Sofort (now Klarna Sofort) is Germany's original instant bank transfer service — allowing you to pay directly from your German bank account in real time, with no card and no e-wallet needed. Widely accepted on crypto exchanges, it is the fastest bank-based payment method available.
Sofort was founded in Munich in 2005 as "Sofortüberweisung" (meaning "immediate transfer" in German) and quickly became one of the most popular online payment methods in Germany and across the German-speaking world. Klarna acquired the company in 2014, rebranding it to "Klarna Sofort." Despite the rebrand, the payment mechanism remains unchanged and the product is still widely displayed as "Sofort" across German e-commerce and crypto platforms.
Sofort is a screen-scraping or PSD2 API-based payment initiation service. When you select Sofort on a crypto exchange, you are redirected to Sofort's own secure page. You enter your bank's sort code (BLZ) to identify your bank, then enter your online banking username and password. Sofort's system connects to your bank's online banking platform and initiates a transfer on your behalf, which you then confirm with your TAN. The exchange receives instant payment confirmation, even though the underlying SEPA transfer may settle over the next business day.
Sofort supports virtually every German bank with online banking, including all Sparkasse branches, Volksbank and Raiffeisenbank cooperative banks, Deutsche Bank, Commerzbank, Postbank, ING Germany, DKB (Deutsche Kreditbank), Comdirect, HypoVereinsbank, Targobank, and N26. As long as you have working online banking access, Sofort will work.
Both Sofort and SEPA Instant offer near-instant payment confirmation. The key differences: SEPA Instant is a bank-native protocol that does not require credential sharing, but requires your exchange and bank to both support it. Sofort works with any German bank that has online banking, making it more universally compatible. For exchanges that support both, SEPA Instant is generally the more secure choice.
Sofort processing fees on crypto exchanges range from free to approximately 2%. Some platforms like Bitpanda absorb the Sofort fee entirely; others pass it on. Always check the fee display before confirming your deposit. For large deposits (€1,000+), even a 1% Sofort fee amounts to €10 — at which point SEPA at 0% fee becomes significantly more attractive.
Create your exchange account and complete KYC. Have your German ID and online banking credentials ready. Ensure your bank's online banking is active and you have access to your TAN generator (app, SMS, or ChipTAN).
Navigate to Deposit EUR and select Sofort or Klarna Sofort. Enter the amount you want to deposit. You will be redirected to the Sofort payment page.
On Sofort's secure page, enter your bank's sort code (BLZ) or select from the bank list. Enter your online banking username and PIN, then confirm the transfer using your TAN method.
You are returned to the exchange with your EUR balance credited. Go to Buy, select Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency, enter your amount and confirm. Your crypto is secured in your exchange wallet immediately.
