N26 Fees & Pricing Explained (2026): The Complete Diagnostic

N26 presents itself as Europe's most popular mobile bank — and for everyday banking it often is. But the pricing architecture behind the four subscription tiers is more complex than the monthly fee suggests. ATM rules, crypto commissions, stock trading thresholds, savings yields, overdraft rates, and travel insurance coverage all change dramatically depending on which tier you're on. This is the complete breakdown.

Regulation & deposit protection

Before evaluating any bank's pricing, it's worth establishing its regulatory foundation. N26 is not a fintech operating under an e-money licence — it holds a full European banking licence, which carries materially stronger protections than most of its neobank competitors.

N26 is regulated by BaFin with a full European banking licence. Deposits are protected up to €100,000 per customer under the German Banks Compensation Scheme, with a 7-day statutory reimbursement period.

• Regulator: BaFin (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) — Germany's top-tier banking supervisor.
• Deposit protection: Up to €100,000 per customer via the German Banks Compensation Scheme (EdB — Entschädigungseinrichtung deutscher Banken).
• Reimbursement window: Statutory 7-day payout following a bank failure determination.
• Coverage: 20+ European markets under a single German licence with EU passporting.

The four subscription tiers

N26's entire pricing architecture is built around four subscription tiers. Every feature — ATM limits, stock trading allowances, insurance coverage, crypto discounts, savings yields — escalates across these tiers. Understanding the architecture before comparing individual fees is essential.

Four tiers with escalating features. Business equivalents carry the same monthly pricing but add exclusive Mastercard cashback — 0.1% on Standard/Smart/Go Business, 0.5% on Metal Business.

• Standard — €0/month: Virtual card only, basic IBAN, 2 free euro ATM withdrawals per month. The entry point for digital-first users who rarely need cash or travel.
• Smart — €4.90/month: Physical card in 5 colours, 10 Spaces (sub-accounts), Shared Spaces, joint accounts, and 3 free euro ATM withdrawals.
• Go — €9.90/month: Physical card in 6 colours, 5 free euro ATM withdrawals, fee-free non-euro ATM withdrawals abroad, and base travel insurance coverage via Allianz.
• Metal — €16.90/month: 18g metal Mastercard in 3 colours, 8 free ATM withdrawals, full travel and lifestyle insurance suite, 10 free stock trades per month, and priority customer support.

Everyday banking feature matrix

The day-to-day utility of each N26 tier depends on four key variables: how many free ATM withdrawals you get per month, how many Spaces (budget sub-accounts) are available, what card replacement costs, and whether you can open joint accounts or Shared Spaces.

Key everyday banking limits by tier. Standard gets no Spaces and only 2 free ATM withdrawals. Metal's €45 card replacement reflects the cost of a genuine metal card.

• ATM withdrawals (euro, free): Standard 2 / Smart 3 / Go 5 / Metal 8 per month. Beyond limits, a flat €2.00 fee applies per withdrawal.
• Spaces: Standard gets none. Smart, Go, and Metal all include 10 Spaces — dedicated sub-accounts for budgeting goals, savings pockets, or automated round-ups.
• Card replacement: €10.00 for Standard/Smart/Go. Metal cards cost €45.00 to replace due to the manufacturing process.
• Shared Spaces & Joint Accounts: Exclusive to Smart, Go, and Metal — not available on Standard.

Cost of cash & ATM rules

ATM usage is one of the most common pain points with digital-first banks, and N26's structure has some important nuances beyond the simple withdrawal allowance.

The non-euro ATM difference is the critical Go vs. Smart distinction. Go and Metal users pay zero on foreign ATM withdrawals. Standard and Smart pay 1.7% — significant for frequent travellers.

• Euro ATMs (beyond monthly limit): A flat €2.00 fee per withdrawal applies on all tiers, regardless of withdrawal amount.
• Non-euro ATMs (abroad): Standard and Smart pay 1.7% of the withdrawal value as a currency conversion fee. Go and Metal pay 0% — completely free on all non-euro withdrawals, with no cap stated.
• CASH26 cash deposits: Available at participating retail locations. A 1.5% fee applies on the deposit amount, with a maximum of €999 per 24-hour period.

Overdraft & penalty fees

N26 offers several credit and emergency services, each with distinct fee structures. These are the costs most users discover only when they need them — understanding them in advance saves unpleasant surprises.

The SEPA Instant fee on Standard (€0.99/transfer) can add up quickly for frequent senders. Upgrading to Smart eliminates this cost entirely.

• Overdraft rate: 8.9% p.a. plus the ECB refinancing rate, billed quarterly. This is a variable rate that changes with ECB policy decisions.
• Emergency cash advance: Up to €130 available for Go and Metal cardholders while abroad — a useful safety net but not available on Standard or Smart.
• Express card delivery: €30.00 for a standard card, €65.00 for Metal. Standard replacement (non-express) costs €10.00/€45.00 as noted above.
• Incoming SWIFT transfers: €12.50 plus 0.1% (capped at €100) for non-Metal Business accounts and new customers. This fee applies to non-SEPA international transfers.
• SEPA Instant (outgoing): €0.99 per transfer on Standard. Free on Smart, Go, and Metal — a recurring cost for high-frequency senders on the free tier.

