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

N26 Standard

A plan byN26 · Mastercard

4.2/5 1.6/5 · Data verified on

N26 is a fully licensed bank, with a German BaFin licence and a European IBAN, offering 0% FX markup and — in some markets — access to over 400 cryptocurrencies. Crypto is not its main focus, however, and the service is closed in markets such as the UK, the US and Brazil.

Standard

Price
Free
Issuance fee
€10
FX markup
0%
Cashback
0%
Cashback currency
Nessuno
Required staking
Nessuno
ATM fee
0%
ATM limit
2–3 gratis/mese in EU, poi €2; fuori EU 1.7% FX
Net annual cost
Free
Free EU ATM/month
3

What's included

  • German IBAN
  • Virtual card
  • No sub-accounts

Free virtual card; the physical one costs a one-off €10. Card payments worldwide with no markup; the 1.7% applies only to withdrawals outside the eurozone.

Free
Account fee
EU guarantee €100,000
Deposit guarantee
Free
ATM withdrawal
Mastercard
Network
80
Transparency: High
80/100 · see methodology
80
Data exposure: High
80/100 · lower is better for sovereignty · methodology

Data & conditions

Account fee Free
IBAN dedicato · DE · DE
Deposit guarantee EU guarantee €100,000
Multi-currency No (single currency)
Outbound transfers to third-party IBANs Yes
Utility direct billing Yes
SEPA direct debit (SDD) Yes
On-chain crypto withdrawal No
SEPA transfer Free
Card included Carta Mastercard inclusa
Interest on balance 0.3%
Network Mastercard
ATM withdrawal Free
Free ATM limit 3–5 free withdrawals/month (plan-based), then 1.7%
Fund custody Custodial (platform holds funds)
KYC Full
Supported countries EEA · 24+ countries
Regulator BaFin
OAM Italy registration Yes
Segment B2C
Funding / solidity8M+ users · €9B valuation · BaFin-licensed bank
MiCA / License status Licenza bancaria (BaFin) DE banking licence (BaFin)

Strengths

  • A real bank with a BaFin licence and €100k deposit guarantee
  • 0% FX markup
  • Dedicated European IBAN with direct debits and third-party transfers
  • No notable sovereignty advantage documented.

Weaknesses

  • Crypto is not the main focus and spot offering is limited
  • Service closed in the UK, US and Brazil
  • Single-currency account (EUR only)
  • Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
  • Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
  • Subject to regulation (DE banking licence (BaFin)): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.

Verdict

A D ★ 4.2/5 ★ 1.6/5

The A rating is well earned: N26 is a fully licensed bank with a German BaFin licence, deposit guarantee up to EUR 100,000, a dedicated European IBAN with direct debits and third-party transfers, and 0% FX markup. Available in Italy and OAM-registered, it is a solid choice; the single-currency account (EUR only) and limited crypto spot offering are the only blemishes on the protection front.

Even with access to 400+ cryptos in some markets, N26 stays custodial with full KYC: crypto is held by the bank, not self-custodied, and everything routes through a BaFin institution that can censor and freeze. Through this lens the banking licence, a strength for protection, is exactly what distances it from the trustless model.

Privacy & anonymity 30% 1.0
Fund control 20% 0.8
Censorship resistance 20% 1.5
Costs 10% 5.0

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 N26 a real bank?

Yes: it operates under a German banking licence issued by BaFin and deposits are guaranteed up to €100,000.

Can I buy crypto with N26?

In some markets N26 offers access to over 400 cryptos, but it is not the core service and availability varies by country.

Sources

Show 1 more source

Update history

  1. Card cost corrected on the Smart and Go plans: the physical card is included in the subscription (previously shown as €10 like on Standard, where the physical card is an optional €10 and the virtual one is free).

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