About Postbank BestSign
I was getting ready to pay my freelance graphic designer last Tuesday afternoon, and my online banking blocked the transfer because it was over my limit. The usual song and dance meant finding my old, clunky TAN generator, which I swear hides in a different drawer every time. My friend Lisa, who also banks with Postbank, told me to just download the BestSign app and stop messing with the hardware. She made it sound so easy. I figured, it’s free, so why not give it a shot? The promise was simple: use my iPhone itself as the secure key for stuff like this. Sounded better than digging through my desk.
Features & Highlights
The main thing it does is pop up a notification on your phone when you try to make a big payment online. You tap it, see all the details—who’s getting the money, how much, and the reference—right there on the lock screen. Then you just use Face ID or your fingerprint to say yes. That part actually works pretty well and feels secure. The other feature is for signing PDFs. I had to sign a liability waiver for a weekend kayaking trip on Friday evening. Instead of printing, signing, and scanning, I opened the PDF, hit “share,” chose BestSign, and it took me to the app to confirm with my face. A signed copy saved to my files instantly. That was genuinely useful.
User Experience
Let’s be real, the first-time setup is a headache. It’s not just downloading and logging in. You have to go through this whole device registration process within your online banking portal, and the instructions felt like they were written for a different app. I got stuck for a good twenty minutes on a Sunday morning, which is not how I want to spend my time. Once you’re past that wall, though, using it day-to-day is straightforward. The app itself is bare-bones, just a list of things waiting for your okay and a history log. I approved a rent payment while waiting for my coffee to brew yesterday. When it works, it’s invisible, which is how it should be.
Pricing
This is the best part, and why I stuck with it through the annoying setup. It costs absolutely nothing. No subscriptions, no in-app purchases, no sneaky fees. As someone who refuses to pay for an app before I know it solves a problem, this was perfect. It replaces that physical TAN generator, which I always worried about losing anyway. For a free tool that handles important jobs, the value is definitely there. You’re already a Postbank customer, so you might as well use it.
Updates & Support
I’ve seen one update since I installed it three days ago, which was just a generic “bug fixes and performance improvements” note. Fine, whatever. My real issue was with support. After I finally got it set up, the app wouldn’t recognize my Face ID for signing a document. I used the contact form in the app explaining the problem. I got a reply a day and a half later that was basically a copy-pasted FAQ entry about making sure biometrics were enabled. It didn’t address my specific issue at all. I felt totally brushed off. I ended up fixing it myself by deleting and re-adding my face in the iPhone settings, but that shouldn’t be on me.
Security & Privacy
This is obviously the big question for a banking app. It feels secure because the approval happens on your locked phone, and you have to physically authenticate each action. You see the full transaction details before you say yes, which is way better than blindly typing numbers from a TAN generator. The app itself doesn’t seem to hold much data; it’s more like a secure gateway. My privacy concern is minor but real: the activity log inside the app is very detailed. I wish there was a simple way to delete individual entries from the history for my own peace of mind, not just a timer for auto-delete.
How does the Postbank BestSign app work for approving payments?
When you make a payment that requires confirmation, a notification pops up on your phone. You tap it to see the full details on your lock screen, then use Face ID or your fingerprint to approve the transaction.
Can I use BestSign to sign PDF documents?
Yes, you can sign PDFs directly through the app. Just open the document, tap 'share,' select BestSign, confirm with your face, and a signed copy saves to your files instantly.
Why is the first-time setup so difficult and what can I do to make it easier?
The setup requires registering your device through the online banking portal, and the instructions can be confusing. To speed things up, make sure you have your banking login details ready and follow the on-screen steps in the web portal carefully before opening the app.
What should I do if BestSign is not showing a notification for a payment I'm trying to make?
First, check that your phone's notifications are enabled for the BestSign app and that you're logged into your online banking session. If it still doesn't appear, try closing and reopening the app or restarting your phone.
How does BestSign compare to using a physical TAN generator?
BestSign is much more convenient because it replaces the clunky hardware with your phone's biometrics. Once set up, you can approve payments and sign documents instantly without hunting for a separate device, though the initial setup is more involved than just using a TAN generator.
