In short:
- The Commerzbank business account at a glance: three account models, from €15.90 to €54.90 a month. Each comes with an allowance of free electronic transactions, after which you pay per item. Cash runs through the bank own ATMs and the counter, with withdrawals additionally available at over 5,000 Cash Group machines. Every legal form is eligible, from freelancers to a GmbH.
- Where it gets expensive: there is no permanently free plan, and the €0 entry price is a 12-month promotion. Transactions above the allowance cost extra, as do the card package and the foreign currency account on the Klassik plan. The bank pays no cashback, and securities sit in a separate portfolio rather than inside the account.
- Vivid as an alternative: €0 a month on the Free Start plan, open to every legal form including GmbH and UG, unlimited SEPA transfers with no per-item price, as many accounts as you need each with its own German IBAN, and investing straight from the account.
With the Commerzbank business account, the fit is decided early, and the question is not "what does it cost" but "what am I paying for". A monthly base price runs from month one, and in return you get a branch within reach, a counter for cash, a real corporate credit card and a contact person for business customers. Need none of that, and you are paying for infrastructure that sits unused. Pay in coins daily or want to negotiate an overdraft facility, and a purely digital alternative is hard pressed to replace it.
This article is about the business account, not the private Commerzbank current account. It takes the three account models apart, adds up the extras, names the limits and puts both accounts side by side at the end. Every figure comes from the official Commerzbank pages and was read in August 2026. Promotional prices expire, which is why a dated note sits at the end.
What is the Commerzbank business account?
Commerzbank AG is a nationwide full bank and issues a German IBAN. For business customers it runs three account models: KlassikGeschäftskonto, PremiumGeschäftskonto and PremiumPlusGeschäftskonto. Unlike the roughly 340 legally independent Sparkassen, its price list applies uniformly across Germany. What you pay in Hamburg, you also pay in Passau. That sounds like a detail, yet it saves you hunting for the regional price schedule when you compare.
Who the Commerzbank business accounts are meant for
The accounts are open to practically every legal form of company. Freelancers, sole traders and registered traders can open one, as can a GbR, GmbH, GmbH & Co. KG, KG and OHG. Which documents the bank wants depends on exactly that: freelancers provide their tax identification number, traders add the trade registration and, if registered, the commercial register extract. A GbR needs a tax identification, the partnership agreement and proof of authority to represent. For a GmbH, KG and OHG, the commercial register extract, the partnership agreement and the shareholder list come on top.
The bank draws one line itself, and it sits higher than most people expect. From around €15 million in annual revenue, Commerzbank points to a separate corporate account in its corporate banking arm. Below that, everything runs through the three business-customer models.
One point stands regardless of the legal form you bring: there is no permanently fee-free account model in the business customer range. The base price applies as soon as the introductory offer ends. For a company with staff, stock and a need for branches, that is a predictable fixed line. For a solo self-employed person issuing twelve invoices a year, it is the item that tips the calculation.
Commerzbank business account costs and plans
The cost of a Commerzbank business account has three parts, and only the first one is printed large on the product page. There is the monthly account maintenance fee, the price per transaction item above the free allowance, and the charges for cards, cash and add-on services. Look only at the base price and you will misjudge it.
Klassik, Premium and Premium Plus at a glance
The bank tiers the account in three steps, and the tiering follows a single figure: how many electronic transactions you post each month. Everything else hangs off that. The entry point is the Commerzbank business account Klassik, with Premium and Premium Plus above it.
