad incumbent rather than a settlement-rail specialist, and is integrated into Allianz's insurance distribution.
- Commerzbank AG: Major German commercial bank offering trade finance, factoring (via CommerzFact), and payment services. A broad incumbent competing with DZB for trade association and mid-market retail banking relationships across Germany and Europe.
- DZ BANK AG: Central institution of the German Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken cooperative banking sector and a major German commercial bank. Shares cooperative banking affiliation with DZB and competes for institutional and corporate banking business in the same network.
Emerging players
- Hokodo: European B2B BNPL/embedded trade finance platform targeting suppliers and wholesalers. An emerging fintech challenger addressing the same B2B trade credit pain point that DZB solves via its central settlement platform, but via API rather than association intermediation.
- Treyd: Nordic-origin B2B BNPL provider offering supplier financing for SMEs and retailers. Directly comparable emerging competitor to DZB's interim financing and trade credit services, though geographically focused and not bank-licensed.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DZB BANK social profiles
Digital presenceDZB BANK financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DZB BANK leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
DZB BANK funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DZB BANK M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DZB BANK
What does DZB BANK do?
DZB BANK provides central settlement (Zentralregulierung), payment processing, credit risk management, and financing services to European trade associations, their member retailers, and suppliers. Through its central settlement platform, the bank guarantees payment to suppliers while offering retailers flexible purchasing terms, processing consolidated invoicing and interim financing across 18 European countries.
Is DZB BANK a public or private company?
DZB BANK is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was DZB BANK founded?
DZB BANK was founded in 1979. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DZB BANK based?
DZB BANK is headquartered in Mainflingen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does DZB BANK make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Central Settlement Services are the primary driver. The others are payment Processing, credit Risk Management and financing Services.
Who are DZB BANK's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AKTIVBANK AG, FactorFlow / Deutsche Factoring Bank and VR Payment GmbH. Broad incumbents are Volksbanken und Raiffeisenbanken (cooperative banking network), Coface, Euler Hermes (Allianz Trade), Commerzbank AG and DZ BANK AG. Emerging players are Hokodo and Treyd.
Does DZB BANK have an API?
No public API is recorded for DZB BANK.
What industry is DZB BANK in?
DZB BANK's product category is Trade Banking Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAGAIAC, B2B / Invoice-Based BNPL (Trade Credit at Checkout), with a secondary code of FSAGABAH, Payment Reconciliation, Reporting & Settlement Infrastructure. Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 6159.