How to Set Up a Savings Plan on Scalable Capital (2026)
Scalable Capital’s savings plan lets you automate recurring purchases of ETFs, stocks, and crypto ETPs from as little as EUR 1 per execution, with zero commission on every tier. This guide walks through the exact four-step setup flow, every scheduling option, the 4-banking-day cutoff rule, and the failure points that trip up new users.
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Scalable Capital savings plan at a glance
All figures sourced from Scalable Capital’s official savings plan pages. Always verify current terms before opening.
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Execution fee | EUR 0.00 | All tiers: FREE, PRIME, PRIME+ |
| Minimum per execution | EUR 1 | No upper cap stated |
| Eligible ETFs | 2,700+ | From 29 providers on the Broker |
| Eligible stocks | 4,500+ | Global equities; no size or HQ restriction |
| Eligible crypto / commodity ETPs | Yes | All crypto ETPs on the Broker eligible |
| Execution venue | gettex (Munich Stock Exchange) | Executes on the designated schedule day during market hours |
| Supported frequencies | Monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually | 5 options |
| Supported execution days | 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, 25th | 9 options per cycle |
| Inflation adjustment (dynamization) | Off, 2%, 3%, 5%, or 8% annual increase | Optional; auto-raises the savings rate each year |
| Payment methods | Clearing account balance or SEPA direct debit | Reference account must be verified for SEPA |
| Cutoff before execution | 4 banking days | Changes after cutoff defer to next cycle |
| Cash funding lead time | 5 banking days | For clearing account funding; SEPA pulls automatically |
| Available markets | Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Netherlands | US persons excluded (FATCA) |
| Tier restriction | None | Feature and EUR 0 fee available on all plans |
What is a Scalable Capital savings plan and who should use it?
A savings plan (Sparplan in German; piano di accumulo in Italian) is a standing instruction that automatically purchases a chosen asset at a fixed euro amount on a set schedule. You define the asset, the amount, the frequency, and the execution day once — Scalable Capital handles every subsequent purchase without further input.
For EU investors who want to automate regular contributions into a UCITS ETF, this is one of the cleanest setups available: the execution fee is EUR 0.00 on every tier, the minimum is EUR 1, and more than 2,700 ETFs are eligible. You do not need a PRIME or PRIME+ subscription to access the feature or the free execution.
Savings plans on Scalable Capital make most sense for:
| Investor type | Savings plan fit |
|---|---|
| EUR investor automating monthly ETF purchases, no manual trades | Strong fit — FREE tier, EUR 0 per execution, EUR 1 minimum |
| Mixed investor: monthly savings plan plus occasional manual top-ups | Good fit — plan runs free on FREE tier; manual trades at EUR 0.99 rarely justify a subscription |
| Investor building a core ETF position gradually over years | Strong fit — inflation adjustment feature lets you automate rate increases annually |
| Active trader who wants lump-sum control over every entry point | Weak fit — manual orders give more control; consider PRIME/PRIME+ for EUR 0 lump sums above EUR 250 |
| Investor in a non-supported market (outside DE/AT/IT/FR/ES/NL) | Not available — Scalable Capital Broker only operates in the six listed markets |
How to set up a savings plan on Scalable Capital: the exact 4-step flow
The flow applies identically to ETFs, stocks, and crypto ETPs. A funded Broker account is a prerequisite — savings plans cannot be set up during the account-opening process itself.
Find the asset
Log in to the Scalable Capital app or web platform. Use the search bar or your Watchlist to locate the ETF, stock, or ETP you want. Enter the asset name, ISIN, or WKN. Open the asset’s detail page.
Tap “Set up savings plan” and enter your amount
On the asset detail page, tap the button labelled “Set up savings plan” (or “Jetzt Sparplan einrichten” in German). You will be prompted to enter a euro amount using an interactive dial or a numeric keyboard. The minimum accepted value is EUR 1.
