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bunq review for the Netherlands
Open multiple bank accounts and enjoy simple payments with bunq.
bunq is a digital bank account that is packed full of features. You can open multiple bank accounts with unique IBANs, the bunq app is available in six languages and you can earn interest on funds you hold in your account. It’s a great option for expats, professionals, students or anyone else that wants a convenient bank account to manage their money.
In this review of bunq, we break down exactly what you can expect from a bunq account in the Netherlands so you can decide if it’s right for you.
Elizabeth Barry is Finder's global fintech editor. She has written about finance for over five years and has been featured in a range of publications and media including Seven News, the ABC, Mamamia, Dynamic Business and Financy. Elizabeth has a Bachelor of Communications and a Master of Creative Writing from the University of Technology Sydney. In 2017, she received the Highly Commended award for Best New Journalist at the IT Journalism Awards. Elizabeth has found writing about innovations in financial services to be her passion (which has surprised no one more than herself).
How does bunq work in the Netherlands?
With bunq, everything you do is handled on the app and there are no physical branches. bunq has recently simplified the types of accounts it offers, now offering Easy Bank, Easy Money and Easy Green bank accounts as well as the Easy Savings savings account.
The most affordable plan, Easy Bank, comes with a monthly maintenance fee of €2.99. For Easy Money, you’ll pay €8.99 a month or €17.99 a month for Easy Green. The bunq Easy Savings account is a no-fee account and pays a monthly interest of 0.09%.
Both the Easy Money and Easy Green accounts allow you to set up 25 individual IBAN accounts to manage your money. In the app, you’ll be able to use budgeting tools, set up savings goals, use a personal payment link to get paid easily by friends and get free ATM withdrawals when you travel overseas.
Key features of bunq
bunq offers a number of useful features with its accounts. These include:
Access multiple accounts. With Easy Green and Easy Money, you can create up to 25 individual sub-accounts each with their own unique IBAN.
MassInterest. You will earn interest for all funds you hold in your Easy Green and Easy Money accounts.
No foreign currency fees. Save up to 3% on foreign currency spending with all bunq accounts.
Spending insights. Find out where you’re spending with money analytics in the app.
Mobile payments. You can use Google Pay and Apple Pay with any bunq account.
Free account top-ups. Reload your balance for free when you use iDeal, Sofort or a bank transfer.
Money transfers abroad with Wise. bunq uses Wise rates for international money transfers.
Notifications. Keep track of your spending with notifications.
Card controls. You can easily lock and unlock your card in the bunq app if it’s lost or stolen.
Hassle-free splitting. Manage group travel expenses through the bunq Splice Groups function.
Travel assistant. You can use the travel assistant in the bunq app so you can get help spending in another currency.
Trees for minors. For users under 18 years old, a tree will be planted for every €100 spent on their bunq cards.
Savings account. Open the bunq Easy Savings account in minutes and earn up to 0.09% on your balance each month. There are no fees and you can access your money whenever you need it.
Hit the jackpot!
Sign up with bunq and enjoy 3 chances to win the jackpot of € 10,000 every month!
You have a chance to win the jackpot by inviting friends to join bunq, depositing money into your bunq account and using your bunq payment card. It simply comes down to the fact that the more you use your bunq account, the higher the chance that you might hit that jackpot.
The jackpot is up for grabs for all personal and business bunq users.
How do the bunq accounts work?
The bunq Easy Bank offers the following features:
Monthly fee. You’ll pay a €2.99 monthly fee with this card.
One complimentary card. Enjoy worldwide coverage with a complimentary prepaid card, either the Maestro or Mastercard.
Up to 3% savings on overseas spending. Benefit from up to 3% savings when you spend abroad on business or online in foreign currencies.
Apple Pay, Google Pay and FitBit Pay. You can pay with bunq using your iPhone, Android or watch.
Free account top-ups. Reload your balance for free when you use iDeal, Sofort or a bank transfer.
Money transfers abroad with Wise. bunq uses Wise rates for international money transfers.
Notifications. Keep track of your spending with notifications.
Freeze your card. Lock and unlock your card so it can only be used when you want it to be.
Hassle-free splitting. Manage group travel expenses through the bunq Splice Groups function.
Travel assistant. You can use the travel assistant in the bunq app so you can get help spending in another currency.
Trees for minors. For users under 18 years old, a tree will be planted for every €100 spent on their bunq cards.
bunq’s Easy Money account, which costs €8.99 a month includes:
Three debit cards included. Each bunq Easy Money account comes with three cards that you get to choose: the Maestro card, a debit Mastercard and Metal card (available for 24 months upfront payment only).
Metal card. Get a free exclusive Metal card if you sign up and pay for 24 months upfront.
MassInterest. bunq lets you earn interest on whatever money you have in your account, not just your savings account. Earn 0.09% on the first €10,000 held in your accounts, which is paid monthly.
