Hanseatic Bank review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Hanseatic Bank's GoldCard is a German credit card for people who travel and want insurance inside the yearly charge. Foreign payments run at a currency conversion fee of 0% and cash withdrawals carry no bank fee, so the card earns its place abroad.
Key facts
- Best for
- Travellers in Germany who want travel insurance and fee-free foreign spending on one credit card.
- Annual fee
- €58.80 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- APR
- 25.79% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 0% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards rate
- Up to 8% off the travel price via Urlaubsplus partner plus discounts in the Hanseatic Bank benefit world (Vorteilswelt) (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Perks
- SicherMobil travel insurance package (HanseMerkur) included, Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance up to 5,000 EUR per trip, Foreign travel health insurance for the first 62 days of a trip, extendable to 365 days, Travel baggage insurance, Flight and baggage delay insurance, Ticket insurance, Emergency insurance with 24-hour hotline, Fee-free cash withdrawals worldwide (ATM operator fees possible abroad), Fee-free payment in foreign currencies, charged in local currency, Card limit up to 5,000 EUR, Flexible repayment, default 3% of total balance or at least 20 EUR per month, rate changeable at any time, Contactless payment, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa Click to Pay, Personal choice of PIN via app or online banking, Free Hanseatic Bank Mobile app and online banking (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card kind
- Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Hanseatic Bank GmbH & Co KG (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Founded
- 1969 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Official website
- hanseaticbank.de
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- Google Play
Pros and cons
Pros
- The SicherMobil travel package from HanseMerkur is included, covering trip cancellation and interruption, health cover abroad, baggage, flight and baggage delays, plus an emergency line
- Fee-free payment in foreign currencies, charged to you in the local currency, and fee-free cash withdrawals worldwide, though the ATM operator abroad may charge its own
- Repayment is flexible, with a monthly share of the total balance by default and a rate you can change at any time
- Contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Visa Click to Pay are all supported, and you pick your own PIN in the app or online banking
Cons
- The annual fee of €58.80 is charged whatever you spend, well above £0 at Wise
- An APR of 25.79% makes a carried balance costly, so the card suits people who pay in full
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre only, without live chat
Who it suits
- People in Germany who travel often and would rather hold the insurance and the spending on one card
- Travellers who would otherwise pay a currency conversion charge on trip spending
- Card users who clear the balance each month and want the repayment share adjusted when income changes
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who want no yearly charge: Varo Believe Secured Credit Card has an annual fee of $0
- People after a plain everyday card on a small budget, where the annual fee at Wise is £0
- Anyone after a secured card rather than a travel package: Chime Card charges $0 a year
How Hanseatic Bank compares
9.3 vs 9.0
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Where Hanseatic Bank is available
- Available
- Germany
- Licence in Germany
- Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Germany
- Europäische Zentralbank (ECB), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does the Hanseatic Bank GoldCard cost to hold?+
The GoldCard is a credit card with an annual fee of €58.80, and borrowing on it costs 25.79% APR. Paying the balance in full each month leaves no interest to pay, so the yearly charge is what you are really buying: the travel insurance package and the fee-free foreign spending.
Will I pay extra for spending or withdrawing money abroad?+
No. Payments in foreign currencies are charged to you in the local currency at a currency conversion fee of 0%, and cash withdrawals carry no bank fee, though the ATM operator abroad may charge its own. That makes the card an easy choice for trips where the card does most of the spending.
What travel insurance comes with the card?+
The GoldCard includes the SicherMobil travel package from HanseMerkur. It covers trip cancellation and interruption, health cover for the first stretch of a trip, baggage, flight and baggage delays and ticket loss, with an emergency line alongside. The card is a credit card, so the insurance sits on the same account you pay with.
Who regulates the bank behind this card?+
The card is issued by Hanseatic Bank GmbH & Co KG, a bank based in Germany. BaFin, the German financial supervisor, and the European Central Bank both sit on its regulatory record, so the balance you carry is held with a supervised German lender rather than an offshore issuer.
What happens if I carry a balance?+
Interest is charged at 25.79% APR, which is high for revolving credit, so the card works well when you clear the balance. Repayment is flexible: the default takes a share of your total balance each month and the rate can be changed at any time, which helps when your income shifts.
How do I get help when something goes wrong?+
Support runs on email, phone and help centre, so you can call, email or search the help centre, and the listed channels do not include live chat. On a trip, the insurance package carries its own emergency line, which is separate from the bank's general support. The mobile app and online banking are free to use.
How long has the bank been running?+
Hanseatic Bank was founded in 1969 and operates from Germany as Hanseatic Bank GmbH & Co KG. The GoldCard comes from a long-established German lender rather than a new entrant, and the mobile app and online banking come with the account at no extra cost.
Sources
- hanseaticbank.de/kreditkarte/goldcard checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Annual fee, APR, Card kind, Currency conversion fee, Perks, Rewards rate
“Repräsentatives Beispiel nach Paragraf 17 PAngV: Sollzins (veränderlich): 16,30 % p. a., effektiver Jahreszins: 25,79 %”
- hanseaticbank.de/services/impressum checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Support channels, Licences
“Hanseatic Bank GmbH & Co KG, Fuhlsbüttler Straße 437, 22309 Hamburg”
- hanseaticbank.de/ueber-uns checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Rewards type.
Hanseatic Bank
Travellers in Germany who want travel insurance and fee-free foreign spending on one credit card.