⚡ Bunq in a nutshell
- 🏛️
Full DNB/ECB banking licence — €100,000 Dutch DGS protection. Bunq holds a full Dutch banking licence supervised by the DNB and ECB — one of the strictest banking regulators in Europe. Dutch DGS protects deposits up to €100,000 per depositor.
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37 currencies, no FX fee (Easy Money plan+) — ideal for EU travellers. Bunq handles 37 currencies with no FX markup on select plans. Better multi-currency handling than most EU bank accounts.
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Trees for spending — 1 tree planted per €100 spent. Bunq plants trees automatically based on your spending. Has planted 20 million+ trees. Strongly appeals to environmentally conscious users.
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Most customisable neobank in Europe — 37 sub-accounts, flexible cards. Up to 37 sub-accounts (Pockets), multiple Mastercards, granular card controls, and detailed transaction management.
- ⚠️
Paid plans required for most key features — more expensive than N26. Bunq's key features require paid plans from €3.99/month (Easy Money) or €9.99/month (Easy Green). The free tier is very limited.
⚠️ What to watch out for
- ⚠ Most useful features require paid plans (€3.99/month+ for Easy Money)
- ⚠ No investment products (stocks, ETFs, crypto, pension)
- ⚠ Available in EU/EEA only (not UK since Brexit)
- ⚠ Customer support rated below average — chat-only, slow responses reported
- ⚠ Less widely known than N26 or Revolut — more niche appeal
WhichBrokr Category Ratings
Overview
Bunq was founded in 2012 in Amsterdam and received its Dutch banking licence from the DNB in 2014 — one of the first fintech banks to obtain a full European banking licence. It operates under ECB supervision, providing the same regulatory framework as ING or ABN AMRO for deposit protection purposes (€100,000 Dutch DGS).
Bunq's differentiation strategy is environmental impact and maximum customisability: trees planted per spend, carbon offset features, 37 sub-accounts (Pockets), 37 currencies, multiple debit cards per account, and granular card controls. The paid plan structure (€3.99–€17.99/month) is necessary to unlock the full feature set.
The product is banking-focused with no investment products. For EU residents who prioritise environmental banking and maximum account flexibility, bunq is the most feature-rich neobank available.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Full DNB/ECB banking licence — €100,000 Dutch DGS deposit protection
- Available in 30 EU/EEA countries
- 37 currencies — good multi-currency support
- No FX fee on card spending (Easy Money plan+)
- Trees for spending — eco-banking with measurable impact
- 37 Pockets — maximum sub-account flexibility
- Multiple Mastercards per account
❌ Cons
- Paid plans required for most useful features (€3.99+/month)
- No investment products (stocks, ETFs, crypto, pension)
- Not available in UK (post-Brexit)
- Customer support rated slow — chat-only
- Less widely known than N26/Revolut
🔍 Broker Audit Report
A structured assessment across 5 pillars — regulation, tax/legal, costs, features and platform accessibility. Updated July 2026.
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1. Legal Entity & Capital Protection
Bunq's Dutch banking licence
Entity
Bunq B.V. — Dutch banking licence issued by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), supervised by the ECB. Headquartered in Amsterdam.
Deposit Protection
€100,000 per depositor under the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme (DGS) — same as ING, ABN AMRO or Rabobank.
EU Passport
Available in 30 EU/EEA countries under the Dutch banking licence via EU passporting.
Investments
Bunq does not offer stocks, ETFs or pension products.
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2. Tax Notes
Dutch bank — standard EU tax treatment
Netherlands tax
Standard Dutch tax treatment for savings interest. Bunq handles Belastingdienst reporting for Netherlands residents.
EU cross-border
Tax treatment for non-Dutch EU/EEA residents depends on local jurisdiction.
No investment accounts
No ISA equivalent, no pension products.
