Sparkasse — Conto Basic Conto Premium
A plan bySparkasse — Conto Basic · Mastercard
Conto Basic is the entry level of the packaged range of Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano (Sparkasse), the leading savings bank of South Tyrol, headquartered in Bolzano. The fee is €42/year (billed monthly, i.e. €3.50/month) and includes unlimited operations, the Sparkasse ON internet banking at €0 and free withdrawals at Group ATMs in Italy. The Sparkasse Card (Mastercard) debit card costs €20/year separately. The range scales up with Conto Active (€6.50/month, discountable by up to −€2 with salary crediting and a securities account) and Conto Premium.
Conto Premium
- Price
- €10
What's included
- Top plan of the packaged range
- Indicative fee €10/month (check conditions on the Information Sheet)
Data & conditions
| Account fee | €4 |
|---|---|
| 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 Sparkasse Card (Mastercard) a €20/anno, non inclusa nel canone |
| Interest on balance | 0% |
| Network | Mastercard |
| ATM withdrawal | Free |
| Free ATM limit | Group bank ATM withdrawals in Italy €0; at other banks €3 |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA · 1+ countries |
| Regulator | Banca d'Italia |
| Segment | B2C |
| Funding / solidity | Leading savings bank of South Tyrol · headquartered in Bolzano · parent of the Cassa di Risparmio di Bolzano Banking Group · absorbed CiviBank |
| MiCA / License status | Licenza bancaria (iscritta all'Albo delle Banche di Banca d'Italia) IT banking licence (Bank of Italy) |
Strengths
- Unlimited operations included in the fee and Sparkasse ON internet banking at €0
- Free withdrawals at Group bank ATMs in Italy; online SEPA transfers at €0.70
- Bank supervised by the Bank of Italy with FITD deposit guarantee up to €100,000
- Scalable packaged range (Basic/Active/Premium) with fee discounts on Active for salary crediting and a securities account
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Sparkasse Card (Mastercard) debit card is not free: €20/year on top of the fee
- €42/year fee (€3.50/month) + €34.20 stamp duty cannot be waived on the Basic plan; withdrawals at other banks €3
- Non-interest-bearing account (credit rate 0.000%) and single-currency (EUR only)
- Network concentrated in South Tyrol and the Northeast (it absorbed CiviBank): not a nationwide bank
- 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
Conto Basic is well structured on protection: Sparkasse is supervised by the Bank of Italy and belongs to the Interbank Deposit Protection Fund (FITD) up to €100,000, with unlimited operations, internet banking at €0, free Group ATM withdrawals and online SEPA transfers at €0.70. The score stays mid-range because of the costs borne by the user: a €42/year fee (€3.50/month) + €34.20 stamp duty that cannot be waived and, above all, the Sparkasse Card debit card at €20/year charged separately — a cost many banks include. Non-interest-bearing, EUR only. Note the regional nature: network concentrated in South Tyrol and the Northeast, not nationwide.
Supervised bank account: custodial, full KYC, censorable and freezable by court order or AML obligation. The FITD deposit guarantee and Bank of Italy supervision — strengths for protection — are exactly what distance it from the trustless model. No self-custody, no permissionless use: on the sovereignty lens it sits at the opposite pole from a self-custody wallet.
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 is Sparkasse's Conto Basic?
The fee is €42/year charged monthly (€3.50/month) and includes unlimited operations. On top come the €34.20/year state stamp duty (if the average balance exceeds €5,000) and the Sparkasse Card (Mastercard) debit card at €20/year.
Are there accounts with a discountable fee?
Yes: Conto Active costs €6.50/month but can be discounted by €1 with salary or pension crediting and €1 with a securities account, down to a minimum of €4.50/month. Conto Premium is the top plan of the range.
Are deposits guaranteed?
Yes, by the Interbank Deposit Protection Fund (FITD) up to €100,000 per depositor. Sparkasse is a bank supervised by the Bank of Italy.
Sources
- Official service page Data verified on Jul 12, 2026