| Plan | Price per month | Free electronic transactions | Cards on the plan | Enough for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KlassikGeschäftskonto | €15.90 | 10, then €0.20 per item | Girocard with Visa function; Business Card Premium Debit at €5.90 a month | Getting started with the basics |
| PremiumGeschäftskonto | €34.90 | 50, then €0.15 per item | Girocard plus Business Card Premium Debit or credit card included | Self-employed people with many transfers and invoices |
| PremiumPlusGeschäftskonto | €54.90 | 250, then €0.10 per item | 2 Girocards plus 2 Business Cards included | SMEs and start-ups with teams |
Run the steps against each other once and the logic shows. Between Klassik and Premium there are €19 a month and 40 extra free items. On transactions alone, the upgrade only pays off well past 100 postings, because 40 items at €0.20 come to just €8. What fills the gap is what is bundled: on Premium the card package, COINFO and COTRANSFER carry no surcharge, while on Klassik they add up to roughly €25 a month. Via that detour the more expensive plan often breaks even sooner than the transaction count suggests.
On the promotional prices: the KlassikGeschäftskonto is currently free for 12 months, with the bank refunding the €190.80 base price across the first year. On Premium the price sits at €8.90 instead of €34.90 for 24 months, plus a €100 online bonus for opening digitally. Both are time-limited offers, not standing conditions. Calculate total cost over three years and use the list price.
What comes on top of the base price
This is the part comparison portals like to shorten: the fees for a Commerzbank business account do not end at the base price. On the Klassik plan the Girocard with Visa function is included, and every further card costs: the Business Card Premium Debit at €5.90 a month, the Business Card Premium as a real credit card at €79.90 a year. Cash weighs in at €2.50 per deposit or withdrawal at an ATM, and €5.00 per counter transaction.
Then come the two data services, without which connected bookkeeping barely works. The digital turnover information COINFO costs €13 a month on Klassik, the digital payment orders COTRANSFER €6. A foreign currency account weighs in at €9.90 a month. On Premium, COINFO and COTRANSFER are included; on Premium Plus, so is the foreign currency account.
An example makes it tangible. A sole trader on the Klassik plan with 40 transactions a month, one debit card for the team and connected bookkeeping lands at €15.90 base price plus €6 for the 30 items above the allowance plus €5.90 for the card plus €13 for COINFO. That is roughly €41 a month, without a single cash deposit in the mix.
Interim conclusion on costs: the base price is only the entry ticket. What the Commerzbank business account really costs at month end is decided by the transaction items above the allowance and by the charges for cards, cash and data services. At Vivid the Free Start plan sits at €0 a month, and SEPA transfers there carry no per-item price.
Features in the Commerzbank business account
Payments and transaction items
Transfers, direct debits and standing orders run through online banking, which also supports HBCI. A paper-based transfer at the counter is priced separately, and you can collect direct debits through the account as well. Approval works through the photoTAN procedure in the matching app. The difference to the digital providers is not the function but the billing: every electronic transaction above the free allowance is priced individually, at €0.20, €0.15 or €0.10 depending on the plan. Move many small payments, in retail or on subscription models, and you feel it at month end.
The turnover overview reaches back 24 months on Klassik, and further from Premium. International transfers are possible through online banking according to the official FAQ. What they cost appears only in the price and services schedule. The product page names no figure, and none is invented here.
Cards for the business account
The debit card for the Commerzbank business account is the Girocard with Visa function, and it belongs to every plan. Two Business Cards sit above it: the Premium Debit and the Premium as a credit card. Both cost extra on the entry plan, one of them is included from Premium, and on Premium Plus you get two Girocards and two Business Cards. Apple Pay and Google Pay work with the debit and the credit card.
One distinction from most fintechs: the Business Card Premium is a real credit card with a credit line, not a debit card wearing a credit card logo. You apply for it in a branch after opening the account, subject to creditworthiness and legal age. For companies settling travel expenses or supplier payments on deferred payment, that is a concrete everyday difference.
Paying in and withdrawing cash
At this point many guides merge two things that belong apart. Commerzbank accepts deposits at its own ATMs, for €2.50 per transaction, and at the counter for €5.00 per counter transaction. Withdrawals additionally work at over 5,000 Cash Group machines, a network that alongside Commerzbank includes Deutsche Bank, HypoVereinsbank and Postbank together with their subsidiaries, likewise for €2.50.
