bunq review
Updated September 28, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
bunq suits savers who want an easy-access euro account that costs nothing to keep and pays a variable rate with weekly interest, protected by an EU guarantee. The rate of 3.01% is solid rather than remarkable, and support runs on email, chat and help centre only.
Key facts
- Best for
- A euro savings account with no monthly fee, weekly interest and deposit protection.
- Headline rate
- 3.01%↗
- Rate type
- Variable↗
- Deposit protection
- EU DGS up to EUR 100,000↗
- Access terms
- Withdraw any amount free up to 2 times a month, rising to 3 free monthly withdrawals after 12 months; interest paid weekly↗
- Monthly fee
- €0↗
- Account kind
- Easy access↗
- Legal entity
- bunq B.V.↗
- Headquarters
- Netherlands↗
- Founded
- 2012↗
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Help-centre↗
- Pricing model
- No monthly fee
- Official website
- bunq.com
Pros and cons
Pros
- The monthly fee is €0 and the pricing model is no monthly fee, so keeping the account open costs nothing each month.
- Interest is paid weekly and the rate type is variable, so money keeps earning between withdrawals without a term to serve out.
- Balances are covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so there is a payout route if the provider fails.
- Features list joint account and digital only, so a joint account and a digital only setup are both available.
- The currency conversion fee is 3% on the free plan, below the 7% top of the range across the site.
Cons
- The rate type is variable, so the return follows the base rate and the account ranks 240 of 473 brands on the headline rate.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, which leaves phone callers with a narrower route in.
- Features list joint account and digital only, so the service is digital only and there is no branch counter.
- On the headline rate, 21.59% at axi-card and 24.19% at plazo both sit far above the 3.01% paid here.
Who it suits
- People who want an easy-access euro account that pays interest weekly and costs nothing to hold.
- Travellers and expats, part of the expats, travelers and business bunq targets, who convert currency and want a local IBAN.
- Students and savers who value EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 over a higher rate.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone chasing a top fixed rate, since 24.19% at plazo pays far more.
- Customers who need a phone helpline, as support runs on email, chat and help centre only.
- Anyone wanting a branch counter, because features list joint account and digital only and the service is digital only.
Access to your money
Money leaves the account whenever you want it, and the free withdrawal allowance counts over a month rather than a term. Any amount can be taken out free, and the number of free withdrawals allowed each month rises after the account has been open for a year, so the limit eases the longer you hold it. Interest is paid weekly, which means the balance keeps earning between withdrawals instead of sitting idle until a payout date. The rate on the account is variable, so there is no minimum period to serve and no penalty for taking money out early. This is the access profile most people assume a savings account has, and the count of free withdrawals is the part worth checking before you open it.
Rates and terms
The rate is 3.01% and the rate type is variable, so what you earn follows the base rate rather than being locked to a term. Set against the savings accounts on the site, the median headline rate is 3% and the upper quartile reaches 4.15%, which puts bunq in the middle of the field with room above it. On the headline rate it ranks 240 of 473 brands. Most savings accounts here pay a variable rate, 79% of the set, so this is the common pattern rather than an outlier, and there is no term length to weigh. The trade-off is simple: no lock-in, and no guarantee about next month's rate.
Regulation and registers
bunq is supervised in the Netherlands by De Nederlandsche Bank, and the group also holds authorisations in Germany under the Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), in France with the Banque de France, in Spain with the Banco de España and SEPBLAC, in Ireland with the Central Bank of Ireland, in Italy with Banca d'Italia, and in Belgium with the Nationale Bank van België / Banque Nationale de Belgique (NBB) and the Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA). A named authority in each of those markets means the provider is registered and answerable where you hold the account, rather than operating through an unnamed intermediary. The Dutch supervisor is the home one, and the others let the same group serve customers across the euro area.
