July 1, 2025, 10:50 am | Read time: 5 minutes
Few people keep large amounts of cash at home these days. But what if you need to withdraw a significant sum quickly? TECHBOOK examined the withdrawal limits and the reasons behind them.
Purchases are increasingly cashless. The majority of businesses in Germany have switched to cashless payments. Market stalls, small shops, and the occasional restaurant are almost the only places where cash is still necessary. However, even aside from these exceptions, it’s always advisable to carry some cash. Needing a suitcase full of bills on short notice is something more familiar from crime and spy movies, but the question isn’t entirely far-fetched: How much can you actually withdraw from an ATM? As much as your account allows? Or is there a limit?
Overview
These Are the Usual Withdrawal Limits
Many direct and branch banks set daily and weekly limits for cash withdrawals, and some even have monthly limits. A customer’s personal limit depends, among other things, on their financial situation, such as whether money is regularly deposited into the account. It also matters which card–debit card or credit card–is used at the ATM.
Most banks have an ATM limit of 1,000 euros per day. Weekly limits are generally between 2,000 and 4,000 euros. You can rarely withdraw higher amounts from an ATM in one day or week, even if you withdraw different sums from various ATMs throughout the day.
For clarity, here is an overview of the standard limits of the largest banks in Germany for their own customers:
- Sparkasse: up to 1,000 euros daily, up to 8,000 or 10,000 euros weekly
- Volksbank: up to 1,000 euros daily, up to 3,500 euros weekly
- Deutsche Bank: Variations apply. With the savings card, 600 euros per day, 1,600 euros within 7 days, and 2,000 euros per month. With the debit card, up to 1,000 euros daily and 3,000 euros weekly are possible
- Commerzbank: 2,000 euros per day and week. This means if you withdraw this amount in one day, the weekly limit is reached.
- Postbank: 1,000 euros per day with the Postbank Card and savings card
- ING: 1,000 euros daily, up to 4,000 euros per week
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Special Case for Non-Customers
Some banks allow their customers to withdraw cash at the supermarket checkout. The limit is usually 200 euros per day. However, the bank’s system will check if the withdrawal limit has been reached. The withdrawal will fail at the limit, even if your account is sufficiently funded. You can find out the exact limits from your respective bank.
In personal online banking, the limit can also be increased. Whether the request is granted depends on personal financial conditions and is individually reviewed by each bank. The processing time can therefore take one business day or longer.
A special case is the maximum limits for non-customers. For example, if the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken provide an ATM, they can determine that customers of other banks may withdraw a lower maximum amount. These are often in the low three-digit range. And even abroad, withdrawal limits can be lower. Here, however, the maximum limits are not set by the bank providing the ATM but by your own financial institution to minimize fraudulent withdrawals. If you travel abroad, you can increase these limits in advance.
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The Purpose of the Limits
The ATM limit is usually not set by the bank providing the ATM but by the bank of which you are a customer. The limit thus provides protection, especially if you lose your bank card and don’t immediately notice the loss. It also prevents fraudsters from withdrawing all the money in cash. It’s important to note: If third parties misuse a card, the customer is liable to their bank if the card loss is not reported immediately.
On the other hand, withdrawal limits also protect the bank. The available balance in a checking or savings account is considered a demand deposit. Therefore, you could theoretically withdraw the money all at once. Practically, however, no bank will be able to pay out large sums of money to multiple customers. Therefore, larger cash withdrawals must be communicated to the bank in advance. The bank then obtains the cash from the central bank.
And a final reason is purely practical: The amount of cash in an ATM is limited by the storage space. In a way, a form of solidarity principle applies here. After all, as many people as possible should be able to use an ATM.
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How to Bypass ATM Limits
There are still situations where you might want to withdraw a larger amount of cash. If the withdrawal amount exceeds the daily limit set by the bank, you have the following options:
If you have different cards–such as a debit card and a credit card–you can use them to withdraw a larger amount from the ATM. You also have the option to increase (or decrease) the ATM withdrawal limit through your account. A temporarily higher limit can also be set, for example, if you want to withdraw a large sum from the ATM once to pay a bill in cash. The Sparkassen refer to advisors for this. At some institutions, the withdrawal limit can be increased to up to 25,000 euros. If you have accounts with different banks, the problem is resolved.
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If you are a customer of a branch bank, you can also go to the bank counter and withdraw the corresponding amount. However, for very large sums, you should announce your withdrawal request in advance. Also, check if additional fees apply for withdrawals made by a bank employee.