On the PremiumPlusGeschäftskonto, five deposits and five withdrawals a month are free, and from the sixth transaction the €2.50 applies. For a shop with a daily till reconciliation, that is the real figure to calculate with, not the base price. This is exactly where the structural line runs between a branch bank and the digital providers, which take no cash at all or only through partners.
Sub-accounts and the foreign currency account
One detail the portals get wrong in numbers: a sub-account on the Commerzbank business account costs nothing. The official FAQ puts it unmistakably, you can open sub-accounts free of charge in online banking, for tax reserves or to separate project budgets. Read that sentence differently on a comparison page and the source is out of date.
Foreign currencies, by contrast, run through a product of their own. The foreign currency account covers more than 25 currencies and costs €9.90 a month, and it is included on Premium Plus. The business account itself stays a euro account. Invoice regularly in dollars or pounds, and you budget this item on top.
Bookkeeping, DATEV and online banking
DATEV and the Commerzbank business account meet through two services with unwieldy names. COINFO, the digital turnover information, transmits transactions for up to 5 accounts to connected service data centres, DATEV explicitly among them. COTRANSFER submits payment orders in the other direction. On the entry plan both are optional add-ons, and from Premium they belong to the package.
For working with a tax advisor that means the interface exists and is established, it simply is not part of the price on the entry plan. Added to that are a customer support line 7 days a week and the security guarantee, under which the bank reimburses phishing losses on defined conditions.
Limits of the Commerzbank business account
No account covers everything, and with the Commerzbank business account the open points can be named clearly. They all sit in the same place: where an account turns from a payment rail into a financial tool. For a GmbH or UG one more point comes on top, because the legal form changes nothing about the price but plenty about the number of transactions.
These points are not a verdict on the bank but a question of fit. A trade business with till revenue, a need for credit and a contact person on site gets something for the base price that is hard to replace digitally. An agency triggering 200 transfers a month, sorting reserves and wanting liquidity to work, does a different calculation.
Interim conclusion on the limits: the Commerzbank business account is built for branches, cash and business-customer support, and for that you pay a fixed base price plus items. What it does not cover is cashback, investing from inside the account and an entry point without a monthly price. Those three gaps are exactly what the next section closes.
Opening a Commerzbank business account
The route is now fully digital. You fill in the online application, which the bank puts at about 5 minutes, set a username and PIN for online banking and receive an order confirmation straight away. Identification then follows directly in the web browser, with an identity card or passport. Finally you activate the photoTAN app, which you later use to approve transfers.
Which documents come with it depends on the legal form and is covered above. One more thing to plan for: creditworthiness is checked as part of the account opening. A business account despite a negative Schufa entry is the exception at a full bank, and an entry can lead to rejection. There is no advance commitment, and blanket promises on this appear on no reputable page.
Alternatives to the Commerzbank business account
Eight criteria, two accounts, one table. It puts the Commerzbank business account and the Vivid business account side by side and shows what the entry point really costs, who the cheapest plan is actually open to, and what comes with it in accounts, currencies and investing. As of August 2026; the current conditions are with the respective provider.
| Provider | Monthly price | IBAN | Cashback | Investing | Accounts & IBANs | Currencies | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vivid | €0 (Free Start), all legal forms incl. GmbH and UG | German IBAN | 0.1% to 1% by plan, no monthly cap (all purchases), up to 10% in categories | stocks, ETFs, iBonds, money market funds, crypto | unlimited, each with its own IBAN | 22 currencies | Freelancers to GmbH/UG |
| Commerzbank | from €15.90 (Klassik), no free plan | German IBAN | no cashback | no investing from the account | sub-accounts free in online banking | EUR only | SMEs & GmbH/UG |
Two rows are worth a second look. The base price, because at Commerzbank it runs from month one while the Free Start plan stays at €0, for every legal form up to GmbH and UG. And investing, which at Commerzbank runs through a separate securities portfolio and at Vivid sits inside the same account.
