bunq is the Amsterdam bank that calls itself “the bank of The Free”, and its pitch is aimed squarely at people whose lives do not fit in one country: expats in Lisbon, remote workers moving between Berlin and Barcelona, freelancers with clients in London. It holds a full Dutch banking licence, offers up to 25 sub-accounts with their own IBANs and lists a savings rate well above most high-street banks. The catch is a plan structure that can get expensive and a support operation that divides its customers. Here is what each plan costs and where the money goes.
This review is information, not financial advice.
bunq Promo Code box
- Offer: 30 days of bunq Elite free on sign-up, then a free plan or Core, Pro or Elite from €3.99 a month (US$4.48 / £3.36)
- Promo Code: No Promo Code needed
- Who qualifies: new personal customers living in one of the roughly 28 European countries bunq serves; not UK or US residents
- Key terms: after the trial you choose a plan; paid plans bill monthly; the savings rate on bunq’s plans page carries conditions in its small print
| Offer detail | What you get |
|---|---|
| Promo Code | No Promo Code needed: the 30-day bunq Elite trial applies when you sign up |
| Welcome offer | 30 days of bunq Elite, then Free, Core (€3.99), Pro (€9.99) or Elite (€18.99) a month |
| Who qualifies | New personal customers resident in a European country bunq serves; students under 25 can get Pro free or Elite for €9 a month |
| Key terms | Plan choice needed after 30 days; Metal card €99; ATM and foreign-transfer fees depend on plan |
| How to claim | Download the bunq app, sign up and verify your ID; the Elite trial starts automatically |
bunq: key facts
- Official website: bunq.com
- Owner: bunq B.V. (founder and CEO Ali Niknam)
- Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Founded: 2012
- Regulation: Dutch banking licence (De Nederlandsche Bank); deposits protected up to €100,000 by the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme; FINRA broker-dealer licence in the US (October 2025)
- Support: Live chat: yes, in the app (assistant first, then staff); Email: support@bunq.com
- Ratings: App Store 4.3 (972 ratings, App Store, region not stated); Google Play 3.9 (Google Play developer listing); Trustpilot 3.7 (19,356 reviews)
- Headline offer: 30 days of bunq Elite free on sign-up; savings listed at 3.11% a year on every plan
- Promo Code: No Promo Code needed
- Price from: Free; Core from €3.99 a month (US$4.48 / £3.36)
- Free plan or trial: Yes: bunq Free, 3 accounts, 1 digital card, ZeroFX up to €1,000 a year
- Payment methods: SEPA bank transfer
- Best features: Up to 25 accounts with their own IBANs; ZeroFX card payments abroad on Core and above; Savings listed at 3.11% on every plan
Key facts
- Owner: bunq B.V., Amsterdam; founder and chief executive Ali Niknam
- Licence: Dutch banking licence
- Deposit protection: up to €100,000 (US$112,284 / £84,267) under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme
- Plans: Free, Core €3.99, Pro €9.99, Elite €18.99 a month
- Savings: listed at 3.11% a year on every plan, subject to conditions
- Users: 20 million, according to the bank
- App ratings: 4.3 on the App Store (972 ratings); 3.9 on Google Play; Trustpilot 3.7 from 19,356 reviews
- Not available to: UK or US residents for personal accounts
What bunq is and who owns it
bunq is a Dutch bank founded by the entrepreneur Ali Niknam, who still runs it. It started life as a mobile-only bank in the Netherlands and now serves personal customers in about 28 European countries and business customers in nine. The bank says it has 20 million users.
bunq withdrew from the UK at the end of 2020 because of Brexit. It applied to the Financial Conduct Authority for an electronic money licence in 2024 and, according to City AM in June 2026, is now considering a full UK banking licence, though no formal application had been made. In the United States it obtained a broker-dealer licence from FINRA in October 2025, which allows share trading for American clients, and has filed for a national bank charter with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. US residents cannot open a bunq bank account while that application is pending.
bunq prices and plans: Free, Core, Pro and Elite
bunq prices in euros. Dollar and sterling figures are conversions for comparison.
