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Neo Financial Canada

If you're looking for a legit online banking alternative with unlimited cash back and easy access to your funds, check out Neo Financial.

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By

Tim Falk

&

Romana King

Reviewed by

Emma Balmforth

Updated

Fact checked

Neo Financial launched in Canada in 2019, as a digital-first fintech. That means Neo Financial Canada works a little bit like on online bank and a little bit like a cash back credit card. As a fintech — a financial services company that operates digitally and without physical branches — Neo Financial offers a range of financial products and services to Canadians.

If you’re looking for a no-fee savings account — like the Neo Savings Account— or a rewards card with zero annual fee (like the Neo Financial Mastercard) than Neo Financial might be perfect for you.

To help, here is a comprehensive Neo Financial review, that includes an in-depth assessment of the Neo Money Account — the brand’s signature savings account.

Neo Money Account

What we like:

  • High ongoing interest rate
  • Combines the features of a savings account with the convenience of a chequing account
  • Unlimited free transactions
  • No minimum balance requirements

Fees & features:

  • Ongoing interest rate: 2.25%
  • Monthly fee: $0
  • Everyday transaction fee: $0
  • e-Transfer fee: $0
  • Cashback rate: Average of 5% at 10,000+ partners
  • Minimum balance requirement: $0
  • Maximum balance: $200,000

Go to site

Neo Money Card: Prepaid card linked to your account that can be used to make purchases anywhere Mastercard is accepted.

What is the Neo Financial Money Account?

The signature account from Neo Financial Canada is the Neo Money Account that offers an interest rate of 2.5% on the account balance. What’s innovative about the Neo Financial savings account is that is helps you earn interest on money in your account, but functions like a day-to-day chequing account. As a result, the Neo Money Account comes with unlimited free transactions, no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements.

In addition to the easy, online banking features, this Neo savings account give customers access to their extensive rewards network. This means Neo customers get cash back — an average of 5% of unlimited cash back at thousands of Neo Financial Canada partners — when they use their free Neo Financial credit card that is automatically linked to their Neo Money Account.

The Money Card from Neo Financial Canada

As a Neo Financial Canadian customer, your Money Account comes with a no-fee Neo Money Card. The Money Card works like a debit card but with the benefits often associated with a credit card. For instance, you earn 2.25% daily interest on your spending, plus cash back rewards when you shop at one of Neo Financial’s thousands of retail partners.

The best part is you can use the Neo Money Card as both a virtual debit or credit card, or take the physical card with you to make point-of-sale payments — just like you would with a regular debit card or credit card.

Keep in mind, new Neo Financial clients get access to their virtual Neo Money Card instantly — so can make online purchases right away — but you need to go online and log into your Neo Financial account to select “Card” under the main menu, in order to get a physical card sent to you. You’ll see a selection of Neo Financial Cards to choose from and order, which will then be delivered to your registered address.

Rewards from Neo Financial Canada

As a Neo Financial Canada client, you get access to the fintech’s robust rewards network of more than 10,000 retail partners.

The advantage of the Neo Rewards program is you no longer have to carry and keep track of punch-cards, reward apps and online retailer offers. Instead, use your Neo Money Card at a Neo retail partner and earn unlimited cash back!

For instance, Neo Reward partners include: Swoop, Napa, Structube, Earls, Frank And Oak, Herschel, Clearly, Avis, Article, Second Cup, Boston Pizza, Avis, Budget, Curves, among many others.

If you already pay for gas, groceries, gym memberships and spend money at coffee shops, restaurants and major retailers across Canada, this reward network can earn you serious cash back with an average cash back rate of 5%.

Cashing out your Neo Rewards is simple. Go to your Neo Money Account and earn 2.25% on it. Or, you can use the Neo Financial App to move your cash back rewards right to your Neo Money Card, ready for you to spend!

