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Updated October 14, 2026 · VaultCue Editorial Team

Salt Bank vs Sumeria

Salt Bank scores 9.5 and Sumeria 8.9 out of 10. Compare their differences and shared features below.
Salt Bank

Salt Bank

Higher score in this comparison

9.5/10
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Sumeria

8.9/10
See alternatives

What sets them apart

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
CompareSalt BankSalt BankReviewSee alternativesSee alternativesSumeriaReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives
Monthly feeRON 0€0
Free ATM withdrawalsRON 900€250
Transfer fee0 commission for incoming and outgoing payments in Romania0 EUR (all transfers free on the free Carte Basique offer)
Currencies19Not confirmed

Same on both: Deposit protection (EU DGS up to EUR 100,000), Currency conversion fee (0%), Local account details (IBAN).

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.

Key differences

  • Salt Bank scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 8.9.
  • Salt Bank is available in 8 more countries.
  • Audience: only Salt Bank offers Expats.
  • Pricing model: only Salt Bank offers Low FX.
  • Features: only Salt Bank offers Digital only.

Our verdict on each

Salt Bank

Salt Bank is built for expats and travellers who bank across Romania and further afield: 19 currencies sit on the same account, local receiving details are iban, and Banca Nationala a Romaniei supervises the bank, with a savings option alongside that pays out at maturity. It scores 7.7 in the comparison.

Read the full Salt Bank review

Sumeria

Sumeria is an easy-access French account with instant access to a French IBAN and a variable rate of 1% to 2%, which suits travellers who want euro banking without a fixed term. It is regulated and deposit protected, so the trade-off is the low rate rather than the safety of the money.

Read the full Sumeria review

Score breakdown

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
AreaSalt BankSumeria
Cost9.4HigherMonthly charge of RON 0, conversion of 0% and 0 commission for incoming and outgoing payments in Romania in Romania.9.1Monthly fee €0 and transfer fee €0, with conversion fee 0%.
Offer9.5HigherA fixed deposit at 5.3% to 5.9% over 3 to 12, under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000.9.0
TrustNot confirmed8.8

How they place

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
RankingSalt BankSumeria
Savings accounts73 of 1420442 of 1420

Every fact side by side

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
FactSalt BankSumeria
AudienceExpats, TravelersCovers moreTravelers
Pricing modelNo monthly fee, Low FXCovers moreNo monthly fee
FeaturesFree ATM, Digital onlyCovers moreFree ATM
Legal entitySalt Bank S.A.Lydia Solutions
HeadquartersRomaniaFrance
FoundedNot confirmed2011
Support channelsEmail, Chat, Phone, Help centreEmail, Help centre, Phone, Chat

Savings

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
FactSalt BankSumeria
Headline rate5.3% to 5.9%Higher1% to 2%
Rate typeFixedVariable
Term3 to 12 monthsNot confirmed
Minimum depositRON 500Not confirmed
Access terms3, 6 or 12 month terms in RON, EUR or USD; interest paid at maturity to the current account; deposits guaranteed up to EUR 100,000 per depositor by FGDBNo commitment, instant access to a French IBAN; Basic offer: up to 2,000 EUR payments and withdrawals per month, 3 free ATM withdrawals per month, card free
Account kindFixedEasy access

Money transfer

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
FactSalt BankSumeria
Exchange rate markupNot confirmed0%
Delivery timeNot confirmedInstant
Payout methodsNot confirmedBank, Card
Fee to send 1,000Not confirmed€0

Where each stands against the rest

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
FactSalt BankSumeriaMedian
Currency conversion fee0%below the median0%below the median0.5%
Currencies19highest quarterNot confirmed5

Median across 536 listed accounts.

Pros and cons

Salt Bank

Pros

  • Help is available by email, chat and phone.
  • Cash withdrawals come with a free allowance of RON 900.
  • Term deposits run in RON, EUR or USD and the interest lands in the current account at maturity.

Cons

  • The service is digital only, per free atm and digital only, so there is no branch counter for cash or paperwork.
  • Local receiving details are iban only, which limits how money can be received from other markets.
  • The fixed deposit needs a minimum of RON 500 and ties the money up for the whole term.