Vivid as an alternative to Commerzbank
Commerzbank covers branches, cash and credit, at a price that runs from month one. Three things stay open: an entry point without a base price that a GmbH can use too, investing straight from the account, and cashback on what the business spends anyway. This is exactly where Vivid comes in.
What Vivid Business offers
The Free Start plan costs €0 a month, and it is open to every legal form, from freelancers through a GbR to a GmbH and UG. SEPA transfers carry no per-item price, and there is no free allowance because none is needed. Post 40 transactions today and 400 in six months, and you still pay the same. The business account comes with a German IBAN.
You can open as many accounts as you want, and each one gets its own German IBAN. Tax reserve, project budget, payroll buffer: every pot becomes visible, and direct debits can be pulled from a single account on purpose. How the sub-accounts work day to day is set out in detail on the product page.
Team members can be invited without limit and without a per-person surcharge, across four roles from owner to employee, with card limits set per card. The DATEV interface for transactions and documents belongs to the account, with no monthly add-on charge. Bookkeeping, invoicing and payments therefore live in the same app.
The Vivid plans at a glance
Three plans cover everyday business, with the Enterprise tiers above them for larger teams.
| Plan | Price per month | Enough for |
|---|---|---|
| Free Start | €0 | Getting started with the basics |
| Basic | €6.90 | Self-employed people with many transfers and invoices |
| Pro | €18.90 | SMEs and start-ups with teams |
From Basic, accounts in 22 currencies and international transfers come on top, along with a higher free volume on exchange. From Pro, advanced card limits with category, merchant and country rules are added, plus corporate cards and a lower rate on card acceptance. Whatever already sits in Free Start stays in every plan.
Investing and interest from the account
Stocks, ETFs, iBonds, money market funds and crypto sit in the same place as the account at Vivid. Added to that are model portfolios for companies that would rather not pick themselves, and an integrated interest account for balances that should stay available at short notice. A separate securities portfolio at a second provider is not needed for any of it.
Day to day that mainly means one thing: reserve, buffer and investment run in the same overview. At month end you see what sits on the payment account and what is working, without switching between two logins.
Opening an account with Vivid
The application runs online. You enter the company details and identify yourself with a selfie alongside your identity document, with no branch appointment at all. Standing orders and direct debits then move across gradually, once you have given the new IBAN to clients and service providers.
And then there is the cashback, which at Vivid does not hang off a paid plan. On all purchases you get up to 1%, guaranteed and with no monthly cap, and up to 10% in selected categories. It starts on the Free Start plan, which is precisely where the account still costs nothing.
Bottom line on Vivid: if the account, sub-accounts with their own German IBAN, investing and cashback should all run in one place, Vivid covers that from €0 a month, for a GmbH and UG as well. Unlimited SEPA transfers with no per-item price and unlimited team members belong to that plan.
Which business account suits whom?
Want to run everything in one account, and Vivid is where you land. The Free Start plan costs €0 a month, is open to a GmbH and UG as well, brings unlimited SEPA transfers with no per-item price, as many accounts as you need each with its own German IBAN, investing from the same place and cashback of up to 1% with no monthly cap on all purchases. A business account for a GmbH and UG can therefore be run without a base price.
If you are looking for reviews of the Commerzbank business account, the rating portals keep circling the same two topics: the branch and the price. No score of our own is awarded here. Commerzbank comes into play when cash regularly goes across the counter, when an overdraft facility or a real corporate credit card is needed, or when a fixed contact person on site tips the decision. If instead the account, sub-accounts, investing and cashback should sit in one place, Vivid covers that from €0 a month.
