There are two types of limited company in Germany that can use GoCardless to collect payments:
| Business type | Description |
|---|---|
| Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GMBH) | This is a private limited liability company. It is required to meet €25,000 of legally mandated share capital. |
| Unternehmergesellschatf (UG) | This is an entrepreneurial company with limited liability. It is not required to meet the share capital required of a GmbH. A UG can be established with as little as €1. |
All German limited companies should appear on the Unternehmens Register and will have a 4-6 digit registration number, proceeded by HRA or HRB.
If your business falls into this business type, follow these steps on the Tell us about your company step of your setup section:
1. Select Limited company as your business type
2. Search for your company using the name or registration number
As you type, matching companies will appear. Click on your company to auto fill the details. (If your company doesn't appear, you can enter your information manually instead).
3. Choose your industry and provide a description of what your company does
4. Enter the name and date of birth of all company directors
Click on Add another director to add multiple people.
5. Select one director from the dropdown menu to verify
You will then be required to enter the address of your chosen director so we can perform the verification check. This must be their home address.
6. Enter details of all Ultimate Beneficial Owners
These are any persons (or other companies) owning 25% or more of your business.
7. Tick the box to confirm that details of all individuals owning or controlling more than 25% of the company’s shares or voting rights, and all individuals who otherwise exercise control over the management of the company, have been entered accurately
8. Once you've completed this section, click Continue to move to the next step
Click here to go to the guide for the next step, Adding your contact details.