Verified: 19 March 2026 09:15 am CET
Industry: Banking & Financial Services
Jurisdiction: Germany
Primary Regulator: BaFin & ECB (European Central Bank)
Important Safety Warning: Beware of fake customer service numbers on search engines. Only use official channels. Scammers frequently buy ads to promote fraudulent phone numbers. Postbank staff will never ask for your account password, PIN, BestSign password, or ask you to approve a “test transfer” via the BestSign App.
Level 1: Customer Support (Kundenservice)
- How to complain: Submit your issue via the secure message center inside your Postbank online banking portal, use their official public contact form, email them at direkt@postbank.de, or call their central retail customer service hotline at 0228 / 5500 5500.
- Source Verification: Impressum - Postbank
- Availability: The central customer service hotline operates Monday to Saturday from 08:00 to 20:00 (CET). (Note: Card blocking and fraud reporting are available 24/7).
- Source Verification: Impressum - Postbank
- Timeline: Under European regulations (PSD2), Postbank must respond to payment-related complaints within 15 business days. For highly complex cases, this can be extended to a maximum of 35 business days.
Level 2: Formal Written Complaint & Mahnung
- Who to contact: Formally escalate your financial dispute (e.g., IT migration errors, unauthorized transactions, or account blocks) by sending a registered letter with return receipt (Einschreiben mit Rückschein) to their legal headquarters addressed to the Management Board, Postbank – eine Niederlassung der Deutsche Bank AG, Bundeskanzlerplatz 6, 53113 Bonn, Germany. Clearly state your claim and set a legally binding 14-day deadline (Mahnung) for them to issue a refund or resolution. (Note: Do not use the Dortmund PO Box for formal legal notices).
- Source Verification: Impressum Pflichtangaben - Postbank
- Timeline: The legally binding deadline of 14 days (set via your Mahnung) provides the bank a strict timeframe to resolve the issue before they legally default (in Verzug geraten).
Level 3: Regulatory Authority / ADR
- Authority: Because Postbank is a branch of Deutsche Bank AG, they officially participate in the Association of German Banks’ dispute resolution scheme. If your complaint is not resolved, you can submit your case to the Ombudsmann der privaten Banken (Ombudsman of the Private Banks). The process is free for consumers, and the Ombudsman’s decision is legally binding on the bank for dispute values up to €10,000.
- Source Verification: Bankenombudsmann - Teilnehmende Banken
- Timeline: You can file a complaint with the Ombudsman immediately after receiving a final rejection letter from Postbank, or if they fail to respond within the statutory 35-day limit.
Level 4: Legal Action
- Pre-Litigation: Before initiating formal court proceedings, you can seek case-specific legal assistance from your local Consumer Advice Centre (Verbraucherzentrale) or a financial lawyer to evaluate your claim.
- Source Verification: Verbraucherzentrale - Beschwerde
- Court/Arbitration: If the Ombudsman cannot resolve the issue or the dispute exceeds €10,000, you can initiate the judicial dunning process (gerichtliches Mahnverfahren) online to obtain an enforceable payment title against the bank, or file a civil lawsuit at your local district court (Amtsgericht).
- Source Verification: Gemeinsames Mahnportal der Länder
Community Action: Is Postbank still ignoring a complaint about a delayed account closure, or refusing to refund an unauthorized charge? Reply below (do not share your passwords, full account numbers, or PINs), and our community will point you to the right legal templates!