4mo ago

Looking for PayPal alternative in Germany - Bunq, Klarna, Revolut or N26?

Hello everyone,

I'm living in Germany and looking for a good PayPal alternative. I mainly need it for:

Sending money to friends
Paying online, especially to small vendors
Ordering food and everyday purchases

I've heard about Bunq, Klarna, Revolut, and N26, but I'm not sure which one would be best for my needs. Has anyone had experience with these services in Germany? Which would you recommend and why?

Thanks in advance!

33 comments

- Thanks for suggesting Wero! I tried it out, but unfortunately, they're incompatible with my bank (Deutsche Bank). It does seem super cool, though! I'll follow their progress and hope they add support soon. I appreciate the recommendation.
  
  Everyone that uses Deutsche Bank needs to learn what they’ve done https://youtu.be/ZlIagcttGY0
  
  Doesn't N26, Revolut etc. also involve the creation of a new bank account? As far as I know they will all lead to a separate IBAN with separate cards etc.
  
  Apparently they plan to add support for it this year: https://www.db.com/news/detail/20241122-european-digital-payments-app-wero-now-available-for-postbank-customers?language_id=3
This year the PayPal alternative Bluecode is supposed to launch! I'm keeping an eye on that. Otherwise I do a lot of payments by prepayment or (advance) invoice. So it just goes through my bank account directly.
- German? Legal disclaimer says switzerland? Cool too though, didn't know them, thanks for the tip!
  
  Oh really, sorry than I was informed wrong on my side, I will edit my comment. Thanks for pointing it out.
- Debit cards and Revolut use the Visa/MC networks, which are US-based. Revolut even uses Visa for peer-to-peer transactions.
- Some bank also give ability to use "virtual card". You select an amount, add a time frame and it will create a virtual card to use.
Paying online, especially to small vendors
What I have recently been fond of is paying by invoice. I will pay only once I open the package and find the invoice inside via bank transfer. Zero American companies (Paypal, Visa, Mastercard...) are involved this way.
The only drawback is that you have to remember paying and that some online stores - though usually the larger one's - don't support it.
- Invoice is great, but here (Germany) it's rarely an option in b2c. Some shops do if you spend A LOT or very frequent. if at all, for first-time customers.
  
  What is this "paying by invoice" you are talking about? (for those not living in that country)
  
  Eh, try smaller shops.
  For example, all local book shops around my area with an online presence - except for thalia but they're not locally owned - support paying through invoice.
  I haven't had any negative experience yet, although admittedly, my sample size is limited to three since I only started doing it recently. That might be because my orders were relatively small in price though.
I haven't used any yet and still have PayPal, but would also be interested in migrating to a European one.
Some possible options may be Skrill or Wise? I believe both are based in the UK and available internationally.
- Wise processes through Visa, a US company. That makes them as "EU alternative" as your bank's card.
  
  Wait, how do SEPA transfers go through Visa? Do you just mean the card payments?
  
  Ah. Well, I'll be closing that account, then... What about Skrill?
  I typically use Wise for foreign transfers. Would that still use Visa? If so, any non US backed alternatives? I typically transfer from Canada to family and personal bank accounts in the UK.
In Poland we have instant payments called Blik! Go check it out.
Welcome to Lemmy, here are a few pointers to help you settle in
!newtolemmy@lemmy.ca
!communitypromo@lemmy.ca
I'd avoid Klarna if you're opposed to all humans getting automated.
They rely heavily on OpenAi.
There is quite a consensus that c24 is the best bank. You get virtual cards for online pay and can send instant transfers for free.
There base model which is totally sufficient is free.
N26 reminds me of N64 so i should go with that one.
You literally introduced me to all of these things....
- Unfortunately, during my research, it seems like N26 is the worst option. Not only is it supported/funded by Peter Thiel and other American oligarchs, and it has a shady history Source (in German)
  
  Okay so that's a terrible way to make a decision then

33 comments