Pros and Cons of the Neo Money Account

Pros

  • Fee-free. You won’t have to pay monthly or annual fees to maintain this Neo high-interest savings account.
  • High return on interest. You’ll earn a very high return of 2.25% interest on your savings (which is much higher than what most other institutions offer).
  • Free Neo Money Card. This no-fee, money card lets you spend money like you would with a debit card, but lets you earn high interest and cash back.
  • No minimum balance required. You can start earning interest on any money you invest as soon as you open your account.
  • Unlimited free transactions. You’ll be able to deposit, transfer and withdraw cash for no additional fees.
  • Streamlined mobile banking. It’s easy to use Neo Financial’s online app to manage your contributions and monitor your gains.
  • Free overdraft protection. You won’t have to worry about paying NSF fees if you dip into a negative balance.
  • Eligible for insurance. Any money you put into your account will be protected up to $100,000 by the Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC).

Cons

  • Online-only service. Neo Financial Canada operates entirely online so you won’t be able to do any of your banking in person at a branch.
  • Not a well-known service. As a digital fintech, Neo Financial isn’t as well-known as more traditional options, such as any of Canada’s big five banks. This lack of familiarity can prompt nervousness from would-be clients; however, it’s important to keep in mind that Neo Financial is a legitimate online banking alternative.

Is Neo Financial legit?

It’s hard for new companies to break into traditional markets — and this has been the experience for Neo Financial. As a Canadian fintech that got its start in the Prairie provinces, Neo Financial Canada helped to shape online banking in Canada.

Still, potential clients worry that money held with Neo Financial may not be as secure as more traditional banking models. This is not the case. In order to offer a savings account, Neo Financial partnered with Concentra Bank, a CDIC member institution. This partnership means that all accounts with Neo Financial are eligible for CDIC deposit protection — a government guarantee that protects up to $100,000 in each account you hold.

Neo Financial Review in 2023

The Money Account and the Money card with Neo Financial offers significant perks and advantages to anyone who wants to the ease of online banking with the rewards typically associated with a credit card.

The top benefits of Neo Financial include:

  • Hybrid account. The Neo Money Account combines the interest-earning power of a savings account with the convenience of a day-to-day chequing account.
  • High interest rate. With an interest rate of 2.25% on every dollar in your account, your savings balance can grow quickly with a Neo Money Account.
  • Earn cash back. Neo Financial says you can earn an average of 5% cashback at over 10,000 partner retailers. There’s also no limit on the amount of cashback you can earn each month.
  • No fees. You won’t pay any monthly or annual fees with a Neo Money Account, while e-Transfers, pre-authorized debits and bill payments are also free.
  • No card loading. You don’t need to load money onto your Neo Money Card before you can use it — you have instant access to the funds in your account.
  • ATM access. You can use your card to withdraw funds at an ATM anywhere Mastercard is accepted.
  • Auto-Save feature. This Neo Money Account feature allows you to set up automatic deposits to your account to grow your savings on a regular basis.

The Neo Money Account combines the features of a savings account and a chequing account. While you can access the funds in your account at any time and earn cash back on your purchases, you also earn interest on every dollar in your account at the rate shown in the table below.

AccountRegular minimum rateRegular maximum rate
Neo Money Account2.25%2.25%

How does the Neo Money Account’s interest rate compare with other banks?

Neo Financial gives savers great incentive to stash cash with 2.25% interest rate earned on all balances in the Money Account. Unlike traditional banks that typically offer promotional rates, the Neo Financial high interest rate is consistent (although, it’s subject to change at any time, just like all rates from all banks). As such, the interest rate offered by Neo Financial is one of the highest, standard rates offered on a Canadian savings account.