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3. Total Cost of Ownership
Bunq plan pricing
Easy Savings
Free — very limited (savings only, no full account functionality)
Easy Money
€3.99/month — full account, 37 currencies, no FX fee, up to 2 Pockets, 1 Mastercard
Easy Green
€9.99/month — Easy Money features + metal Mastercard, premium tree planting, 2 additional Mastercards
Easy Bank Pro+
€17.99/month — maximum Pockets, multiple cards, business features
FX on card (Easy Money+)
0% — no FX markup at Mastercard rate
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4. Asset Catalogue
Multi-currency current account + Pockets
Current account
✅ Full EU current account — IBAN, SEPA, direct debits
Pockets (sub-accounts)
✅ Up to 37 depending on plan — goal-based savings
Multi-currency
✅ 37 currencies held simultaneously
Savings
✅ Interest on balances (rates vary)
Stocks / ETFs
❌ Not available
Trees planted
✅ Automatic based on spending — 20 million+ planted
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5. Platform
Feature-rich, customisable banking app
Mobile App
✅ iOS 4.5★ / Android 4.2★ — feature-rich but more complex than N26
Pockets UI
✅ Up to 37 sub-accounts with individual IBANs
Card controls
✅ Granular per-card controls — freeze, limits, online/contactless toggle
Customer Support
Chat — rated below average; slow response times reported
Eco tracking
✅ CO₂ impact, trees planted dashboard
Fees 3.7 / 5
Bunq requires a paid plan for most useful features. At €3.99/month (Easy Money), you get 37 currencies and no FX fee. Compare with N26 Standard (free, no multi-currency) and Revolut Plus (£3.99/month, larger ecosystem).
| Fee type | Bunq | Market Average |
|---|
| Easy Money plan | €3.99/month | €0–€16.90/month |
| FX on card (Easy Money+) | 0% | 0%–3% |
| Deposit protection | €100,000 DGS | €100,000 standard EU |
| Investment products | ❌ | — |
| Trees planted | ✅ Per spend | Not standard |
| Available in UK | ❌ | — |
Safety & Regulation 4.3 / 5
| DNB licensed | ✅ Full Dutch banking licence |
| ECB supervised | ✅ |
| Deposit protection | €100,000 per depositor (Dutch DGS) |
| Available | 30 EU/EEA countries (not UK) |
| Founded | 2012 (14 years) |
| Users | 12+ million accounts |
Products & Asset Catalogue 3.0 / 5
| Current account | ✅ Full EU — IBAN, SEPA |
| Pockets | ✅ Up to 37 |
| Multi-currency | ✅ 37 currencies |
| Trees planted | ✅ 20m+ planted |
| Stocks/Crypto | ❌ |
| UK availability | ❌ |
What investors say about Bunq
Community voice — strengths & concerns
Most praised
- DNB/ECB banking licence with €100k DGS protection praised — "as safe as ING but better app"
- 37 currencies and no FX fee praised by EU international workers
- Trees for spending praised by eco-conscious users
Common complaints
- Paid plan requirement frustrates users — "€3.99/month adds up"
- Customer support rated slowest of the major EU neobanks
- Not available in UK post-Brexit
- No investment products
Based on user reviews on Trustpilot, Reddit, App Store and Google Play ratings. Data collected Jan–Jun 2026.
Verdict
WhichBrokr's Take
Bunq is the best EU neobank for environmentally conscious, internationally mobile EU residents who want maximum account flexibility (37 currencies, 37 Pockets, granular card controls) with a full €100,000 DGS-protected Dutch banking licence.
The paid plan requirement (€3.99+/month for full features) is a meaningful cost vs. N26 Standard (free). For EU eco-banking specifically, bunq is uniquely positioned. For the broader EU neobank product, Revolut and N26 have larger ecosystems.
Best for: EU environmentally conscious users wanting eco-banking, international EU workers needing 37 currencies and no FX fee, power users wanting maximum sub-account flexibility. Not ideal for: UK residents (not available), users wanting free banking (N26 Standard is free), or investors.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Is bunq a real bank? | Yes — Bunq B.V. holds a full banking licence issued by De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and is supervised by the ECB. Deposits are protected up to €100,000 under the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme — the same protection as ING, ABN AMRO or Rabobank. |
| Is bunq available in the UK? | No — bunq is not available to UK residents post-Brexit. UK residents should consider Monzo, Starling, or Revolut. |
| What are bunq's fees? | Easy Savings is free but very limited. Easy Money (€3.99/month) gives the full account with 37 currencies and no FX fee. Easy Green (€9.99/month) adds metal card and premium features. |
| Why does bunq plant trees? | Bunq donates a portion of its subscription revenue to tree planting programmes and has planted 20 million+ trees. It's a core part of bunq's brand positioning as a sustainable bank. |
Ready to open a Bunq account?
Full Dutch banking licence · €100k deposit protection · 37 currencies · Eco-banking · 30 EU countries
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Deposits up to €100000 protected by Dutch DGS.