Future of cheques (Treasury Select Committee) A report by a committee of MPs welcomed the ‘belated' decision of the Payments Council to retain cheques: but it warned the Council of the need to ensure that the banks did not attempt to abandon cheques by stealth, or deter customers from using cheques. It recommended that the Payments Council should be brought formally within the system of financial regulation.

In 2011, Finanztest has surveyed surveyed among 1.610 German credit institutions if they provide for an account free of charge and found only 74 accounts that do so (however, it has to be noted that the free of charge account must not necessarily be a "Girokonto für alle"). This survey has been published on February 7, 2012. More information can be found here: http://www.test.de/themen/geldanlage-banken/test/Girokonto-Deutschlands-Konten-im-Test-4320188-4328806/ and here: http://www.finanzwirtschafter.de/21185-finanztest-studie-viele-girokonten-noch-immer-zu-teuer/.