Conclusion on the Commerzbank business account
The Commerzbank business account is a classic branch bank account with a uniform nationwide price list, three account models between €15.90 and €54.90 a month and a structure built around cash, credit and advice. Sub-accounts are set up free of charge in online banking, the DATEV connection runs through COINFO, and on the Klassik plan it carries a surcharge.
The limits sit where a payment account is meant to become a financial tool: no fee-free plan, transaction items above the allowance, no cashback and no investing from inside the account. This is exactly where Vivid sits: €0 a month on the Free Start plan, for a GmbH and UG as well, with unlimited SEPA transfers at no per-item price, as many accounts as you need each with its own German IBAN, and investing from the same place. Which account fits in the end comes down to two questions: how much cash does the business move, and should the money work between two invoices?
Ready for a business account?
With the Vivid business account you get unlimited sub-accounts each with its own German IBAN, investing and cashback with no monthly cap on all purchases in one app, for a GmbH and UG as well.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What does the Commerzbank business account cost?
The cost of a Commerzbank business account depends on the account model. The KlassikGeschäftskonto costs €15.90 a month, the PremiumGeschäftskonto €34.90 and the PremiumPlusGeschäftskonto €54.90. They include 10, 50 and 250 free electronic transactions respectively, above which €0.20, €0.15 or €0.10 is charged per item. The Klassik account is currently free for 12 months and the Premium account runs at €8.90 for 24 months; both are time-limited offers.
Who can open a Commerzbank business account?
Freelancers, sole traders and registered traders, as well as a GbR, GmbH, GmbH & Co. KG, KG and OHG. The documents follow the legal form: the tax identification number always, plus the trade registration, commercial register extract, partnership agreement or shareholder list. Identification takes place in the web browser with an identity card or passport. From around €15 million in annual revenue the bank points to a separate corporate account.
Is there a free business account at Commerzbank?
No, Commerzbank does not run a permanently fee-free account model for business customers. The €0 on the KlassikGeschäftskonto is a promotion over 12 months, after which the €15.90 monthly base price applies. If you want to work without a base price permanently, Vivid offers that on the Free Start plan, which is open to a GmbH and UG as well.
Can I open sub-accounts on the Commerzbank business account?
Yes. According to the official FAQ you set up a sub-account on the Commerzbank business account free of charge in online banking, for example for reserves or to split funds cleanly. Several comparison sites still get this point wrong.
Does Commerzbank offer a DATEV interface?
Yes, the Commerzbank business account connects DATEV through the digital turnover information COINFO. It transmits transactions for up to 5 accounts to connected service data centres, DATEV explicitly among them. On the Klassik plan the service costs €13 a month, and from the PremiumGeschäftskonto it is included. At Vivid the DATEV interface belongs to the account.
Can I get a Commerzbank business account despite a Schufa entry?
Commerzbank checks creditworthiness as part of the account opening. A negative Schufa entry can lead to rejection, and there is no advance commitment. Blanket statements on this are unreliable, because the bank assesses every application individually. This paragraph is not legal advice.
What is the alternative to the Commerzbank business account?
If the account, sub-accounts with their own German IBAN, investing and cashback should sit together, Vivid covers that from €0 a month, for a GmbH and UG as well. Unlimited SEPA transfers with no per-item price and unlimited team members belong to that plan. The table above puts both accounts side by side against the same eight criteria.
As of August 2026. The information on Commerzbank was compiled to the best of our knowledge from the official provider pages and can change at any time, in particular prices, plans, promotions and conditions. No claim is made to completeness or accuracy. Please check the current conditions directly with the respective provider. Commerzbank is a trademark of Commerzbank AG; there is no business relationship between Vivid and Commerzbank. Vivid Money S.A. is an e-money institution supervised by the CSSF and is not a bank; client funds are held separately. Investment and interest products are provided by Vivid Money B.V. Investments carry risks; the value of an investment can rise or fall, and past performance is not an indicator of future returns. Crypto assets are unregulated and highly volatile; a total loss is possible. This article is not legal or tax advice.