Neo Financial fees and limits

Here are some Neo Money fees and transaction limits you need to be aware of:

  • Paper statements: $5 per document
  • Inactive account fee: $0
  • Interac e-Transfer limits: $3,000 per transaction, $10,000 per day, $20,000 per month
  • Neo to Neo limits: $5,000 per transaction, $10,000 per day, $30,000 per month
  • Bill payment limit: $25,000 per payment
  • Electronic transfer limits: $30,000 per outbound transaction to linked external bank account, $100,000 per inbound transaction from external bank account

Neo Financial review: Our verdict

The Neo Money Account is an innovative savings account that lets you earn a high interest rate on any balance you hold in it. The Neo Money Account comes with unlimited free transactions, no monthly fees and no minimum balance requirements. This Neo savings account also comes with the Neo Money Card, a prepaid card which allows you to earn daily interest on every dollar in your Neo Money account.

The main drawback of this Neo Financial savings account is that it’s only accessible online, which means you won’t be able to do your banking in person.

How to open a Neo Financial account

It’s easy to open a savings account with Neo Financial online. But before you do, you’ll need to make sure you meet the following eligibility criteria.

Age

You’ll need to be 18 or the age of the majority in your province or territory. You’ll also need to be opening a sole account in your name.

Residency

You’ll need to be a Canadian citizen or resident to open an account. However, please note that the Neo Money Account is not available in Quebec.

Required information

You’ll also need to provide the following information and documentation to open an account:

  • Your name, date of birth and contact information
  • Your Social Insurance Number (SIN)
  • Proof of ID

If you’d like to open a Neo Money Account, here’s what you need to do:

  1. Click the “go to site” button on this page to be redirected to a Neo Money application.
  2. Create your login details and password.
  3. Provide your name, date of birth, contact details, SIN and employment information.
  4. Upload a valid form of photo ID and a selfie to verify your identity.
  5. Review the details to make sure they’re correct before submitting your application.
  6. Transfer money to your new account. You’ll also be given a virtual card so you can start making online purchases straight away.

    Compare other savings accounts

    1 - 10 of 10
    Name Product Promo Rate Regular Interest Rate Monthly Account Fee Transaction Fee e-Transfer Fee Offer
    Simplii High Interest Savings Account
    Simplii High Interest Savings Account
    5.25% for 5 months
    0.40%
    $0
    $0
    $0
    Go to site
    View details
    Neo Money Account
    Neo Money Account
    N/A
    2.25%
    $0
    $0
    $0
    Earn 2.25% interest on your balance + get up to 15% cashback on first-time purchases with your Neo Money card.
    Go to site
    View details
    EQ Bank Savings Plus Account
    EQ Bank Savings Plus Account
    N/A
    2.50%
    $0
    $0
    $0
    Go to site
    View details
    KOHO Save
    KOHO Save
    N/A
    2.00%
    $0
    $0
    $0
    Use promo code FINDERCODE and get a $20 cash bonus when you make your first purchase within 30 days.
    Go to site
    View details
    National Bank High Interest Savings Account
    National Bank High Interest Savings Account
    N/A
    1.50%
    $0
    $0
    $0
    Go to site
    View details
    RBC High Interest eSavings Account
    RBC High Interest eSavings Account
    N/A
    1.50%
    $0
    $5.00
    $1.00
    View details
    CIBC eAdvantage Savings Account
    CIBC eAdvantage Savings Account
    4.25% for 4 months
    1.40%
    $0
    $5.00
    $5.00
    View details
    TD High Interest Savings Account
    TD High Interest Savings Account
    N/A
    0.05%
    $0
    $5
    $0
    View details
    Scotiabank MomentumPLUS Savings Account
    Scotiabank MomentumPLUS Savings Account
    5.00% for 5 months
    1.50%
    $0
    $5.00
    $0
    View details
    Tangerine Savings Account
    Tangerine Savings Account
    5.00% for 5 months
    1.00%
    $0
    $0
    N/A
    View details
    loading
    If you’re searching for an account like the Neo Money Account that combines savings and chequing account features, you might want to consider the EQ Bank Savings Plus Account. It offers a high ongoing interest rate, and you can pair it with an EQ Bank Card to get easy access to your funds whenever you need.

    Alternatively, if you’re searching for a savings account with a high promotional interest rate, the Simplii High Interest Savings Account is worth a look.

    Neo Financial savings account FAQs

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