bunq Review

Company background

bunq is a licensed bank, founded in 2012, headquartered in the Netherlands, operating under bunq B.V.. bunq blends a real banking licence with multi-currency holding and some of the best in-app interest in Europe. The monthly fee is the trade-off for that protection and yield. We rate it best for savings interest. At its core it is a 16-currency account you run entirely from your phone, bundling multi-currency balances, in-app savings, budgeting tools, business accounts and joint accounts into one app.

Fees and pricing

On day-to-day costs, bunq charges a 3.99 EUR/month account fee, and applies a 0% markup on foreign-currency spending.

• Monthly fee: a 3.99 EUR/month account fee.
• FX markup: 0% on spending outside your currency.
• ATM withdrawals: 0.99% fee.
• Savings: up to 2.46% AER on in-app balances.

The monthly fee buys the account itself rather than gating basic transfers, so the figure that matters most is how often you spend or withdraw in another currency.

Regulation and safety

bunq operates as a licensed bank, regulated by DNB and ECB. Eligible deposits are protected up to 100,000 EUR under Dutch deposit guarantee (DGS) up to 100,000 EUR. That guarantee is backed by a national compensation scheme, so your covered balance is returned even if the provider fails.

Platform experience

bunq is available across iOS, Android and Web. The mobile apps score 4.6/5 on the App Store and 4.1/5 on Google Play. Payments run on a Mastercard physical and virtual card, and it works with Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Pros and cons

On the plus side, dutch banking licence with 100,000 EUR deposit protection, competitive interest paid across multiple currencies and up to 25 sub-accounts and shared spaces. The main trade-offs are no fully free plan; the entry tier carries a monthly fee and aTM withdrawals are charged after a small free allowance. On balance it is a comfortable pick best for savings interest, provided its limitations line up with how you actually bank.