Santander BestCard
Free charge card with no foreign currency fee on payments.
Score: 7.1 / 10 · Good
Rating: 8.2 / 10 · 1.620 reviews
Best for: Free, no account
Overview
The Santander BestCard is a genuine credit card from Santander on the Visa network. Free charge card with no foreign currency fee on payments. It comes with no annual fee on a permanent basis. A surcharge of 1.85 % applies to payments in foreign currency.
Who is it for?
The card is particularly suited to free, no account. Its strengths lie in mobile payments. It is issued without a German IBAN, so no additional checking account is strictly required. As a genuine credit card it offers a credit line (effective annual interest 16.43 %).
How the score is calculated
Overall score: 7.1 / 10 · Good
| Costs (30 %) | 10.0 / 10 |
|---|---|
| Foreign currency (18 %) | 3.5 / 10 |
| Cash worldwide (14 %) | 3.6 / 10 |
| Interest (10 %) | 6.3 / 10 |
| Cashback & bonus (10 %) | 0.0 / 10 |
| Features (6 %) | 1.8 / 10 |
| Community signal (12 %) | 8.3 / 10 |
Highlights
- €0 annual fee
- No foreign currency fee on payments
- Monthly settlement by direct debit
- No extra checking account required
Costs & Fees
| Annual fee | 0 € |
|---|---|
| Welcome bonus | — |
| Eff. annual interest | 16,43 % |
| Type | Credit card |
| Network | Visa |
| Issuer | Santander |
There is no annual fee. Outside the euro area a 1.85 % foreign currency fee applies. A fee of 3.5 % applies to cash worldwide. The effective annual interest rate is 16.43 % (for instalment payments). Billing: Monthly billing with optional installment (revolving) repayment.
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This card in our comparisons: Free Credit Cards · Credit Cards With Instalments · Visa Credit Cards Compared · Santander Credit Cards Compared
Similar credit cards
- BBVA Credit Card Classic – Fee-free credit card with free worldwide withdrawals and a German IBAN.
- Deutschland-Kreditkarte Classic – Well-known free Visa credit card with no account requirement, recommended by Stiftung Warentest.
- Hanseatic Bank GenialCard – Popular fee-free credit card with free worldwide withdrawals.
- Easybank Credit Card – Flexible credit card with no account requirement — successor to the Barclays Visa.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the Santander BestCard cost per year?
- The Santander BestCard has no annual fee on a permanent basis — there are no fixed yearly costs.
- Does the Santander BestCard charge foreign currency fees?
- Yes. Outside the euro area the Santander BestCard charges a 1.85 % foreign currency fee.
- Is the Santander BestCard a genuine credit card?
- Yes, the Santander BestCard is a genuine credit card with a credit line (effective annual interest 16.43 %).
- Does the Santander BestCard require a SCHUFA check?
- Yes, Santander runs a SCHUFA credit check for the Santander BestCard; a negative SCHUFA record can lead to rejection.
- How is money on the Santander BestCard protected?
- Statutory deposit guarantee Germany (EdB), up to €100,000. Additionally voluntary BdB deposit protection fund (up to €3 million for private customers, as of 2026). Santander Consumer Bank AG is a German credit institution headquartered in Mönchengladbach.