Savings and payments. You can track your spending through monthly spending insights, put money towards your savings goals, create a shared savings goal or create a slice group to split payments.
ATM withdrawals. You won’t be charged a fee for up to €2.99.
Create multiple accounts. bunq lets you create up to 25 bank accounts with their own unique IBAN across 16 currencies. You can create 25 more for €19 per month.
Money transfers abroad with TransferWise. bunq uses TransferWise rates for international money transfers.
Apple Pay, Google Pay and FitBit Pay. You can pay with bunq using your iPhone, Android or watch.
Free account top-ups. Top up your account for no charge when you use iDeal, Sofort or a bank transfer.
Personalised payment links. You can use bunq.me to generate a link to send people who owe you money, and they can pay you back easily. They don’t need to be bunq customers.
Control your finances. Make use of receipt scanning, Zapier and Auto Vat.
With Easy Green, bunq’s top tier account for €17.99 a month, you’ll have access to all the features of Easy Money as well as the following exclusive perks:
Metal card. Get a free exclusive Metal card if you sign up and pay for 12 months upfront.
Protection. You’ll receive Metal card purchase protection and extended warranty.
Crowdfunding. With Easy Green, you stand to enjoy easy in-app crowdfunding.
Online sign-up. Sign up for the bunq Easy Savings account in a matter of minutes.
No monthly fee. Zero maintenance fees.
Limits and withdrawals. There’s no minimum deposit to open the account and you can access your money at any time without being charged.
Interest. Earn up to 0.09% interest on your balance, paid on a monthly basis.
Protection. bunq is on hand any time you need support.
Fees and rates
There are a few different costs, fees and limits to consider when you choose a personal account with bunq. Below, we’ve listed some of the most important fees that you should consider. For a complete list of the fees, visit the bunq website.
Easy Green Personal
Easy Money Personal
Easy Bank Personal
Easy Savings
Monthly maintenance fee
€17.99
€8.99
€2.99
€0
Additional 25 sub-accounts
€19
€19
N/A
N/A
Transfer fee to, or from, other SEPAs (Single Euro Payments Areas)
Free
Free
Free
Maximum of 3 outgoing instant transfers, unlimited incoming transfers
Transferring non-euro payments through Wise
Wise fee only per transfer
Wise fee only per transfer
Wise fee only per transfer
N/A
Direct debit or credit card top-up
Free for the initial €500 deposited per month then 0.5% afterwards
Free for the initial €500 deposited per month then 0.5% afterwards
Free for the initial €500 deposited per month then 0.5% afterwards
Free for the initial €500 deposited per month then 0.5% afterwards
Requests paid instantly via debit or credit card
2.5% of the sum
2.5% of the sum
2.5% of the sum
N/A
Fee-free ATM withdrawals
First four withdrawals per month are free, the five after are €0.99
First four withdrawals per month are free, the five after are € 0.99
bunq offers innovative accounts for those looking for different features from their bank. You can benefit from features that come standard with digital banks such as budgeting options and security tools, but you also get extra features such as the option of multiple bank accounts and hassle-free bill splitting. There’s also a separate savings account where you can earn up to 0.09% on your balance, paid monthly. While these are great features, make sure you are going to use and benefit from them before you sign up as there is no free bank account option.
How to sign up
You can open an account if you reside in the EU and are over the age of 18. If you’re under 18, you will need permission from a parent or guardian. To sign up, click “Go to Site” to be securely directed to bunq’s website. You will need to provide some personal information such as your name and address as well as verify your identity in the app.
Compare bunq with other digital banks in the Netherlands
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Disclaimer: The products listed on this page are not representative of the whole market.
Frequently asked questions
Any money you have with bunq is protected up to € 100,000 by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme of the Dutch National Bank (DNB). If bunq were to go out of business, your money will still be safe.
The card is also protected by a PIN which you choose yourself. If your card is lost or stolen, you can block it from the app within seconds and immediately order a replacement card.
In the Netherlands, you can top up your bunq account by transferring funds directly into your account. You can find your IBAN in your bunq app. If you’re in Germany, Austria or Italy you can deposit funds into your account in person. There are over 10,000 locations thanks to bunq’s partnership with Barzahlen.
bunq is currently available in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Ireland, Australia and Belgium.
To close your bunq account the balance must be exactly € 0 and all funds must have been transferred to a new account. If you have a negative balance, you’ll need to top up your balance to take it back to € 0. You also need to remove all scheduled payments.
Yes, you’re able to share your account.
Once you’ve signed up, you can order any one of your preferred bunq card. It usually takes Up to 10 working days for the bunq card to arrive. Remember, you don’t need to wait for them to arrive to start using them for online payments.
You can use bunq as long as you live in the EU or you’re moving to the EU in the near future.
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