What Santander Deutschland does

Santander Deutschland, legally Openbank Deutschland AG (formerly Santander Consumer Bank AG), is a German consumer and small-business bank headquartered in M\u00f6nchengladbach, founded in 1957 and wholly owned by Banco Santander. The company operates a hybrid banking model built on a 170+ branch network combined with full digital self-service channels (MySantander Online Banking, iOS/Android apps, Video-Ident and Konto-Ident remote onboarding, SantanderSign 2FA), serving retail customers (Privatkunden), students, small/mid-market businesses (Firmenkunden), and vehicle buyers nationwide. Its core products span fee-free current accounts (BestGiro and variants), the BestCard credit-card family, personal loans (BestCredit), auto financing (CarCredit and BudgetCredit, where it holds the position of Germany's largest independent auto financier), savings and term deposits, securities and ETF/fund savings plans, wealth management from a 50,000 EUR entry point, and a Santander Protect insurance line.

The business model generates revenue through net interest income on lending products (cards, personal loans, auto loans), recurring account and card fees (BestCard Extra at 58.80 EUR/year, BestCard Premium at 70.80-118.80 EUR/year), transaction-based commissions on securities and ETF/fund distribution, and wealth management fees (1.13% p.a. fixed on Verm\u00f6gensverwaltung). Distribution is multi-channel: branches, digital self-service, phone banking, automotive dealer partnerships (including an Autob\u00f6rse.de vehicle marketplace integration), a Bausparen partnership with W\u00fcrstenrot for property savings, and referral marketing via Aklamio. Supporting technology integrations include Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin Pay, Visa Click to Pay, Visa Secure 3DS, and the CashPool ATM network.

In mid-2025 the company transitioned from Santander Consumer Bank AG to Openbank Deutschland AG (effective 28 July 2025), aligning its German operations with Banco Santander's global digital-first Openbank platform strategy. With 3,800+ employees and no public revenue disclosure, the business is a mature, branch-anchored consumer bank in mid-stage digital transformation, recognized for consecutive BankingCheck "Bester Autokredit" awards (2023, 2024, plus a 2021-2024 long-term test win).

Name

Santander Deutschland

Legal name

Openbank Deutschland AG

Website

https://santander.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Banking

NAICS

Commercial Banking (522110)

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

Underbanked/Financial Inclusion Neobanks (FSABAFAJ)

Keywords

• Retail banking services
• Consumer credit lending
• Auto financing
• Wealth management services
• Payment card products

Headquarters

HQ city

Mönchengladbach

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Interest Income: Interest earned on lending products including personal loans (BestCredit), auto loans (CarCredit/BudgetCredit), and credit card revolving balances
2. Account and Card Fees: Annual fees from premium credit cards (BestCard Extra at 58.80 EUR/year, BestCard Premium at 70.80-118.80 EUR/year), optional services
3. Investment Product Distribution: Commissions from distribution of investment products including ETFs, funds, and wealth management services through proprietary and third-party offerings
4. Auto Financing: Interest income from vehicle financing partnerships with dealerships across Germany, positioning as Germany's largest independent auto financier

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Santander Deutschland (legally Openbank Deutschland AG) is a German retail and consumer bank that provides fee-free current accounts (BestGiro), a family of credit cards (BestCard Smart, Extra, Premium, Basic), personal installment loans (BestCredit), auto financing (CarCredit and BudgetCredit) distributed through a nationwide dealer network, savings products (Tagesgeld, Festgeld), securities accounts and ETF/fund savings plans, professional wealth management (Santander Vermögensverwaltung), and business banking services (corporate accounts, SEPA/international payments, guarantees and letters of credit). It serves retail consumers, students, auto buyers, and small-to-medium-sized businesses across Germany through 170+ branches, digital and mobile banking platforms, and phone support, and is Germany's largest independent auto financier.

