When you tap the ‘Buy Bitcoin’ button in your bank’s app, you might think you’re only paying a simple fee – but a new survey shows that the truth is a bit more complex. On September 6 2026, cryptoticker.io uncovered that German cooperative banks and savings banks levy two separate charges when customers purchase Bitcoin through their own banking apps.

The study pinpoints a 1.5 % commission from Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Würzburg and a flat 99‑cent order fee from Sparkasse banks, both sitting on top of an undisclosed spread. The spread – the difference between the buying and selling price at a given moment – is set by the trading counterparty and is not reflected on the customer’s statement.

A commission is an explicit fee that banks list in their price schedules. Calculated as a percentage of the order volume, it appears as a separate line item on the statement. The spread, however, is invisible to the user; it is simply the market differential between the purchase and sale price and is never disclosed in public documents.

Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Würzburg’s published price schedule is the only one linked directly in the survey. It states that registration for crypto trading is free, the commission is 1.5 % on both purchases and sales, and a minimum order of €10 applies. The schedule notes that the bank may charge additional third‑party costs, but it does not quantify those. The spread, which sits on top of the 1.5 % commission, remains undisclosed.

In contrast, the Sparkassen group announced that, from mid‑October 2026, it will offer crypto trading through its own app under the brand “Krypto powered by Deka.” The product page lists a flat order fee of 99 cents per trade, regardless of trade size, but, like the Volksbank, it does not provide a figure for the spread. The Sparkassen plan to launch trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, and Solana after a test phase in September.

Both banking groups use the same underlying architecture: trading is executed within the existing banking app, and the cryptographic keys are held by a custodian from the Boerse Stuttgart group. Because the assets are held in custody, customers do not receive private keys and cannot transfer the coins to a self‑managed wallet. A sale is the only way to exit the position.

The survey methodology involved retrieving the crypto‑trading product page for 41 cooperative banks on a uniform URL path. Seven of those pages were reachable and advertised the offering; none of them displayed a commission or spread figure, and only one linked directly to a price schedule. The remaining 34 addresses returned an error, had no such page, or did not advertise the service. The survey therefore does not indicate how many banks actually offer the service, only how many of the tested URLs did.

For investors, the lack of a disclosed spread means that the true cost of a transaction can be higher than the visible fee. A 1.5 % commission on a €1,000 order costs €15; an additional 1 % spread would add another €10, a figure that is not shown on the statement. The Sparkassen’s flat 99‑cent fee is advantageous for larger orders, but the spread remains unknown.

In summary, as of September 6 2026, German banks are offering in‑app crypto trading with two layers of cost: a commission (1.5 % at Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Würzburg) or a flat fee (99 cents at Sparkasse) plus an undisclosed spread. The Sparkassen launch is scheduled for mid‑October 2026, while the Volksbank price schedule is already available. The survey highlights the need for clearer disclosure of all cost components, especially the spread, to enable informed decision‑making by retail customers.

This article is not investment advice. Prices and fee structures may change; check the terms with your provider before buying.