Safety of your money
Balances held here sit under the EU deposit guarantee scheme at EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. What the scheme covers is eligible deposits, so the protection is aimed at a provider failing rather than at a market move or a disappointing rate. Because the cover is stated through a European scheme, the payout route is the same arrangement used for deposits across the markets where bunq is licensed. That is the practical question for anyone weighing an easy-access account: how much of the balance is protected, and by whom. Here the answer is a European guarantee, paired with a named supervisor in every market listed.
Who runs it
The provider is bunq B.V., registered in the Netherlands, and it was founded in 2012. Support is offered on email, chat and help centre, so you can write, chat or work through the help centre, all of which sit inside the app. The provider is young by the measure of the savings accounts on this list, and a digital only service built on that model leans on written and on demand contact rather than a branch. If you are used to a bank that answers the phone, check the support channels before you move money.
How bunq compares
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Where bunq is available
- Licence in Netherlands
- De Nederlandsche Bank, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Germany
- Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in France
- Banque de France, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Spain
- Banco de España, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Spain
- SEPBLAC, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Ireland
- Central Bank of Ireland, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Italy
- Banca d'Italia, checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Belgium
- Nationale Bank van België / Banque Nationale de Belgique (NBB), checked September 26, 2026
- Licence in Belgium
- Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA), checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does bunq charge to keep a savings account?+
The monthly fee is €0 and the account is priced on a no monthly fee basis, so there is no recurring charge to keep it open. The one cost to watch when you spend abroad is currency conversion at 3% on the free plan. Interest is still paid weekly with no fee deducted.
How much interest does the account pay?+
The rate is 3.01% and the rate type is variable, so the figure follows the base rate instead of being fixed to a term. Across the savings accounts on the site, the median headline rate is 3%, which puts bunq near the middle. Interest is credited weekly rather than monthly.
Is my money protected if the provider fails?+
Yes. Deposits are covered at EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so eligible balances sit under the EU deposit guarantee scheme. bunq is also supervised in the Netherlands by De Nederlandsche Bank, with authorisations in several other European markets, so there is a named regulator behind the account.
Can I take money out whenever I want?+
Withdrawals are free of charge within a monthly allowance, and any amount can be taken out rather than in set instalments. The number of free withdrawals allowed each month rises after the account has been open for a year, so the limit loosens over time. The account is easy access in kind, so there is no term and no notice period to serve.
Is bunq only for use in the app?+
Features list joint account and digital only, so the service is digital only and there is no branch counter to visit. A joint account is available as well, which is useful if you are saving with someone else. Local payment details are in iban format.
What support can I get?+
Support runs on email, chat and help centre, so you can write, chat or use the help centre, all inside the app. A phone line is not among the channels offered, which matters if you prefer talking to someone about an account issue. The help centre is the place to check terms before opening.
Who is bunq aimed at?+
The stated audiences are expats, travelers and business, so the service is built with expats, travellers, business customers and students in mind. Travellers care most about the currency conversion fee of 3%, while savers care about the weekly interest on 3.01%. The provider is bunq B.V., registered in the Netherlands and founded in 2012.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunq checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded
“Founded 2012; 14 years ago (2012)”
- help.bunq.com/articles/whats-massinterest-and-how-does-it... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Account kind, Headline rate, Rate type, Support channels
“Funds can be withdrawn maximum up to 3 times per calendar month.”
- bunq.com/discover/affiliate-program checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Audience, Features
“With bunq, expats and digital nomads can open an account in minutes”
- bunq.com/en/about/imprint checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“Basisweg 32, 1043 AP Amsterdam, The Netherlands”
- bunq.com/en/savings checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Access terms, Pricing model, Monthly fee
“You can withdraw any amount, up to 2 times each month, completely free. Save with bunq for a year and you'll unlock 3 free monthly withdrawals”
- bunq.com/personal/plans/bunq-free checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Currency conversion fee, Local account details
“After EUR 1,000 of foreign-currency card spend in a calendar year, a fee of 3% of each further transaction amount applies - bunq Free”
- dnb.nl checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Deposit protection, Licences
Compiled from 15 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Term, Minimum deposit.