IBL Banca — ControCorrente Semplice
A plan byIBL Banca — ControCorrente · Mastercard
ControCorrente is the current account of IBL Banca, a historic Rome-based bank (since 1927) and leader in salary-backed loans, which entered retail with a packaged account. The Semplice package costs €3/month, waivable month by month only by crediting a salary or pension of at least €800 (fact sheet v.3 of 19 June 2026 — the old balance-based option is gone); Semplice Plus costs €6/month, reducible to €3 under the same condition. First 3 months free. Online SEPA transfers cost €0.95 but are refunded up to 4 per month (8 on Plus); the Mastercard debit card is €24/year, waived until 31 December 2027.
Semplice
- Price
- €3
What's included
- Fee waived in months with salary/pension credit ≥€800
- Unlimited operations · SDD €0 · IBL ATMs €0
- 4 free withdrawals/month at other euro-area banks (then €1.50)
- 4 SEPA transfers/month refunded (cost €0.95, refunded the following month)
- Mastercard debit card €24/year, €0 until 31 Dec 2027 · first 3 months free
Data & conditions
| Account fee | €3 |
|---|---|
| IBAN | dedicato · IT · IT |
| 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 | €1 |
| Card included | Carta di debito Mastercard €24/anno (€0 fino al 31/12/2027 su Semplice; €0 per l'intestatario su Semplice Plus) |
| Interest on balance | 0.01% |
| Network | Mastercard |
| ATM withdrawal | Free |
| Free ATM limit | IBL ATMs €0; other euro-area banks: 4 free withdrawals/month (6 on Plus), then €1.50; outside the euro area 2.5% (min €2, max €5) |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA · 1+ countries |
| Regulator | Banca d'Italia |
| Segment | B2C |
| Funding / solidity | Rome-based bank since 1927 · leader in salary-backed loans · parent of the IBL Banca Banking Group |
| MiCA / License status | Licenza bancaria (Albo Banche n. 5578) IT banking licence (Bank of Italy) |
Strengths
- Semplice fee €3/month waived with salary/pension credit ≥€800; first 3 months always free
- Unlimited operations included in the fee, SDD direct debits at €0, free withdrawals at IBL ATMs
- 4 free withdrawals/month at other euro-area banks (6 on Plus) and 4 refunded transfers/month (8 on Plus)
- Supervised bank with FITD deposit guarantee up to €100,000; interest-bearing balances (0.01%)
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Only one way to waive the fee: credit ≥€800/month — without a salary or pension you pay €36/year (+ stamp duty)
- SEPA transfers at €0.95 with deferred, capped refunds (4/month; beyond that you pay): not truly free
- Extra-SEPA transfers unavailable and non-euro withdrawals expensive (2.5%, min €2); debit card €24/year once the promo ends (31 Dec 2027)
- Symbolic interest (0.01%): real yields require the separate deposit account
- Custodial: the platform holds your funds and can freeze or lose them.
- Full KYC required: verified identity, zero pseudonymity.
- Subject to regulation (IT banking licence (Bank of Italy)): reporting to authorities and freezes on order.
- FATF-aligned jurisdiction: strong cooperation with authorities.
- Closed source: no way to verify what it does with wallet and data.
Verdict
ControCorrente is a solid account but built for salary earners: crediting a salary is the only way to waive the Semplice fee (€3/month), and the "free" transfers are actually €0.95 refunded afterwards with a cap of 4 per month — an unclean mechanism that penalises heavier users. Unlimited operations, €0 SDDs, 4 free withdrawals per month and the FITD guarantee are good; the lack of extra-SEPA transfers and the €24/year card once the promo ends are not. Score 3.4: disclosed terms, but full of caps and refunds — the opposite of the simplicity the name promises.
Supervised bank account: custodial, full KYC, censorable and freezable by court order or AML obligation. The FITD guarantee and Bank of Italy supervision — strengths for protection — are exactly what distance it from the trustless model. Moreover, tying the fee waiver to salary crediting incentivises concentrating your entire financial life here. No self-custody, no permissionless use.
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
How much does IBL Banca's ControCorrente cost?
The Semplice package costs €3/month (€36/year) plus €34.20 stamp duty; the fee is reduced by €3 — hence waived — for each month with a salary or pension credit of at least €800. Semplice Plus costs €6/month, reducible to €3 under the same condition. For the first 3 months after opening the fee is €0 for both.
Are transfers free?
Not exactly: a SEPA transfer (ordinary or instant) via internet banking costs €0.95, but the commission is refunded by the second working day of the following month for 4 transfers per month (8 with Semplice Plus). Beyond that you pay; at the branch it costs €7.90. Extra-SEPA transfers are not available.
Are deposits guaranteed?
Yes: IBL Banca is registered in the Bank Register no. 5578, parent of the IBL Banca Banking Group, and is a member of the Interbank Deposit Protection Fund up to €100,000 per depositor. Be careful not to confuse ControCorrente (current account) with ContoSuIBL, which is a deposit account.
Sources
- Official service page Prelievi Data verified on Jul 12, 2026