Three cards, one honest price.

Frequently asked questions

What is a credit card with a security deposit?

A real credit card whose limit is covered by a deposit you lodge beforehand – usually equal to the limit. The issuer bears no risk, which is why it is often available even with negative entries. The deposit sits idle as long as the card runs; some issuers pay no interest on it. The advantage: it works like a credit card – hotel, hire car, deposit – and with some providers reports a payment history.

Is prepaid the same as debit?

No. You top up prepaid cards; they are attached to no current account and often cost top-up fees. Debit cards (Visa Debit, Debit Mastercard) debit the current account immediately – no top-up, no limit. For everyday life and online shopping both are equivalent; at hotels and car hire prepaid and debit are frequently refused because no deposit can be blocked.

Which card builds a credit file?

Only a card whose payment behaviour is reported – in Germany that is above all real credit cards with a limit and contract reporting to SCHUFA. Prepaid and debit cards are usually not reported; they do no harm, but build nothing. What really builds a credit file is the well-run current account behind it: salary receipts, no returns, no permanent overdraft.

What are the opportunity costs of the deposit?

The money sitting as a deposit does not work: with a €1,000 deposit and 2.5 per cent savings interest you lose around €25 a year – on top of the annual fee. The calculator counts that so that deposit and prepaid become honestly comparable. Anyone who gets the deposit back later has not lost it – but could not use it for three years.

Which card do I get via FIAON?

The card partner decides that on the basis of your file – FIAON prepares and submits the application when your readiness reaches the threshold. Every customer first gets a current account with a debit card; the credit card with a limit comes when report and account management carry it. No promise, but a route with stages.