Configure frequency, execution day, dynamization, and payment
This is where you make every scheduling decision:
- Frequency — monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually
- Execution day — one of nine options: 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, or 25th day of the interval
- Start month — the first month the plan will execute
- Inflation adjustment (dynamization) — leave off, or set to 2%, 3%, 5%, or 8% annual rate increase; this automatically raises your savings rate each year by that percentage
- Payment method — clearing account balance (must be funded at least 5 banking days before execution) or SEPA direct debit from your linked reference bank account (Scalable pulls the amount automatically on the execution date)
Review, confirm, and activate
A summary screen shows your full configuration and links the pre-contractual cost disclosure (Kostenausweis). You must confirm you have reviewed the cost disclosure, then authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or PIN to activate the plan. The plan is live immediately after this step.
Execution frequency, eligible assets, and inflation adjustment
Most competitors default to monthly only. Scalable Capital offers five frequencies and nine execution days per cycle, which gives 45 unique scheduling configurations per asset before you even account for start month. For investors who run multiple plans across different assets, this level of flexibility matters for spreading execution dates and managing cash-flow timing.
| Frequency | Executions per year | Typical use case |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | 12 | Standard DCA; matches most salary cycles |
| Bi-monthly | 6 | Bimonthly salary or mid-term lump-sum builds |
| Quarterly | 4 | Quarterly bonus reinvestment |
| Semi-annually | 2 | Low-frequency top-up alongside a core monthly plan |
| Annually | 1 | Annual ISA-equivalent lump sum automation |
Inflation adjustment (dynamization)
The dynamization option automatically increases your savings rate once per year by a fixed percentage. For example: a EUR 200/month plan set to 3% dynamization will automatically become EUR 206/month the following year, EUR 212.18 the year after that, and so on. This keeps your real investment rate from eroding as your income rises. Competing brokers — including Trade Republic — do not offer this feature natively. If you use it, verify the annual increase date and amount in your plan settings to avoid unexpected debit amounts.
| Dynamization setting | EUR 200/month after 5 years | EUR 200/month after 10 years |
|---|---|---|
| Off (0%) | EUR 200.00 | EUR 200.00 |
| 2% annual increase | EUR 220.82 | EUR 243.80 |
| 3% annual increase | EUR 231.85 | EUR 268.78 |
| 5% annual increase | EUR 255.26 | EUR 325.78 |
| 8% annual increase | EUR 293.87 | EUR 431.78 |
Figures are illustrative only — compounded annual rate applied to base monthly amount. Real debit amounts depend on Scalable’s rounding logic.
How to edit, pause, or cancel a savings plan
Plans run continuously until you change or deactivate them. To manage an active plan: open the app or web platform, navigate to the “Savings Plans” tab in the main navigation, select the specific plan from your active list, then tap the settings icon to choose Adjust, Suspend (pause), or Delete (cancel).
The 4-banking-day cutoff applies to edits and cancellations as well as new setups. A change made fewer than 4 banking days before the next execution date will apply from the following cycle, not the current one. If you are trying to stop a payment before the next run, act well in advance of the execution date.
| Action | In-app path | Cutoff rule |
|---|---|---|
| Edit rate or frequency | Savings Plans tab > Select plan > Adjust | 4 banking days before next execution |
| Pause plan | Savings Plans tab > Select plan > Suspend | 4 banking days before next execution |
| Cancel plan permanently | Savings Plans tab > Select plan > Delete | 4 banking days before next execution |
| Change payment method | Savings Plans tab > Select plan > Adjust > Payment | 4 banking days before next execution |
Why a savings plan execution can fail — and how to fix it
Scalable Capital lists several known failure scenarios in its help centre. Understanding them before your first execution prevents missed runs.