Product overview

Santander Deutschland (operated as Openbank Deutschland AG) offers a comprehensive banking platform comprising multiple interconnected products: core deposit products (BestGiro current accounts including Student and Gemeinschaft variants with Visa Debitkarte), a credit card family (BestCard Smart, Extra, Premium, and Basic cards), lending solutions (BestCredit personal loans and CarCredit/BudgetCredit auto loans), savings products (Tagesgeld and Festgeld), investment services (Wertpapierdepot with ETF and Fund savings plans, plus Vermögensverwaltung wealth management), insurance products (Santander Protect, Protect Plus, Pocket Protect), and digital banking platforms (MySantander Online Banking and Mobile App). The product portfolio serves retail customers including students and couples, with complementary services like the Santander Autobörse vehicle marketplace and Santander Universitäten educational partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BestGiro: Free current account (Girokonto) with no account maintenance fees, including Visa Debit card and online banking
• BestCard
• BestCredit
• CarCredit
• BudgetCredit
• BestSparen
• Santander Vermögensverwaltung
• Santander Fonds
• Santander Universitäten
• Santander Autobörse

Products and services

• BestGiro current account

Quantifiable outcome

• Germany's largest independent auto financier
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• AklamiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerReferral marketing partnership enabling existing customers to recommend BestCard Basic or BestGiro products to friends and earn up to 50 EUR per successful referral. Aklamio provides the tracking and reward fulfillment platform for the customer referral program.
• Urlaubsplus GmbHminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel booking partner for BestCard credit cards, offering 5-7% cashback on travel bookings made through their platform. Bookings and refunds are processed directly by Urlaubsplus GmbH.
• Autobörse.deminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVehicle marketplace partnership directing potential auto buyers to Autobörse.de for new and used vehicle search, integrated as a service for customers who have obtained auto financing pre-approval.
• WüstenrotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBausparen (building savings) partnership offering home savings products through Wüstenrot for customers seeking property financing solutions.
• Apple Pay, Google Pay, Garmin PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationMobile payment integration partnerships enabling customers to pay contactlessly using their preferred digital wallet on compatible devices at any contactless payment terminal.
• Santander Asset ManagementcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInvestment management arm of the Santander group providing proprietary funds and investment expertise for distribution through Santander Deutschland's wealth management and investment products.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• N26: German-headquartered neobank providing digital current accounts, payments, and consumer banking products across Europe — emerging digital-first competitor targeting similar German retail customers with overlapping basic-banking and transfer capabilities.

Direct peers

• Targobank: German consumer bank (owned by Crédit Mutuel) with strong consumer credit, retail deposits, and credit card franchise — directly comparable target market of fee-conscious German retail customers seeking consumer loans and everyday banking.
• BMW Bank: Captive auto financing arm of BMW Group offering car loans, leases, and dealer financing in Germany — directly comparable auto financing business model and dealer-distribution channel, competing head-to-head for vehicle financing volume.
• DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank): German retail and corporate bank owned by BayernLB, offering Girokonto, consumer credit, brokerage, and business banking — directly comparable multi-product retail/banking offering including personal loans and digital channels.
• Consorsbank: German online broker and retail bank (BNP Paribas subsidiary) offering Girokonto, depot, ETF savings plans, and consumer credit — directly comparable digital brokerage and consumer banking proposition.
• ING-DiBa: ING's German retail banking arm offering current accounts, consumer credit, savings, brokerage, and personal loans through digital-first channels with branch advisory — closely comparable consumer banking product suite, hybrid distribution, and retail-customer focus as Santander Deutschland.
• Volkswagen Bank: Captive finance provider for the Volkswagen Group offering auto loans, leases, and dealer financing in Germany — directly comparable auto financing product suite and dealer partnership model.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Bank: Germany's largest universal bank with full retail, business, and corporate offerings including consumer lending and trade finance — broad incumbent covering similar German retail and business banking segments.
• Commerzbank: One of Germany's largest private-sector banks offering retail, business banking, and corporate banking including consumer credit and trade finance — broader incumbent serving overlapping German retail and SMB markets.
• Postbank: German retail bank now owned by Deutsche Bank, with broad reach through the Deutsche Post network — comparable retail banking scale and household-deposit franchise in Germany.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SantanderUniversitaeten
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/santanderdeutschland

Compliance1 record

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 Santander Deutschland