European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes Friday november 15, 1985 German system is something to Bank on by Chris Estes staff writer y of know the hassle. You Are stationed i Germany. The rent s due. The Telephone and electricity Bills Are coming  be got the Money in a checking account. To Cash a Check you have to get to your Bank on Post. Once you re there you see the line is out the door around the Block and out of town. And one of the two tellers just took off for lunch. So alter what seems to be hours you write a Check Tor Cash and buy Marks. Now you have to go to the Bunde Spost Federal Post office to pay the Bills. But it s ust after lunch and the Bunde Spost won t open until 2 30. You can t pay the landlord until he gets Home at night. But you have plans and Don t really want to wait Lor him. And Don t even think about what happens to the Bills if you have to go on leave. I solved those problems. I found the easy Way to do it the Giro Konto checking or Transfer account. Bank such accounts Are available at German Banks and Post offices. Through them you can pay your Telephone and electricity Bills. They will Transfer funds into your landlord s account to pay the rent. If you re going on leave you can Deposit enough Money to cover the Bills while you Are gone. You Don t have to worry about a Friend forgetting to pay them for you. Getting the account in t complicated. You Don t even need to speak German. I made the transaction in English. Not All credit institutions however have someone who Speaks English. You May need a translator the process was easy. I just walked into a Bank and asked for the account. I needed my id card. Non id card holders need a passport. A Teller filled out two Short forms. Then my name and account number was typed onto a card. I signed the card and forms. Ten minutes. That s All it took. Then i drove to the Bunde Spost ant the electric company. I filled out Post card size forms at both and from next month on i won t Ever have to go Back to pay a Bill again. Thi Mrvica also is offered by american express Banks on Post in conjunction with a savings account. If you arrange to make such payments there you Are charged $1 a transaction each month. Minimal charges vary depending on the German credit institution. Making one Deposit a month is easier than travelling All Over town to pay the Bills. And in that s too much to do you can even have an allotment sent to the account whether it s at a German Bank the Bunde Spost or american  on managing a do Bank account by Mary Neth consumer editor it makes Good sense to open a German checking account to pay local do Bills. There Are major differences however Between checking accounts in Germany and the United  of All in Germany Money to pay Bills is usually transferred from one account to another. Checks Are not generally used to pay Bills or to make Cash withdrawals. The reason the issuing Bank is not required to establish the identity of the person cashing the chock As in the United states. It s concerned Only with the signature. Anyone therefore who obtains a signed Ched can Cash it. For Protection. It is necessary to write Nur Zur Verrech Nung not negotiable Only for account on the Check. When that is done the person who takes it to the Bank cannot obtain Cash for it the amount is transferred to the account of the party named. Two More tips. Be sure to fill in the line that has  by it. This tells the purpose o the Check. When you receive a Check Cash it within 10 Days. A Bank May refuse it later. The a hire ways to pay Bills 1. First for Bills that Are received every month for the same amount you can set up a Transfer or Danerau Tutag a standing payment order. Fill out a Bank or or postal account form. The amount will be automatically deducted from your account. 2. For Bills you receive every month in differing amounts phone Bills Etc use a  or  debit or recall procedure. This form of payment allows a firm to withdraw varying amounts of Money from your account every month. Write the firm instructions to Bill to your account directly. Bette Buchen sle die Geb Uhren von a Nelsen Konto a please Bill my account add your account number and the name of the Bank or Post office where your account is located. You will receive a form from the firm. Double Check the information on it your account Etc sign it and mall it Back. From that time on. The Bills will be paid automatically. 3. For Bills that Aro not received on a regular basis you can use an Uebe Weisung form. When you receive a Bill fill in the required information on the form and mall it to the place you Bank. A Transfer will then be made to the Payee and the debit will be shown on your Bank statement. On the form the Empanger is the person or firm who is to receive the Money. You Are the auf Traggeser. Your account number Konto or and that of the recipient must be filled in. Your signature Unte Schrift goes on the Bottom line. To obtain Cash go in person to your Bank and fill out a withdrawal form . German Banki also generally offer an overdraft service. The amount you Are allowed to overdraw is usually the amount of the Normal monthly Deposit. The interest on an overdraft is High but the overdraft service is convenient for an emergency. You should Check with your credit Institute about this service and its Cost. Charge account systems Are not so common in Germany As in the United states though they Are gaining popularity. Many restaurants and shops now do accept visa. American express and diner s dub cards. The euros Check system offered by Banks and the German Post office partially fills the function of charge accounts As Well As that of letters of credit. Ask for a euros Check heft Bookend you also will be issued a yearly identification card. These checks with your card Are accepted virtually All Over Europe since the issuing Bank guarantees payment. There is a charge for each Check. You also can obtain up to 300 Marks in Cash in Many countries in Europe at any of the participating Banks which include All the major ones. Some Banks however Are reluctant to offer the eur Cheque service to foreigners. They May require a hefty Deposit to a savings account or that the account be established Tor a certain length of time before issuing one. The Bunde Spost requires that All account holders have an account for six months before they can apply for euros Check service. Automatic Cash withdrawal has recently been introduced in Germany. Euro Scheek cards Are equipped with a Black magnetic strip. This and the pin code personal identification number consisting of four numbers is All you need to draw Between 300 and 500 Marks daily from any automatic Cash withdrawal outlet. Ask at your Bank for your pin code. This is issued through a data Bank and you alone know the number. You should keep it in a Safe place or learn it by heart and destroy the paper. Generally you will find Banks in West Germany Are open from 8 30 to noon and then 1 . Or 2 . To 4 . Daily monday through wednesday and until 6 . On thursdays. In larger towns the Banks Don t close at noon. Generally except for those at main railway stations and airports Banks Are closed on saturdays and sundays. The Norris Bank is an exception. It is open regularly on saturdays. You also can Bank saturdays at the Bunde Spost if you Are a Bunde Spost account Holder there is no fee to Cash a euros Check on the weekend. Bank customers however Are charged 2.50 Marks. The Norris Bank charges 6 Marks. The Post also does not charge for mailing daily  German Banks do. If you want to avoid those Dally charges you can however ask for a abhor Erport Konto and pick up the statements yourself or arrange for the statements to be sent monthly at lesser fee. According to test Magazine put out by the country s National non profit consumer s Institute the Munct Esposo is a Good Overall Choice for a checking account. Among institutes of National importance offering checking accounts the Post. Which of course in t a credit Institute at All offers the most convenient least expensive service says test. In a rating of Cost of fourth b1s1cc�ur"s a 5� in sum on the p came in besides not offering Loans there is another Dos advantage with banking at the Bunde Spost however. I does insure euro checks As is done by Banks it they Are lost and cashed by someone else there is no set amount that the Post win Promise to repay you