Stocks & ETF trading

N26's investment offering is powered by Upvest, with access to 5,000+ assets. The commission structure follows the subscription tier — making Metal particularly attractive for active investors who also want banking in one place.

Standard and Smart users pay €0.90 per trade with no monthly allowance. Go gets 3 free trades. Metal's 10 free trades per month — at €0.90 each — are worth €9.00 in avoided commissions, nearly covering the subscription premium over Go.

• Standard/Smart: €0.90 per trade, no free monthly allowance. Automated savings plans (recurring ETF investments) are free on all tiers.
• Go: 3 free trades per month, then €0.90 per trade. A good entry point for occasional investors who want to keep costs minimal.
• Metal: 10 free trades per month, then €0.90 per trade. At 11+ trades per month, the saved commissions (€9.90+) fully recoup the Metal subscription premium versus Go.

Crypto trading fees

N26's crypto offering sits within the main banking app and applies a tiered commission structure with Metal unlocking the best rates. The swap mechanic also provides a meaningful discount for cross-asset trades.

Metal's lower crypto rates (1.0% BTC, 2.0% altcoins) apply up to €5,000 monthly trading volume. Beyond that threshold, standard rates apply regardless of tier.

• Bitcoin (Standard/Smart/Go): 1.5% per trade — applies to both buys and sells.
• Bitcoin (Metal): 1.0% per trade — a 33% discount versus other tiers.
• Altcoins (Standard/Smart/Go): 2.5% per trade.
• Altcoins (Metal): 2.0% per trade.
• Swap discount: A 30% reduction applies when swapping directly between assets (e.g. BTC to ETH). On Metal, a BTC→Altcoin swap costs approximately 2.1% rather than 2.8%.
• Volume cap: Metal's discounted crypto rates apply to up to €5,000 of trading volume per month. Above this threshold, standard rates apply.

Savings rates & interest yield

N26 offers two distinct savings mechanisms: a fixed APY applied to the account balance based on your tier, and a Flexible Cash Fund powered by Fidelity available to all tiers at a variable rate. These are very different products with different risk profiles.

Metal's 1.50% APY makes the account self-financing above €13,520 in average daily savings balance. The Flexible Cash Fund (2.32% variable) is available to all tiers but carries market risk.

• Standard/Smart APY: 0.30% on the account balance — enough to offset small fees but not materially impactful for most balances.
• Go APY: 0.50% — modest uplift over Standard/Smart.
• Metal APY: 1.50% — the most competitive fixed rate, directly tied to the subscription tier.
• Flexible Cash Fund: Up to 2.32% variable yield, Fidelity-managed, available across all tiers. This is a money market fund — returns fluctuate with market conditions and it is not covered by deposit protection in the same way as a standard account balance.

Travel, insurance & lifestyle perks

Insurance coverage is a defining differentiator between N26 tiers — and one of the most undervalued elements when comparing subscription costs to standalone travel insurance premiums. All coverage is provided by Allianz Assistance.

Go's travel insurance package — medical coverage up to €1M, trip cancellation up to €10k — would cost €150–€200/year as a standalone annual policy. At €118.80/year, Go often makes financial sense for regular travellers on this basis alone.

• Go — Travel Medical: Up to €1,000,000 per incident for emergency medical treatment abroad.
• Go — Trip Cancellation: Up to €10,000 in covered trip costs.
• Go — Baggage Delay: €500 compensation for essential items during baggage delays.
• Go — Baggage Cover: Up to €2,000 for lost or damaged baggage.
• Metal — Mobile Phone Insurance: Covers accidental damage and theft up to €2,000.
• Metal — Purchase Protection: Up to €2,500 per claim on eligible purchases made with the Metal card.
• Metal — Airport Lounge: First annual visit free, then €30 per visit at participating lounges.

Business accounts & cashback

N26 Business accounts are structurally identical to personal accounts but unlock one exclusive feature: Mastercard cashback on all card purchases. The cashback rate escalates significantly at Metal tier, creating a compelling proposition for freelancers with consistent card spending.

Business Metal at 0.5% cashback requires €3,380/month in card spending to fully cover the €16.90 subscription. Standard and Smart Business users need €16,900/month at 0.1% — effective only for very high spenders.

• Standard/Smart/Go Business — cashback: 0.1% on all eligible card purchases. Meaningful only at high spending volumes (€16,900+/month to cover respective subscriptions).
• Metal Business — cashback: 0.5% on all eligible card purchases. At this rate, the €16.90 monthly fee is recouped at €3,380/month in card spending — achievable for most self-employed professionals.

Which N26 tier is right for you?

Four archetypes matched to four tiers. Go is the clear best-value all-rounder for most active users — it covers banking, travel, and investment basics at a sub-€10/month price point.