| Free | Core | Pro | Elite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | €0 | €3.99 (US$4.48 / £3.36) | €9.99 (US$11.22 / £8.42) | €18.99 (US$21.32 / £16.00) |
| Bank accounts | 3 | 5 | 25 | 25 |
| Cards | 1 digital | 1 physical, 1 digital | 3 physical, 25 digital | 3 physical, 25 digital |
| Free ATM withdrawals | None | None | 6 a month | 6 a month |
| Paid ATM withdrawals | €2.99 each | €0.99 for the first 5, then €2.99 | As Core | As Core |
| ZeroFX card payments abroad | Up to €1,000 a year | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Free foreign-currency transfers | None listed | None listed | 5 a month | 10 a month |
| Stock order fee | 0.99% | 0.99% | 0.79% | 0.49% |
| Crypto fee per trade | 1.99% | 0.99% | 0.49% | 0.25% |
| Travel insurance | No | No | No | Worldwide |
Free is a digital-only account with a virtual card and three accounts. It works for paying by phone and for small amounts abroad, but cash costs €2.99 (US$3.36 / £2.52) a withdrawal.
Core adds a physical card and unlimited ZeroFX card payments abroad. It is the cheapest plan that makes sense for regular travel.
Pro is the budgeting plan: 25 accounts, each with its own IBAN, three physical cards, six free cash withdrawals a month and five free foreign-currency transfers.
Elite adds worldwide travel insurance, ten free foreign-currency transfers, the lowest trading fees and 4 × 2GB of eSIM data a year.
The metal card costs €99 (US$111.16 / £83.42) a card on Pro or Elite. A bunq Pack puts up to four people on Pro for €28.99 a month (US$32.55 / £24.43), or €7.25 each. Students under 25 at university can get Pro free or Elite for €9 a month.
Free plan, trial and referral offer
New customers get 30 days of bunq Elite when they join and choose a plan afterwards. The trial is the only welcome offer on bunq’s pages; there is no cash sign-up bonus. bunq runs a refer-a-friend feature inside the app, but the plans page does not set out the reward. Several Trustpilot reviewers complain about charges starting after a trial, so put a reminder in your calendar before day 30 and switch to the plan you actually want.
Interest on savings and deposit protection
bunq’s plans page lists savings interest of 3.11% a year on every plan, including Free. The figure carries an asterisk and the conditions behind it are not printed alongside, and bunq has in the past paid different rates on new and existing money, so check the rate shown in the app before moving savings across. As a guide, €10,000 (US$11,228 / £8,427) at 3.11% for a year earns about €311 before tax.
bunq is a licensed Dutch bank, so deposits are protected up to €100,000 per customer by the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme.
FX fees, worked through
A weekend in Valletta. Malta uses the euro, so a bunq customer from Amsterdam or Madrid pays no conversion on a €400 weekend of dinners and boat trips. Cash is the variable: on Free each withdrawal costs €2.99, on Core the first five a month cost €0.99, and on Pro or Elite the first six are free. Two €100 withdrawals cost €5.98 on Free, €1.98 on Core and nothing on Pro.
A Danish freelancer paid in sterling. bunq has offered local-currency sub-accounts since 2021, with sterling among the first currencies, so a Copenhagen copywriter invoicing a London agency £2,000 can receive into a sterling sub-account rather than having the payment converted on the way in. Fees for foreign-currency transfers vary by currency, with five free a month on Pro and ten on Elite. When she visits the client and spends £600 (€712.02 / US$799.56) in London on the card, ZeroFX means no bunq markup: on Free that uses up most of the €1,000 annual ZeroFX allowance, while Core and above are unlimited.
Key features
- Up to 25 accounts with their own IBANs for bills, tax, holidays or shared costs
- ZeroFX card payments abroad on Core and above
- Savings and investing in the same app, with stocks through Ginmon and crypto through Kraken
- tricount, bunq’s bill-splitting app for trips and flatshares
- Elite extras: travel insurance and eSIM data
Who can open an account
bunq serves personal customers in about 28 European countries. UK residents cannot open a personal account while the bank’s UK licence plans are unresolved, and US residents must wait for its American charter. Business plans run in nine countries, with a free plan for freelancers there.
How to open a bunq account
- Download the bunq app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your details and verify your identity with your passport or ID card.
- Start your 30 days of bunq Elite and set up your sub-accounts.
- Add the digital card to Apple Pay or Google Pay; order physical cards on Core or above.
