Mobile plan without a German bank account

Prepaid without a bank account or credit check, topping up with cash, and why a German provider may not refuse your foreign IBAN.

All prices in this guide come from our comparison of 274 German mobile tariffs and are average prices per month over 24 months, one-time costs included. As of 19 Oct 2026.

The key points

• Prepaid needs neither a German bank account nor a SCHUFA credit check. You pay in advance and can stop at any time.
• Top up with cash: top-up vouchers are sold at supermarket tills, petrol stations and kiosks.
• Foreign account: if a provider asks for a direct debit, it may not refuse an account from another SEPA country.
• Contracts paid by invoice usually come with a credit check. People new to Germany often have no SCHUFA record yet and are sometimes turned down.

What prepaid and monthly tariffs cost today

We compare 108 prepaid tariffs. The table shows the cheapest prepaid tariff for each data volume and, for comparison, the cheapest tariff cancellable monthly by invoice, which usually requires a bank account and a credit check.

Many prepaid tariffs charge every 4 weeks, so 13 times a year; all average prices already include this. All tariffs: prepaid tariffs compared.

Topping up without a bank account

• Top-up voucher: pay cash at the till, then enter the code on the receipt on your phone or in the provider’s app.
• Online: many providers take credit cards or PayPal, foreign ones too. The provider’s page says what works.
• Automatic top-up: debiting a bank account is convenient but optional. Prepaid works without it.

If the credit does not cover the next package, the tariff usually pauses until you top up. How long a number stays active without top-ups is set out in each provider’s terms.

A contract with a bank account from abroad

Under Article 9 of the SEPA Regulation (EU) No 260/2012, a company that accepts direct debits may not dictate in which country of the SEPA area your account is held. An account from Poland, France or Spain must work just like a German one. If a provider refuses your IBAN because of its country, point it to this rule; consumer advice centres (Verbraucherzentrale) can help. Most online bank accounts from other EU countries have a SEPA IBAN anyway.

Credit check (SCHUFA)

Before a contract paid by invoice, providers usually ask SCHUFA or another credit agency. Without any record in Germany this can lead to a refusal, even if you have never had debts. Prepaid avoids this, and a contract is still possible later. More on choosing between the kinds of tariff: contract, monthly or prepaid.