Dear Customer,
Do you have questions regarding our payment account and payment services? We would like to answer any questions you may have here.
With this information, we fulfill the requirements under Section 14 (1) No. 2 of the Accessibility Strengthening Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – BFSG). The BFSG aims to ensure the accessibility of products and services offered by businesses. This means companies must guarantee that all consumers have easy access to the products and services provided. The objective is to enable all consumers to participate fully in society.
Please note: This information is intended to explain our payment account and payment services in an easily understandable manner. It is not legally binding. Only your contractual documents are legally binding.
This information is divided into 4 parts:
- Part 1 contains specific information explaining our payment account and payment services.
- Parts 2, 3, and 4 contain general information:
- Are you dissatisfied with our services? In Part 2, we inform you about your options in the event of a complaint.
- Would you like to know how our services meet the requirements of the BFSG? In Part 3, we provide details regarding the accessibility features of our services.
- Are you experiencing accessibility issues with our services? In Part 4, we provide information on whom you can contact in such cases, including details on the competent market surveillance authority.
Sincerely,
Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG
1. Explanation of Our Services
In this section, we explain our payment account and payment services. You will learn what the service entails and how it works. In doing so, we address the key terms that are important for understanding and using our services.
1.1 What is a Payment Account?
A payment account (also referred to as a current account / checking account) is an account through which you can execute various payment transactions. For example, the following transactions are possible:
- You can use the payment account to receive incoming funds, such as your salary, pension, or statutory maintenance payments.
- You can use the payment account for cash deposits and cash withdrawals.
- You can use the payment account for cashless payment transactions (for example, credit transfers, direct debits, or card payments).
You can also initiate credit transfers via online banking or your mobile banking app. If you wish to use these channels, you must conclude an online banking agreement with us.
1.2 What are Payment Services?
We provide various services in connection with a payment account. These services are referred to as payment services. We offer you the following payment services:
- Cash withdrawals (see 1.4 and 1.9)
- Execution of credit transfers (see 1.5)
- Settlement of SEPA Core Direct Debits (see 1.6)
- Payment transactions using a debit payment card (see 1.7, 1.8, and 1.9; our debit card is called the "girocard")
1.3 How Does Account Management Work?
If you are interested in opening a payment account, you must enter into a payment account agreement with us. We will then set up a payment account for you. Through your payment account, you can issue instructions for payment services to us (for example, cash deposits, cash withdrawals, credit transfers, direct debits, and standing orders). We fulfill our contractual obligation by posting the corresponding credits and debits to your payment account.
You can retrieve an account statement—a formal notification detailing your payment transactions and account balance. On the account statement, you will find all bookings executed as a result of your payment transactions. It also reflects the current outcome of these bookings, the so-called daily balance (Tagessaldo), which constitutes your account balance.
We maintain the payment account on a current account basis (Kontokorrent). Current account maintenance means that individual entries are offset and balanced against each other at the end of an agreed accounting period. The resulting net balance is communicated to you as a periodic statement of account (Rechnungsabschluss).
1.4 How Does a Cash Withdrawal Work?
If you wish to withdraw cash from your payment account, you have several options: You can withdraw cash in person at the counter of our cooperation partner in Hamburg, or you can withdraw cash at automated teller machines (ATMs) operated by other banks. To use ATMs, you will need your girocard.
1.5 How Does a Credit Transfer Work?
A credit transfer means that an amount of money is debited from your account and credited to another account designated by you. You instruct us to transfer a specific amount to a specified payee. Your payment account is then debited with this amount, and the funds are credited to the payee's account.
You can submit a credit transfer order to us through various channels: You can complete a paper credit transfer form provided by us, or you can use online banking or your mobile banking app.
When submitting a credit transfer order, you must provide the following details in particular:
- Name of the payee
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number)
- BIC (Bank Identifier Code), where applicable
- Amount in Euros or another designated currency
We will execute your credit transfer order if the following conditions are met:
- Your credit transfer order has been received by us.
- Your credit transfer order is authorized (e.g., via your signature).
- You have provided all necessary details.
- Your payment account has sufficient funds or an active credit line (a pre-set upper credit limit for a borrowing facility arranged with us).