- Before the trial ends, choose Free, Core, Pro or Elite in the app.
Security and privacy
As an EU-licensed bank, bunq applies strong customer authentication to logins and payments through the app. Cards can be frozen and replaced in the app, and the multiple digital cards make it easy to give a subscription its own card that you can cancel later.
Customer service
bunq’s help centre covers most questions, and support starts with an in-app assistant before handing over to staff. bunq replies to every negative Trustpilot review, usually within a week, often pointing customers to support@bunq.com. The most common complaint on Trustpilot is how hard it can be to reach a person.
What users say about bunq
On Trustpilot, bunq scores 3.7 out of 5 from 19,356 reviews, with 51% five-star and 27% one-star ratings. Fans like the sub-accounts, the automatic sorting of spending, multi-currency options and how easy the card controls are. Critics point to slow or bot-led support, unexpected subscription charges, including after trials, and account closures with little explanation. The App Store rating is 4.3 from 972 ratings and Google Play shows 3.9.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Licensed Dutch bank with €100,000 deposit protection
- Savings rate listed well above most banks, on every plan
- Up to 25 accounts with IBANs for serious budgeting
- 30 days of Elite free to try the whole package
- Sterling and other local-currency sub-accounts
Cons
- Free plan has no physical card and a limited ZeroFX allowance
- Cash withdrawals cost money on Free and Core
- Elite is one of the dearer app-bank plans at €18.99 a month
- Support is hard to reach, according to many reviewers
- Not open to UK or US residents
bunq vs N26 vs Wise vs Revolut
| bunq | N26 | Wise | Revolut | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free (digital card) | Standard | No subscription; card £5 | Standard |
| Mid plan | Core €3.99 / Pro €9.99 | Smart €4.90 / Go €9.90 | None | Several tiers |
| Card spending abroad | €1,000 a year free on Free; unlimited on paid plans | No N26 fee | Conversion fee from 0.52% | £1,000 a month fair usage on Standard, then 1%; 1% at weekends |
| Savings | Listed at 3.11% | 0.25% to 1.50% by plan | Interest options vary by country | Varies by plan and country |
| Deposit protection | Dutch scheme, €100,000 | German scheme, €100,000 | Not a bank in most markets | Depends on country and entity |
| UK residents | No | No | Yes | Yes |
bunq and N26 are the two licensed EU app banks most people compare. N26’s free plan is more generous abroad; bunq wins on savings, sub-accounts and currencies. Wise is still cheaper for converting large sums, and Revolut covers more currencies on its free tier, though both run differently from a licensed bank in most markets.
bunq FAQs
Does bunq have a free plan?
Yes. bunq Free costs nothing and includes three accounts and one digital card. ZeroFX card payments abroad are capped at €1,000 a year and cash withdrawals cost €2.99 each.
Is there a bunq free trial?
New customers get 30 days of bunq Elite when they sign up, then choose a plan.
What interest does bunq pay?
bunq’s plans page lists 3.11% a year on every plan, with conditions in the small print. Check the rate in the app before you move money.
Is bunq safe?
bunq is a licensed Dutch bank. Deposits are protected up to €100,000 per customer by the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme.
Can I open a bunq account in the UK?
Not at present. bunq stopped taking UK customers after Brexit and has not confirmed a relaunch.
Is bunq available in the US?
Not for bank accounts. bunq holds a FINRA broker-dealer licence and has applied for a US national bank charter.
Is there a bunq student discount?
Yes. Students under 25 at university can get Pro free or Elite for €9 a month instead of €18.99.
How much is the bunq metal card?
€99 (US$111.16 / £83.42) a card, on Pro or Elite.
bunq vs N26: which is better?
N26’s free plan gives fee-free card payments abroad without a cap; bunq offers a higher listed savings rate, more sub-accounts and local-currency accounts. Frequent savers lean to bunq, light users to N26.
Verdict
bunq is the most feature-packed of Europe’s licensed app banks and its listed savings rate is hard to ignore. Core is the sensible plan for travel, Pro for anyone who budgets in pots, and the Elite trial is a fair way to see whether the extras are worth paying for. Watch the post-trial billing, expect support to take patience, and remember UK and US residents are still on the outside.
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