Spendesk
Spendesk · Visa
Data verified on last change B (3,8) → C (2,8) the sources
Worth it if you manage spending for a company with many employees and need lots of virtual cards, approvals and accounting integration, without paying per user.
Avoid it if you want to know the price before talking to sales, you often pay in currencies other than the euro (2.99% on cards), or you are a sole trader: the service is reserved for legal entities.
Spendesk is a French spend management platform for SMEs and mid-sized companies: physical and virtual Visa debit cards, invoice payments, expense claims, budgets and approvals. In the EEA its payment services are provided by its own payment institution, Spendesk Financial Services, licensed by the ACPR (no. 17518); in the UK by Adyen and in the US by Sutton Bank. The platform price is not published: it is quote-based (a fixed fee plus variable per-transaction fees), and card payments in a currency other than the euro cost 2.99%.
Data & conditions
| Account fee | Not disclosed |
|---|---|
| Multi-currency | No (single currency) |
| Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs | Yes |
| On-chain crypto withdrawal | No |
| Network | Visa |
| ATM withdrawal | 0.75% |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA, UK, US · 32+ countries |
| Regulator | ACPR |
| Segment | B2B |
| Funding / solidity | Founded 2016, headquartered in Paris · €100M Series C extension (Jan 2022) at a unicorn valuation · 5,000+ client companies (company figure) |
| MiCA / License status | Payment Institution (ACPR) Payment institution licensed by the ACPR (France), CIB 17518, passported to provide services in 29 other EEA countries |
Plans & pricing
Strengths
- Its own ACPR payment institution licence (no. 17518, since 20/04/2022) and principal membership of the Visa network for card issuing.
- Physical and virtual cards (single-use, recurring, multi-use) with no issuance fee and no per-card monthly fee; unlimited users with no per-user fee.
- Payment services for companies registered in the 30 EEA countries, the UK and the US; integrations with Xero, NetSuite, DATEV, Sage 100 and Pennylane.
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Price not published: quote only, with a fixed fee plus variable fees based on the number of transactions (card payments, invoices, expense claims).
- Foreign-currency card payments at 2.99% and ATM withdrawals at 0.75% (minimum €1; in another currency 0.75% + 2.99%, minimum €2.50): the FX markup is among the highest of the business neobanks in this registry.
- Legal entities only (not individuals, sole traders or consumers); euro-only account for EEA customers; no credit or overdraft, the card is not a credit card.
- Website available in English, French, German and Spanish: no Italian.
- Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
- Subject to regulation (Payment institution licensed by the ACPR (France), CIB 17518, passported to provide services in 29 other EEA countries): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.
Verdict
On paper a good verdict, with clear limits on cost. The regulatory side is solid: its own ACPR payment institution licence, segregated funds, public and dated terms and fee document, services for companies across the EEA, the UK and the US. The cost factor, the heaviest in the rating, weighs it down: the platform price is not published, card FX costs 2.99% and ATM withdrawals 0.75%. That would keep it in tier B, behind providers that publish a verifiable price list; since 6 November 2026 it has been downgraded to tier C because of the commercial practices noted in the Risk box.
Worth little here: it is a custodial payment account with full KYC on the company, its beneficial owners and its users, under ACPR supervision, and the terms let Spendesk Financial Services block the account and cards or refuse transactions. No self-custody or user confidentiality: it is a corporate spend-control tool.
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 Spendesk a bank?
No. In the EEA, payment services are provided by Spendesk Financial Services SAS, a payment institution licensed by the ACPR (CIB 17518, REGAFI register); Spendesk SAS is its registered agent (no. 74593). Under the terms, funds are held in a segregated account with a credit institution (not named) and stay separate from Spendesk Financial Services' own assets if it becomes insolvent; the French guarantee fund (FGDR) only steps in if the bank holding that account fails. There is no credit or overdraft.
How much does Spendesk cost?
The price list is not public. The pricing page describes a base package (Foundations) with unlimited cards and users plus six add-ons; pricing is quote-based and combines a fixed monthly fee with variable fees based on the number of transactions (card payments, invoices, expense claims). Only the payment-service fees are published: free card issuance, 2.99% FX per transaction, 0.75% ATM withdrawal (minimum €1), €30 a year for an inactive account.
Can an Italian company use Spendesk?
On paper, yes: Spendesk Financial Services' terms accept legal entities registered in any EEA state, and since 17/11/2022 the company has been passported to provide services in Italy (REGAFI register). The website has no Italian version, though. It is not available to individuals or consumers.
Can I send transfers to third-party IBANs and use SEPA direct debit?
Transfers to third-party accounts in the SEPA area, including instant ones: yes; international transfers carry per-currency fees shown in the app. SEPA direct debit from the account: B2B scheme only (not CORE), on request and subject to Spendesk Financial Services' approval. Utility-bill domiciliation: not documented.
Which currencies does Spendesk support?
For EEA customers the payment account is euro-only. UK customers get a sterling account with Adyen, US customers a dollar account with Sutton Bank. Card payments in another currency cost 2.99% at the Visa scheme rate.
Can I withdraw crypto on-chain from Spendesk?
No. The payment services covered by the terms are account, cards, transfers and incoming payments: no crypto services.
Sources
- Official service page Plans & pricing · Pricing model · Card issuance fee · Ruoli multi utente · +14 Data verified on Nov 4, 2026
- helpcenter.spendesk.com Legal name · Registered office Data verified on Nov 4, 2026
- regafi.fr Licenses & registrations · Regulator · Regulatory framework · Paese licenza · +2 Data verified on Nov 4, 2026
- spx-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com FX markup · ATM fees · Card issuance fee · Plans & pricing · +10 Data verified on Nov 4, 2026
Update history
- tier B (3,8) → C (2,8) Downgraded from tier B to C: see the Risk box.