What it does
BAWAG combines Austrian current accounts with an app for payments, card controls and spending categories. You can assign budgets to selected categories and handle account-service requests alongside your transactions. Paid current accounts sit alongside a free account for eligible students.
The spending overview groups expenses by category, so you can put a budget against the parts of your spending you want to watch. Card-limit changes and PIN lookup are also available in the app. Short task videos are offered in German and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian.
For a booked transaction that needs investigating, open Meine Finanzen → Umsatzreklamation in the app or eBanking and complete the complaint form using the payment receipt or statement. An expected incoming payment that has never reached the account must be traced by its sender. To edit or delete a standing order, use Zahlungsaufträge → Daueraufträge; cancelling a merchant subscription still requires contacting that merchant.
Account costs
| Account | Regular account fee | Main allowance |
|---|---|---|
| KontoBox Small | €6.08 per month | Electronic transactions, PDF statements and one machine transaction |
| KontoBox Large | €11.84 per month | Electronic and machine transactions; Gold credit card subject to approval |
| Studenten KontoBox | €0 while the account stays in credit | Student account with debit card and eBanking |
The Small and Large prices are from the tariff dated 23 September 2026. Manual bookings and counter transactions cost €4.12; these are separate from the electronic transactions included in the account.
The student account is advertised for students under 27 with their main residence in Austria and proof of university or university-of-applied-sciences enrolment. Apply online, verify your identity and sign digitally. You need official photo ID; the debit card arrives by post. The optional student Gold credit card is free in its first year, then €30.76 annually, subject to approval.
Strengths
- Budgets sit beside categorized account spending
- Digital complaint form and standing-order controls
Watch out for
- Counter transactions cost extra on Small and Large
- Student fee exemption requires the account to stay in credit
Best for
- People in Austria combining everyday banking with category budgets
- Students eligible for the separate free current account
Sources
- BAWAG Banking App (Oct 27, 2026)
- BAWAG transaction complaints and payment investigations (Oct 27, 2026)
- KontoBox Small and Large tariff, 23 September 2026 (Oct 27, 2026)
- Studenten KontoBox eligibility, fees and opening (Oct 27, 2026)