Swedbank review

The easy access account carries a monthly fee of SEK 0 and asks for a minimum deposit of SEK 0, so there is nothing to pay and no floor to clear. The cost that does bite is currency conversion, charged at 1.65%.

Cash machine withdrawals are free, at an allowance of SEK 0, but a calendar delay applies before the balance is usable. Transfers can only go to the customer's own Swedbank accounts, and no payment services can be linked.

Online transfers in euros or kronor to EU, EEA and Swiss recipients are free, while international payments carry a charge and a branch or customer centre transfer costs more again. The account is easy access with a monthly fee of SEK 0.

The headline rate is 0.5% and the rate type is variable, so the return follows the bank's own pricing rather than being locked for a period. That suits a balance you plan to leave in place, since you are not paying anything to keep it there.

The account covers 5 currencies and provides local IBAN details (iban) for receiving payments, which is workable for euro and kronor flows inside Europe. Converting between currencies costs 1.65%, above the cheapest rates on the site.

Support runs on phone, so a phone call is the listed route for questions about transfers, withdrawal delays or conversion charges. The same channel handles questions about the account's rate, and it is the only one set out for customers.

Swedbank lists students and teens (student and teen) as the audience, and the account is a Swedish one from SE built for saving. It fits people who can leave a balance untouched, since access itself is what the design slows down.

The provider is Swedbank AB (publ), a Swedish group trading since 1820 and based in Sweden. Its charges are listed in kronor and cover the monthly fee, the minimum deposit and the free ATM allowance, so the account is set up for domestic Swedish and euro area banking.