| Failure scenario | Root cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Plan not executed at all | Clearing account underfunded; savings rate too low relative to security price; reference account unverified; SEPA mandate rejected | Fund clearing account 5 banking days before execution; verify reference account; check SEPA mandate matches account name exactly |
| Plan only partially invested | Fractional rounding on the security price means the full amount cannot be deployed in whole or fractional units | Expected behaviour in edge cases — Scalable invests as close to the target amount as possible; remaining cash stays in the clearing account |
| Debit came from reference account instead of clearing account | Payment method set to SEPA direct debit — Scalable pulls from the linked reference bank, not the internal clearing account | If you want to use internal cash, switch payment method to “Clearing Account” in plan settings at least 4 banking days before execution |
| Savings rate does not match clearing account balance increase | Negative clearing account balance (from past fees or transaction costs) is settled first before any savings plan purchase is funded | Check clearing account balance; top up to cover any deficit plus the full savings rate amount at least 5 banking days before execution |
| SEPA direct debit returned | Typographical mismatch between Scalable account name and external bank registry; insufficient funds on reference account on debit date | Confirm name details match exactly between both accounts; ensure reference bank balance covers the rate on the collection date |
| Selling blocked on execution day | Scalable temporarily restricts manual sell orders for securities with active savings plan executions running on that day | Expected platform behaviour; sell orders on that security are available again once the plan execution is processed |
Opening a Scalable Capital Broker account: what you need
A funded Broker account is required before you can set up a savings plan. The account-opening process takes 15 minutes or less if you use eID or automated photo verification.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Residency | Germany, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, or Netherlands — US persons excluded |
| Identity document | Valid national ID card or international passport |
| Proof of address | Required if current address is not on the ID document (Meldebescheinigung or recent utility bill) |
| Tax ID | National tax identification number for your country of residence |
| Reference bank IBAN | SEPA IBAN for the linked reference account; must match account name exactly |
| Minimum deposit to activate | EUR 0 — SEPA direct debit savings plans pull funds without a prior deposit |
| Verification method | eID (NFC chip scan), automated photo (AutoID), or POSTIDENT video chat |
| Typical approval time | Instant to 15 minutes (eID/AutoID); up to 3 business days for manual review |
| Broker tier choice | FREE (EUR 0/month), PRIME (EUR 2.99/month billed annually), or PRIME+ (EUR 4.99/month flexible) — savings plan is free on all |
Ready to set up your savings plan?
Open a Scalable Capital Broker account, search for your ETF, and activate a savings plan from EUR 1 — with zero execution fee on every tier. The full setup takes under four minutes once your account is funded.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does a savings plan cost on Scalable Capital?
Savings plan executions are EUR 0.00 on all Scalable Capital broker tiers: FREE, PRIME, and PRIME+. There is no per-execution commission. Standard ETF product costs (TER) and any exchange spread still apply to the underlying asset.
What is the minimum amount for a Scalable Capital savings plan?
The minimum savings plan execution amount is EUR 1 per run, regardless of the asset or broker tier. There is no stated upper cap on a single plan execution.
Which ETFs are eligible for a savings plan on Scalable Capital?
Scalable Capital supports savings plans on more than 2,700 ETFs from 29 providers, over 4,500 stocks, crypto ETPs, and select commodity ETPs. All ETFs and crypto ETPs available in the Broker are eligible; stocks are eligible without company-size or headquarters restrictions.
How often can a Scalable Capital savings plan execute?
Scalable Capital supports five execution frequencies: monthly, bi-monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, and annually. You can choose one of nine execution days per cycle: the 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, 19th, 22nd, or 25th day of the interval. That gives 45 unique scheduling combinations before accounting for start month.
What happens if I change or cancel a savings plan close to the execution date?
Changes made fewer than 4 banking days before the scheduled execution date are automatically deferred to the next cycle. The current execution will proceed as originally configured. If you fund via clearing account, top up the balance at least 5 banking days before execution to avoid a non-execution due to insufficient funds.
Is a savings plan available on the FREE Broker tier?
Yes. Savings plans are available and free to execute on all three Scalable Capital broker tiers: FREE, PRIME, and PRIME+. There is no tier restriction on access to the feature or the EUR 0 execution fee. The FREE tier is sufficient for a pure savings-plan investor who makes no manual trades.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you if you sign up through them. This does not affect our reviews or recommendations — we only feature products we genuinely believe are useful for investors. This site provides educational content only, not personalized investment advice. Investments can lose value and past performance does not guarantee future results. You are responsible for your own financial decisions and for confirming the tax and legal rules that apply in your country.