Rewolucja na rynku skrytek depozytowych

German banks are closing more and more branches to save costs. Many services are now offered only digitally or not at all. While online banking works well in many cases, it can be different when it comes to advice on real estate financing or retirement planning.

Some services are simply no longer offered by banks. For example, cash deposits or withdrawals and other services that used to be done at the counter are now no longer available. One service that is also falling victim to branch closures: the secure bank safe deposit box. If you call your bank branch at the current time and ask about a safe deposit box, in many cases you will hear the same answer: "Unfortunately, we have no safe deposit boxes available" or "We can put you on the waiting list". Neither answer is satisfactory in most cases.

A good alternative to banks are private providers of safe deposit boxes, which are now opening their doors in more and more cities. In most cases, these private providers operate old bank vaults that were left over from branch closures. These facilities operate on the familiar principle: the operator (formerly the bank) has the first key, and the owner has the second key. After the operator has "pre-locked", the owner can completely unlock the safe deposit box and access its contents. While this principle is common among banks and private providers, there are clear disadvantages:

• One is always dependent on a (bank) employee.
• One must not lose the key, otherwise it will be expensive.
• One can only access one's own safe deposit box during opening hours.

Especially in times of crisis - as the Covid pandemic has shown through its lockdowns - this can quickly lead to not being able to access one's safe deposit box because the bank is closed.

A great solution is offered by the company Trisor from Berlin, which operates a 24/7 facility at Tiergarten in Berlin. Here, instead of the old-fashioned "pre-locking", there is a smart alternative called "robot". After the owner has authenticated himself using an access card, PIN, and fingerprint, a robot inside the vault brings the safe deposit box to the owner. All of this happens securely in a discrete customer cabin. And the best part: as a customer, you can truly access your safe deposit box around the clock, as the robot knows neither lockdowns nor working hours.