Sumeria

Pros

  • Instant access to a French IBAN with no commitment, so the account works around a trip
  • Money sits under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, and the account runs on a French e-money licence from ACPR with an ORIAS registration
  • Transfers arrive in Instant time and payouts go to a bank account or a card (bank and card)

Cons

  • The variable rate of 1% to 2% sits under the savings median of 3.08% on the site, so the money earns less than most savings accounts listed
  • The Basic offer caps payments and withdrawals each month, and the free ATM allowance stands at €250
  • The account is easy-access (easy access) and the rate is variable, so there is no term to lock the rate in for

Who each suits

Salt Bank

Who it suits

  • Expats and travellers named under expats and travelers, who want local and overseas money in the same account.
  • Anyone paid in and out in Romania, since 0 commission for incoming and outgoing payments in Romania there.
  • Savers who can wait for interest at maturity and collect it in the current account.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Not a fee-based decision: Skrill charges €0 a month and eToro £0, so price alone does not separate them.
  • Not for people who need UK sort code or US routing numbers for incoming pay, since local details are iban only, the gap to weigh against PayPal Colombia.

Sumeria

Who it suits

  • Travellers in France who want a local IBAN, with Instant payments and no commitment
  • Euro spenders who want the free card on the Basic offer and payouts to a bank or card (bank and card)
  • Euro savers who care more about protection of EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 than about the rate

Who should look elsewhere

  • Savers chasing a higher return: Plazo ES shows a headline rate of 24.19% against 1% to 2% here
  • People set on a card and credit product: AXI Card Tarjeta y Credito is built around a card at 21.59%, while Sumeria is an easy-access account (easy access)
  • Wallet-first users: PayPal Colombia sits at a headline rate of 3.3% and suits wallet balances, whereas Sumeria suits euro banking on a French IBAN

Current offers

Salt Bank

Current offer

  • First period offer

    Prima luna este gratuit (first month free): First month of any Salt plan free

    Applies to the Salt, Salt Everyday and Salt Premium plans on opening

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

  • Bonus

    13-lea salariu (13th salary campaign): An extra salary when you bring your salary to Salt

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

Sumeria

Current offer

  • Bonus

    Remunerated current account: 2% for the first 3 months, then 1%: 2% gross annual rate for the first 3 months, then 1%

    At least 10 eligible card payments per month with a Sumeria card, interest calculated daily and paid monthly; rate applies to total balances across Sumeria accounts capped at 100,000 EUR (100,000 EUR cap if the Black Card offer is taken); reserved for French and Belgian tax residents; rate subject to change

    Source, checked September 26, 2026

Country by country

Salt Bank vs Sumeria
CountrySalt BankSumeria
AustriaYesNo
GermanyYesNo
IrelandYesNo
ItalyYesNo
NetherlandsYesNo
PortugalYesNo
RomaniaYesNo
SpainYesNo

8 of 10 countries where either is available.

Questions about each

Salt Bank

What does a Salt Bank account cost?+

The monthly fee is RON 0 and the currency conversion fee is 0%, so there is no monthly or conversion charge to budget for. Payments in and out in Romania run at 0 commission for incoming and outgoing payments in Romania, and cash withdrawals include a free allowance of RON 900. The conversion fee sits at rank 1 among the brands compared.

Is my money protected at Salt Bank?+

Deposits are covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so a balance up to that limit is repaid by the scheme if the bank fails. The Romanian guarantee fund FGDB guarantees deposits per depositor as well, and the bank answers to Banca Nationala a Romaniei under licence P.J.R. 40-043.

Sumeria

What does a Sumeria account cost to run?+

The monthly fee is €0, so holding the account is free. Transfers are free on the free Carte Basique offer, where the transfer fee is 0 EUR (all transfers free on the free Carte Basique offer). Currency conversion comes with a fee of 0% and an exchange rate markup of 0%.

Is my money protected at Sumeria?+

Deposits are covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The account is run by Lydia Solutions as an e-money institution authorised to issue payment services by ACPR, with an ORIAS registration as an agent of an investment service provider, so French regulators sit over the account.

Other options to compare

Salt Bank

See alternatives

Sumeria

See alternatives