Costs, licensing, consumer protection Privacy, self-custody, censorship resistance

Countingup Countingup (depositi illimitati/mese)

A plan byCountingup

3.9/5 1.3/5 · Data verified on

Countingup is a UK neobank for sole traders that bundles integrated accounting into the business account, backed by an FCA licence and a 4.2/5 Trustpilot score. There is no free plan: pricing starts at £3/month and rises to £9 and £18 depending on monthly deposits (up to £750, up to £7,500, unlimited). It remains confined to the UK, with a steep 3% FX markup and a flat £1 fee on each ATM withdrawal.

Countingup (depositi illimitati/mese)

Price
€18
Issuance fee
Free
FX markup
3%
Cashback currency
Nessuno
Required staking
Nessuno
ATM limit
£1 per prelievo (limite giornaliero non documentato)
Net annual cost
€216

What's included

  • Unlimited monthly deposits
  • Built-in accounting
  • Tax estimate
€3
Account fee
Not disclosed
Deposit guarantee
not declared
ATM withdrawal
Not disclosed
Network
46
Transparency: Low
46/100 · see methodology
46
Data exposure: Low
46/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

Account fee €3
IBAN dedicato · GB
Multi-currency No (single currency)
Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs No
Utility direct billing No
SEPA direct debit (SDD) No
On-chain crypto withdrawal No
ATM withdrawal not declared
Free ATM limit £1 per prelievo (limite giornaliero non documentato)
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
KYC Full
Supported countries UK · 1+ countries
Regulator FCA
OAM Italy registration No
MiCA / License status EMI FCA UK

Strengths

  • Integrated accounting; FCA UK; Trustpilot 4.2/5; ideal for sole traders.
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • UK only; 3% FX very high; no free plan (from £3/month).
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (FCA UK): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.

Verdict

B D ★ 3.9/5 ★ 1.3/5

It stays a middling verdict: integrated accounting in the account and an FCA licence with a 4.2/5 Trustpilot are real positives for UK sole traders. But the actual value is held back by a 3% FX markup among the highest in the category, the lack of a free plan (pricing from £3/month) and coverage confined to the UK.

Irrelevant through this lens: custodial, full KYC, FCA oversight and a purely accounting-tax scope. It offers no autonomy, privacy or control to the user; it's a compliance tool for micro-businesses, far from any crypto-native logic.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 1.3
Fund control 20% 0.8
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 2.3

Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.

"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.

FAQ

Is Countingup a real bank?

Countingup operates under an EMI licence. Fund protection: Safeguarding — no deposit guarantee.

Can I send transfers to third-party IBANs with Countingup?

The ability to send transfers to third-party IBANs is not documented; check the official website.

Does Countingup support direct debits and utility billing?

SEPA direct debit (SDD): not documented. Utility-bill domiciliation: not documented.

Which fiat currencies does Countingup support?

The number of supported fiat currencies is not documented. Multi-currency accounts: not documented.

Can I withdraw crypto on-chain from Countingup?

On-chain crypto withdrawal is not documented; check the official website.

Sources

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Update history

✓ Terms unchanged since Jul 17, 2026

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