All essential regulations governing credit transfers can be found in our Special Conditions for Credit Transfers (Bedingungen für den Überweisungsverkehr).
1.6 How Does a SEPA Core Direct Debit Work?
A SEPA Core Direct Debit is a standardized system for executing direct debits within the European Union and participating SEPA countries (such as the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, and Switzerland). SEPA stands for Single Euro Payments Area. A direct debit is an amount debited from an account where the payment transaction is initiated by the payee. The payee instructs their bank to collect a specific amount from your account. To enable this, you must grant the payee a SEPA Direct Debit Mandate.
The mandate serves two functions: It authorizes the payee to collect the amount, and it authorizes us, as your bank, to debit the amount from your payment account. For a SEPA Core Direct Debit to be settled, your payment account must have sufficient funds or an active credit line; otherwise, the direct debit will be returned unpaid to the payee.
You may contest / object to a SEPA Core Direct Debit within an 8-week period. If you did not issue a SEPA Direct Debit Mandate to the payee, you may contest the debit within a 13-month period. Each period begins on the date your account is debited. If you contest a direct debit, we will generally re-credit the disputed amount to your payment account.
All essential regulations regarding SEPA direct debits can be found in our Special Conditions for SEPA Core Direct Debits (Bedingungen für die SEPA-Basis-Lastschrift).
1.7 What Functions Does the girocard Have?
You may apply for a girocard to be issued for your payment account.
The debit payment card provides the following functions:
- Cashless payment transactions at Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals of domestic retail and service merchants (terminals designed to read your girocard).
- Cash withdrawals at ATMs operated by other banks.
To protect your girocard, you will receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from us. You must ensure that no other person learns your PIN.
1.8 How Do Payment Transactions with the girocard Work?
For cashless payments at merchant POS terminals, you have the following options:
- You can insert your girocard into the POS terminal and enter your PIN.
- You can use Near Field Communication (NFC) by holding your girocard against the terminal. In certain cases, such as higher amounts, you may also need to enter your PIN.
The transaction amount is debited promptly from your payment account after the girocard is used. All essential regulations can be found in our Special Conditions for the girocard (Bedingungen für die girocard).
1.9 How Do Cash Withdrawals with the girocard Work?
You can withdraw cash from your payment account at an ATM using your girocard, provided your account has sufficient available funds. You must enter your PIN at the ATM. The withdrawn amount is debited promptly from your payment account.
If you use an ATM belonging to another domestic bank, an ATM fee is typically charged. Domestic third-party banks display their fee on the ATM screen before dispensing cash. If you use an ATM abroad, cash withdrawals may incur various additional charges and conversion fees.
1.10 What Costs Incur for the Payment Account and Payment Services?
Specific fees apply to the payment account, payment services, and, where applicable, the issuance of a girocard. Details of all individual charges can be found in our Schedule of Prices and Services (Preis- und Leistungsverzeichnis).
Interest rates for tolerated overdrafts (geduldete Kontoüberziehungen) are determined by the provisions agreed with you in a separate agreement. We inform you of the interest rates at regular intervals.
All due costs and interest charges are debited to your payment account at the end of each periodic account settlement.
1.11 Is There a Contract Term? What are the Termination Conditions?
We conclude the payment account agreement (payment services framework contract) and associated payment service agreements with you for an indefinite term. You may terminate the respective agreement at any time without observing a notice period. Only we, as the bank, must observe a notice period if we wish to terminate the agreement with you, which is at least two months.
Termination for good cause (Extraordinary termination): No notice period applies to either you or the bank if there is compelling good cause—specifically where it cannot reasonably be expected of you as a consumer or of us as a bank to continue the contractual relationship.
1.12 Where are the Individual Contractual Provisions Located?
Provisions governing our services in connection with a payment account and our payment services are set out in the Payment Account Agreement and the individual Payment Service Agreements. In addition, further provisions can be found in our General Terms and Conditions (GTC).
1.13 Can the Payment Account be Protected Against Garnishment?
You have the right to request that we maintain your payment account as a Garnishment Protection Account (Pfändungsschutzkonto or P-Konto). This also applies if your payment account has a negative balance; however, in that case, the account must be operated strictly on a credit-balance basis going forward (meaning you may no longer overdraw the account).
