# Commerzbank

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/commerzbank
> research date 2026-05-30 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Commerzbank — official](https://www.commerzbank.de/)

## Overview

**Commerzbank** is **Germany's #2 bank by assets** + **11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients** + **post-Sep 2024 UniCredit stake-building + Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid** <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [Germany report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/DE)</sup>. **2025-2026 baseline**: Commerzbank 11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients; **Sep 2024 UniCredit acquires 9% Commerzbank stake** + subsequent UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake); **Mar 16 2026 UniCredit launches €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid on Commerzbank** to increase stake beyond 30% threshold.

**Distinctive Commerzbank positioning**:
- **Germany's #2 bank by assets** + **11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients**
- **Sep 2024 UniCredit acquires 9% Commerzbank stake** + subsequent UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake)
- **Mar 16 2026 UniCredit launches €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid on Commerzbank** to increase stake beyond 30% threshold → distinctive European banking battle 2024-2026
- **Commerzbank Banking app**: financial overview + biometric login + card management + transfer capabilities
- **Feb 12 1870 Commerzbank founding** in Hamburg → distinctive German banking heritage (one of Germany's oldest banks)
- **2009 Commerzbank Dresdner Bank €9.8B acquisition** → distinctive German banking consolidation + post-2008 German financial crisis state bailout (German state acquired 17% Commerzbank stake; subsequently divested)

## History

**Feb 12 1870 — Commerzbank founded** in Hamburg → distinctive German banking heritage (one of Germany's oldest banks; founded same year as [Deutsche Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/deutsche-bank) Mar 10 1870).

**Aug 31 2008 — Commerzbank Dresdner Bank €9.8B announcement** → 2009 Commerzbank Dresdner Bank acquisition completion + post-2008 German financial crisis state bailout (German state acquired 17% Commerzbank stake; subsequently divested).

**2010 — Commerzbank Banking app launches**.

**Sep 11 2024 — UniCredit acquires 9% Commerzbank stake** (initially via German state divestiture + private placement).

**2025 — UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives** (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake) <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

**Mar 16 2026 — UniCredit launches €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid on Commerzbank** to increase stake beyond 30% threshold → distinctive European banking battle 2024-2026 <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **Commerzbank AG** (XETRA: CBK).

**Major shareholders**: **UniCredit S.p.A. ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake post-2024-2026 stake building) + German Federal Government (post-2008 bailout; subsequently mostly divested; ~12% remaining) + BlackRock + Vanguard + German institutional + German retail public float + foreign institutional**.

**Regulators**: **BaFin + ECB**.

## Technical integration

Commerzbank Banking app (iOS + Android; financial overview + biometric login + card management + transfer capabilities) + commerzbank.de online + Commerzbank cards (Visa + Mastercard + girocard) + Commerzbank German branch network; SEPA Instant + Wero pan-European P2P payment service + girocard + Google Pay; Commerzbank Investment Bank + Commerzbank Wealth Management + comdirect (Commerzbank German online banking subsidiary).

## Users & growth

**2025**: Commerzbank 11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients; **Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid on Commerzbank** to increase stake beyond 30% threshold.

## Use cases

German retail + private + corporate + SME + investment + insurance banking via Commerzbank Banking app + commerzbank.de online + cards + branches; SEPA Instant + Wero pan-European P2P payment service + girocard + Google Pay; **comdirect (Commerzbank German online banking subsidiary)** + Commerzbank Investment Bank + Commerzbank Wealth Management.

## Implementations & partners

**Operator**: Commerzbank AG (XETRA: CBK); **UniCredit S.p.A. ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake post-2024-2026 stake building)**.

**Subsidiaries**: **comdirect (Commerzbank German online banking subsidiary; post-Nov 2020 Commerzbank 100% comdirect squeeze-out)** + **Commerzbank Investment Bank** + **Commerzbank Wealth Management** + **Commerzbank European Bank** + **Commerz Real (Commerzbank German real estate subsidiary)** + **Dresdner Bank (post-2009 Commerzbank €9.8B acquisition; integrated)**.

**Major German banking competitors**: [Deutsche Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/deutsche-bank) (Germany's largest bank by assets + 50+ countries global footprint + Dec 17 2025 Wero launch + Sep 2025 new Deutsche Bank App + barcode cash withdrawal at 12,500+ partner locations + Postbank acquisition) + DZ Bank (German cooperative banking flagship) + KfW (German state development bank) + LBBW (Landesbank Baden-Württemberg German regional bank) + [ING-DiBa (ING Deutschland)](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ing-diba) (ING German digital bank subsidiary) + DKB Deutsche Kreditbank (German online banking subsidiary) + Sparkasse (German savings bank network).

