RB Inside

The RB Inside app opens to a login screen for Reisebank employees and customers. The app is built around the idea that you need quick access to currency rates, branch locations, and the ability to order foreign cash or gold bars.

Once you log in, the main dashboard shows a currency calculator at the top. Below that, you see a news feed about travel payments and precious metal investments. A menu button on the bottom left gives you access to the branch locator and the ordering section for currencies and precious metals. The layout is clean but feels like a corporate tool rather than a consumer app.

The currency calculator works with live exchange rates. You pick a currency, enter an amount, and it shows the equivalent in euros. This is the first step for anyone planning a trip or buying gold. The calculator is straightforward. It does not have extra features like historical charts or rate alerts. It just gives you the current rate and moves on.

Placing an order for foreign currency or gold

After you check the rate, you can move to the ordering section. The app lets you select from over 40 currencies and various gold and silver products. You choose the amount, and the app calculates the total cost based on the current rate. Then you proceed to checkout. The payment method is prepayment. You pay in advance, and Reisebank ships the order to your home address or to a branch for pickup.

This workflow combines two features: the calculator and the order system. The calculator gives you the rate, and the order system uses that rate to finalize the purchase. But here is where a real issue emerges. The app does not lock the rate during the ordering process. If the exchange rate changes between the time you check the calculator and the time you confirm the order, the final price can be different. This is not mentioned anywhere in the Play Store description. It is a practical limitation that only becomes clear when you try to use both features together.

For a user in Germany planning a trip to the US, this means you cannot rely on the calculator for a firm price. You have to go through the entire order process quickly to avoid rate fluctuations. The app also does not show you the rate used at the time of order confirmation, so you have to trust that the system applied the correct rate.

The branch locator and its limitations

The locator feature finds nearby Reisebank branches and ATMs. It uses your device's location to show a map with pins. You can tap a pin to get the address and opening hours. This is useful if you need to pick up an order or exchange cash in person.

However, the locator does not integrate with the ordering system. If you place an order for pickup, the app does not automatically suggest the nearest branch or check if the branch has the items in stock. You have to manually find a branch and then hope they have your order ready. This disconnect between features is a real friction point.

The app runs smoothly most of the time. It does not have ads, which is a relief. The interface is responsive, and the navigation is logical. But there are occasional slowdowns when loading the news feed, especially if you have push notifications enabled. The news section pulls articles from Reisebank's internal content system. These are not real-time market updates but rather curated news about the company and the precious metals market.

For employees, the app is a useful internal tool. It gives them access to company news and customer service tools. For customers, it is a convenient way to order travel money and precious metals. But the app is not designed for casual users. It is specialized for people who already do business with Reisebank.

Push notifications and data privacy

Push notifications are enabled by default. They send alerts about new news articles, order status updates, and promotional offers. You can turn them off in the settings, but the option is buried in a submenu. The app requests permission to send notifications on first launch, and if you grant it, you will receive regular updates.

The app collects personal information, including location data for the locator, and information about your orders. The data is encrypted during transmission, as stated in the Play Store's data safety section. However, the app does not allow you to delete your data. This is a significant limitation for privacy-conscious users in Germany, where data protection laws are strict.

Reisebank AG is the developer, and they are based in Frankfurt. The app is free and does not have in-app purchases. The version history shows regular updates, but the changelog is always the same generic German message about performance improvements and bug fixes. There is no specific information about what actually changed in each update.

The app requires Android 8.0 or higher. It is available on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. The iOS version has a size of about 73 MB. The Android version is similar in size. The app is not available on other platforms like Huawei's AppGallery.