A garnishment protection account provides limited statutory protection for your account balance up to a statutory flat-rate basic allowance (Sockelfreibetrag). This basic exempt amount is reassessed annually. You may also obtain certification for additional allowances based on your personal circumstances, such as the number of dependent children for whom you pay statutory maintenance. If you are subject to garnishment/attachment, you retain access to your funds up to the protected allowance amount.
Under German law, you are permitted to hold only one garnishment protection account.
1.14 What is a Basic Payment Account?
The basic payment account is governed by the German Payment Accounts Act (Zahlungskontengesetz – ZKG). It is designed to ensure universal access to cashless payments for consumers in Germany: no one should be without a payment account. The following special provisions apply to a basic account:
- Consumers are entitled to conclude a basic account agreement if they belong to eligible categories: persons legally residing in the EU, persons without a fixed abode, asylum seekers, and tolerated persons (geduldete Personen – individuals without a residence permit who cannot be deported). Applicants must not already hold another active payment account in Germany.
- Consumers can use their basic account to execute the payment services outlined above (cash withdrawals at our partner bank, credit transfers, SEPA Core Direct Debits). However, basic accounts do not include a girocard.
- Consumers may terminate the basic account agreement at any time. Banks may only terminate a basic account under the specific conditions permitted by the Payment Accounts Act.
In all other respects, as with a standard payment account, consumers may request at any time that their basic account be maintained as a Garnishment Protection Account
2. Your Options in the Event of a Complaint
Are you dissatisfied with our services? In this section, we inform you about the options available to you if you wish to file a complaint.
2.1 Customer Complaints
You can submit your complaint to us through various channels:
- In person, by telephone, or in writing: Directly to your advisor or at the branch location serving you.
- In writing to:
Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG
Complaint Management
Überseering 28
22297 Hamburg
Germany
Further information on complaints and dispute resolution can be found online at: https://www.berenberg.de/rechtliche-hinweise/joh-berenberg-gossler-co-kg/
2.2 Out-of-Court Dispute Resolution
Have you filed a complaint with us, but no resolution was found? You then have the option of out-of-court dispute resolution. As a bank, we participate in the dispute settlement procedure of the following consumer conciliation board: Ombudsman of the Private Banks (Ombudsmann der privaten Banken). You may turn to the Ombudsman of the private banks, who will look after your rights and mediate between you as a consumer and us as a company.
General information about the Ombudsman of the private banks is available at www.bankenombudsmann.de. Detailed information regarding the exact procedure can be found in the Rules of Procedure of the Ombudsman of the Private Banks . We will gladly make the Rules of Procedure available to you upon request. You can also view them online on the website of the Association of German Banks (Bundesverband deutscher Banken e. V.) at www.bankenverband.de.
You must submit your complaint in writing to the Ombudsman of the private banks, for example by letter, fax, or email.
Address:
Ombudsmann der privaten Banken
Geschäftsstelle
Postfach 04 03 07
10062 Berlin
Germany
Fax: +49 (0)30 1663-3169
Email:schlichtung%40bdb.de
3. Accessibility Features of Our Services
Would you like to know how our services meet the requirements of the Accessibility Strengthening Act (Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – BFSG)? In this section, we provide information regarding the accessibility features of our services.
Background: The BFSG obligates us, among other things, to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines aim to make web content as accessible as possible for everyone, particularly for persons with disabilities. The guidelines are based on the following four principles of accessibility:
- Perceivability: As far as possible, everyone should be able to perceive information and IT functions.
For us, this means, for example: We must ensure that alternative text (alt text) is provided for images and graphics. - Operability: As far as possible, everyone should be able to operate the IT functions.
For us, this means, for example: We must ensure that our web content can be navigated and operated using a keyboard. - Understandability: Web content should be legible and clearly understandable for as many people as possible.
For us, this means, for example: We must offer our web content in plain and easily understandable language where possible. - Robustness: Web content must be maximally compatible with assistive technologies. Assistive technologies include, for example, screen readers, screen magnification tools, and speech-to-text software.
For us, this means, for example: We must ensure that technical standards for assistive technologies are observed, such as technical structuring and semantic markup of content.
