How to add a person to an existing ING account? - Germany

Hi everyone,

I have a bank account with ING-DiBa, and since it was opened only on my name several months ago, I'd like to share it with my wife and have a joint account.
Does anyone know what's the prodedure for this?

I've tried on the website, but all I could find was leading me to open a new bank account for both of us.
I don't want a new account, I just want to add my wife and receive her bank cards.

Any help would be highly appreciated, unfortunately I don't speak German and couldn't find this information anywhere else, yet.

Thanks

I was going to recommend that you give them a call - I had several queries earlier this year, and they were very helpful!
In fact give them a call, whether or not you speak German - I am sure that somenody there will also be able to communicate in English!!

Even better - I´ve just checked the website - at the top right there is a "Kontakt" option - it allows you to send them a message - I always think that it is easier to send a message in English rather than calling as you don´t put somebody on the spot, who suddenly has to understand your English, including any dialect you might have, and come up with a reasonable answer that you can understand - with a message, they have time to think about things and then write a reply.

You have two options:

- a Zeichnungsberechtigung for your spouse, so you alone are responsible for what's happening with the account balance, or
- a Gemeinsames Konto (joint account), where each of you will be held liable to any debt incurred on it.

Be sure to know which one you want, and tell them accordingly. In any case, your partner needs to agree to the step in writing and has do identify herself, either by passport or Postidentverfahren.

Hi, thanks both for your replies!
I'll write them an email first

Yes Paokun, do that - if you write to them in English they will respond in English, which is surely better for you - but as I said, writing is simply better than calling as they have time to think about what they want to say and how to say it in a "foreign" language.

Just for information - Ing Diba will not respond to emails in English, but prefer for you to call them, and they can put you through to an English-speaker:

Dear (R100),

Thank you very much for your message.

Since we are a German private bank, we do not offer services in English, therefore we do not correspond in English. Please do not hesitate to send your enquiry in German. We will be glad to help you. We apologise for any inconvenience.

For further questions please call our 24 - 7 service 0180 2 / 34 22 24 (fixed network of Dt. Telekom - 0,06 Euro per call, rates charged by other providers may differ). We will put you through to one of our English-speaking customer advisors.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

- it came as a real surprise to me!!

As ING-DiBa accounts are free anyway, you might want to consider opening a second account. On the relevant form, you can specify that this second account is to be a joint account. You can then transfer whatever amount of money you want from your personal account into the joint account.