The validation of account numbers using the check-digit method promotes the smooth and automated settlement of payments. A transferring payment service provider or a first collecting institution must therefore check the accuracy of the payees' or payers' account numbers.

Links to the websites of the ESCB's central banks.

Before you can register to submit reports pursuant to the Foreign Trade and Payments Regulation electronically, you must apply for a reporting number.

The branches of the Bundesbank supply the economy with euro banknotes and coins, and offers private customers the opportunity to exchange D-Mark banknotes and coins free-of-charge and with no fixed deadline.

Facts and Figures

Die Jahreswachstumsrate des weit gefassten Geldmengenaggregats M3 erhöhte sich im November 2025 auf 3,0 % nach 2,8 % im Oktober. In den drei Monaten bis November betrug sie durchschnittlich 2,9 %.

In economic life, people often use banknotes and coins to make small purchases. But when larger amounts are involved, they pay by credit transfer or with a bank card instead of cash.

The Deutsche Bundesbank is the independent central bank of Germany. Its core business area is the monetary policy of the Eurosystem. Besides this, however, the Bundesbank performs a number of other important tasks. The following animation film gives an overview.

Euro banknotes and coins are used for many payments every day. Private individuals and businesses usually withdraw this cash from their account at their bank. But where do the banks get this cash?

The euro has proven to be a stable currency. The Bundesbank, together with the other central banks in the euro area, makes sure of this. But why is a stable currency so important? The Bundesbank has created an animated film to illustrate why it is important that prices do not rise or fall sharply overall and which role the central bank plays in safeguarding price stability.

For our daily purchases we can withdraw cash from our bank account. But where do the banks get this cash from? What happens to the cash after we have paid with it? And who makes sure that there is always enough cash where it’s needed, when it’s needed? The following film gives an overview.

In our everyday lives, we are regularly confronted with terms that carry "interest" in their names. But what exactly are interest rates and what influence do they have? We want to get to the bottom of the most important interest terms and economic interrelationships in this explanatory film.

Asset purchases can be a monetary policy measure to raise the inflation rate to the desired level in a low interest rate environment. The following film explains how this works.

Germany’s gross external debt amounted to €6.8 trillion at the end of the third quarter 2025; relative to gross domestic product (GDP) it increased in the period under review.