**Regulators**: BaFin + ECB.

## Fun facts

- **Germany's #2 bank by assets** + **11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients**.
- **Sep 2024 UniCredit acquires 9% Commerzbank stake** + subsequent UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total Commerzbank effective UniCredit stake).
- **Mar 16 2026 UniCredit launches €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid on Commerzbank** to increase stake beyond 30% threshold → distinctive European banking battle 2024-2026.
- **Commerzbank Banking app**: financial overview + biometric login + card management + transfer capabilities.
- **Feb 12 1870 Commerzbank founding** in Hamburg → distinctive German banking heritage (one of Germany's oldest banks; founded same year as Deutsche Bank).
- **2009 Commerzbank Dresdner Bank €9.8B acquisition** → distinctive German banking consolidation + post-2008 German financial crisis state bailout (German state acquired 17% Commerzbank stake; subsequently divested).

## Comparison

| Feature | Commerzbank | [Deutsche Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/deutsche-bank) (Germany's largest bank by assets rival + 50+ countries + Dec 17 2025 Wero launch) | DZ Bank (German cooperative banking flagship rival) | KfW (German state development bank rival) | [ING-DiBa (ING Deutschland)](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/ing-diba) (ING German digital bank subsidiary rival; 9.5M+ German customers) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operator | **Commerzbank AG (XETRA: CBK; UniCredit ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives ~30% total effective UniCredit stake)** | Deutsche Bank AG (XETRA: DBK; NYSE: DB) | DZ Bank AG (German cooperative banking flagship) | KfW (German state development bank; German state) | ING-DiBa AG (ING Group N.V. German subsidiary; ENXTAM: INGA parent) |
| Type | **Germany #2 by assets + 11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients + Sep 2024 UniCredit 9% stake initial + 2025 UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~30% effective + Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid + 2009 Dresdner Bank €9.8B acquisition + comdirect online banking subsidiary** | Germany's largest bank by assets + 50+ countries + Dec 17 2025 Wero launch + Sep 2025 new Deutsche Bank App + barcode cash withdrawal at 12,500+ partner locations | German cooperative banking flagship + DZ Bank Bausparkasse Schwäbisch Hall + R+V insurance + Union Investment | German state development bank | ING German digital bank subsidiary + 9.5M+ German customers |
| Country | DE | DE + 50+ countries | DE | DE + multiple countries | DE |
| Distinctive | **Feb 12 1870 Commerzbank founding in Hamburg (German banking heritage; founded same year as Deutsche Bank); Aug 31 2008 Dresdner Bank €9.8B announcement → 2009 acquisition completion + post-2008 German financial crisis state bailout (German state 17% Commerzbank stake; subsequently divested); Sep 11 2024 UniCredit 9% stake acquisition; Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid; comdirect subsidiary post-Nov 2020 Commerzbank 100% squeeze-out** | Mar 10 1870 Deutsche Bank founding in Berlin (German banking heritage); 1873 London + Yokohama Specie Bank international expansion; Dec 17 2025 Wero EPI launch | 1883 DZ Bank cooperative banking founding | 1948 KfW founding for German post-WWII reconstruction | 1965 ING-DiBa German digital bank founding |

## Status

**Active, Germany's #2 bank by assets + 11M private + small-business customers + 30,000 corporate clients + post-Sep 2024 UniCredit stake-building + Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid** <sup>[1][1], [2][2], [3][3]</sup>:
- **Commerzbank AG (XETRA: CBK)** since Feb 12 1870 Commerzbank founding in Hamburg + 2009 Dresdner Bank €9.8B acquisition.
- **Sep 11 2024 UniCredit 9% stake acquisition + 2025 UniCredit Commerzbank stake building to ~26% direct + ~4% derivatives (~30% total) + Mar 16 2026 UniCredit €35B voluntary exchange offer takeover bid**.
- **comdirect (Commerzbank German online banking subsidiary; post-Nov 2020 Commerzbank 100% squeeze-out) + Commerzbank Investment Bank + Commerzbank Wealth Management**.
- **BaFin + ECB regulated**.

## Sources

[1]: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details/Commerzbank_Banking?id=de.commerzbanking.mobil&hl=en_IN "Commerzbank Banking — Google Play"
[2]: https://www.swiowanewssource.com/news/nation/article_22b89d23-3062-5199-b8fb-71ca49a6bc45.html "European bank battle heats up as UniCredit swoops for Commerzbank — Nation"
[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UniCredit "UniCredit — Wikipedia"
[de-cro]: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/DE

- [1] [Commerzbank Banking — Google Play][1]
- [2] [European bank battle heats up as UniCredit swoops for Commerzbank — Nation][2]
- [3] [UniCredit — Wikipedia][3]
- <sup>[Germany report](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/payments/DE)</sup> In-corpus: `reports/countries/DE-germany.md`

## Source

Biography extracted from [commerzbank.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/commerzbank). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.