Fresh Deals and Economic News in Germany (October 22)

💔 Rewe is breaking up with Payback

(Heart)breaking news for Payback users: Rewe, a beloved Payback partner, is stepping away from the Payback program at the end of 2024. Penny, a discount supermarket chain owned by Rewe Group, is also out. You can’t blame them – apparently, the Payback system costs Rewe at least 150 million euros a year. Instead, Rewe is working on setting up its own customer loyalty program – they already offer a lot of coupons directly in the Rewe app (I highly recommend downloading it if you haven’t already).

Rewe’s spot as Payback’s grocery partner won’t stay vacant: another supermarket chain, Edeka, is stepping in. It is currently a part of a much less popular loyalty program, Deutschland Card, and will continue to be until the end of February 2025. Since Netto is an Edeka’s subsidiary, it will become a Payback partner too.

This makes me wonder about the future of Payback: for me personally, the ability to collect points while shopping at Rewe is a major reason for using Payback. I’m hardly alone: out of the total 31 million Payback customers in Germany, 12 million are with Rewe and another 5 million with Penny. Will Edeka’s and Netto’s customers be able to fill the gap? It remains to be seen.

💰Top Deals in Germany

A Whole Week of Free E-Scooter and E-Bike Rides

20% Off Groceries in Rossmann

Did you know Rossmann sells groceries too? Neither did I, which is probably why they are running this new promotion offering 20% off all food items throughout October. Rossmann’s groceries are mostly organic (or bio, as they call it in Germany), which normally tend to be pricier than conventional ones — however, their private label, EnerBio, is actually quite affordable. This promotion gives you a great opportunity to stock up on better-quality groceries without breaking the bank. Download the Rossmann app and activate the 20% coupon before heading to the store. You can use it daily throughout October – plus, there’s a 10% coupon for everything else, so you can pick up personal care products, cleaning supplies, and other essentials while you’re there.

Get Paid to Repair Your Devices in Berlin

Berlin residents can now claim up to 50% of repair costs (min. €75 invoice incl. VAT, max. refund of €200) for electronic repairs through the new ReparaturBONUS initiative. Simply submit an application online until December 31. Find the list of eligible devices here. The initiative is meant to encourage consumers to repair defective products instead of throwing them away and buying new ones.

More Deals to Explore

• €5 off + free delivery for first-time Rewe delivery service customers with the code 22900000000000200027. For existing users, delivery is always free one day a week – for me it’s Wednesday, but check which day it is for your area. You get exactly the same prices for delivery as in-store, and €50 minimum order is very reasonable.

• New Uber Eats customers can score up to €60 off their first 4 orders (4 x €15 off with a €20 minimum order). Already a customer? Order with a friend who hasn’t signed up yet, or make use of the 2-for-1 deals that Uber Eats has plenty of.

• You can get 35% off on your first Marley Spoon meal kit box and 32% on the second, if you’re a new customer. I recently used this offer myself: the first box came to €28.74 for 6 portions (€4.79 per portion), which is very reasonable, especially for the quality. The meals were delicious and not that hard to cook (it helps that you can choose the exact recipes to suit your taste out of 40 options). If you choose to get more than 6 portions /week, the price per portion is even lower. You can cancel anytime after your first box is delivered. To get the deal, follow the link above or use the code AAFFALLW at checkout.

💸😩More Wallet Woes: Germany's Economic Updates

Germany’s housing crisis is worsening, with some cities hit harder than others. Berlin is now the third most expensive German city for renters, with asking rents averaging €14.19 per sq. m., surpassed only by Munich and Frankfurt. The situation is even more severe for Berlin’s Neubau (new builds), where rents have crossed the €20 per sq. m. threshold. Additionally, over 14% of households are now spending more than 40% of their income on rent, reflecting the increasing burden on renters – concerning news! I guess rising rents and stagnating salaries is not a great combination.

Social security contributions will also rise in 2025, reducing take-home pay for many German residents, especially those with gross yearly income over €60k. According to the calculations by the Taxpayers’ Association, a high-earning single-income married couple with two children can see their net income decrease by up to €554/year. Those who earn below €60k/year are actually projected to see a slight increase (€10-60 over the course of the year) in their net income, but it can still be eaten up by other changes in taxes and contributions. To see how the changes will affect you specifically based on your monthly income and family status, check out the tables in this article. These numbers are projected and not final, but they should give you an idea of what to expect.

One of the drivers of this increase are public health insurance premiums, which will increase by 0.1 percentage points of the gross income. For the privately insured, things are looking much worse: premium rates are expected to rise by an average 18 percent, and some customers could be hit by a premium increase of up to 30%, according to the Association of Private Health Insurers (PKV). Just one of the many reasons why you should think twice before switching to private health insurance in Germany.