Through our services, we fulfill the requirements of the BFSG by implementing these four core principles.
3.1 Accessibility of Services
These are the accessibility features of our services in connection with a payment account and our payment services:
- Cash Withdrawals: You have several options for withdrawing cash:
- You can withdraw cash at ATMs. ATMs feature various access options across multiple sensory channels, such as visual, auditory (voice output), and tactile operating elements. This may not apply to ATMs placed into service prior to June 28, 2025, which are subject to statutory transitional provisions.
- You can also withdraw cash in person at the counter of our cooperation partner in Hamburg after pre-ordering the funds with us.
- Execution of Credit Transfers: You have several options for submitting credit transfer orders:
- You can submit credit transfer orders electronically, for example via online banking or the banking app. Electronic access channels offer various sensory channels, including: text descriptions for non-text elements like images and graphics; contrast optimization; adjustable font size and line spacing; and keyboard navigation. This may not apply to electronic access channels operated prior to June 28, 2025, which are subject to statutory transitional provisions.
- You can also submit credit transfer orders using paper credit transfer forms, available at our branches.
- Information Concerning the Payment Account: You have several ways to retrieve information such as your account balance and payment transactions (credits and debits resulting from credit transfers, SEPA Core Direct Debits, etc.):
- You can receive account information by postal mail.
- You can retrieve account information electronically, such as via online banking or the banking app. Electronic channels feature sensory accessibility options including non-text element descriptions, high-contrast modes, adjustable font sizes/line spacing, and keyboard operability. This may not apply to channels operated prior to June 28, 2025, which are subject to statutory transitional provisions.
- Authentication Methods and Security Functions: You can use authentication methods and security features accessibly, including entering your PIN when using your payment card.
- Banking Apps: Our banking apps support multiple sensory channels, such as descriptive text for graphical elements, optimized contrast ratios, customizable font size and line spacing, and full keyboard/screen-reader navigation.
- girocard: The girocard features tactile markings, enabling you to identify the physical card by touch. This may not apply to cards issued prior to June 28, 2025, which are governed by statutory transitional provisions.
3.2 Accessibility of this Information
These are the accessibility features of this information document:
- We make this information available via various access options across the following sensory channels: in-person handover at one of our branches, read-aloud support, and publication on the bank’s website.
- The content of this document is written in easily understandable language, not exceeding Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). (Please note: This does not apply to the underlying service agreement, General Terms and Conditions (GTC), or Pre-contractual Information (PCI) associated with the service).
- The layout features an accessible design: Headings are set in the "Thunder" typeface in varying sizes according to hierarchy. Body text is set in the "ES Peak" typeface. Adequate contrast between text and background colors is strictly maintained (black text on a white background).
3.3 Accessibility of Documents Related to Our Services
These are the accessibility features of documents related to our services (including this information document):
- The documents are perceivable. In addition to reading on screen with adjustable font sizes, they are compatible with text-to-speech tools, allowing consumers to adjust volume settings.
- The documents are available in PDF or web-based format. These formats can be converted into alternative formats, making documents accessible across multiple sensory channels.
4. Competent Market Surveillance Authority
Are you experiencing accessibility issues with our services? In this section, we inform you about whom you can contact in such cases.
The competent authority is: Market Surveillance Authority of the Federal States for the Accessibility of Products and Services
The MLBF verifies whether economic operators comply with specific statutory regulations. As a banking institution, we are also supervised by the MLBF.
If you encounter difficulties using our services, you may submit an application/complaint to the MLBF. The MLBF will then, where appropriate, initiate statutory enforcement measures against us as an economic operator (legal basis: Section 6 or Section 7 BFSG).
In your application, you may assert that we are in breach of a requirement under the Accessibility Strengthening Act (BFSG). Alternatively, you may assert that we are in breach of a requirement under the Ordinance to the Accessibility Strengthening Act (Verordnung zum Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz – BFSGV). (The BFSGV was promulgated pursuant to Section 3 (2) BFSG.)
The contact details of the MLBF are:
Address:
Turmschanzenstraße 25
39114 Magdeburg
Germany
Phone: +49 (0)391 567 4530
Email:MLBF%40ms.sachsen-anhalt.de