Tinaba Start
A plan byTinaba · Mastercard (prepagata Nexi)
Tinaba is Banca Profilo's in-app account (an Italian bank, Register no. 5271): an e-money Wallet with an attached current account, an Italian IBAN and a prepaid Mastercard managed by Nexi. €0 fee with no stamp duty, with real limits on the free plan: 4 free SEPA transfers/month (then €0.49) and 12 free withdrawals/year (then €2). Because the relationship is with a bank that adheres to the FITD, funds are covered up to €100,000. The Premium plan (€5.99/month) removes the limits.
Start
- Price
- Free
What's included
- €0 fee with no stamp duty, unlimited operations
- First 4 SEPA transfers per month (incl. instant) free, then €0.49 · SDD €0
- Free virtual prepaid Mastercard; physical one-off €7.99
- First 12 withdrawals/year free, then €2 (€4 outside the euro area)
Data & conditions
| Account fee | Free |
|---|---|
| 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 | Free |
| Card included | Prepagata Mastercard (Nexi Prepaid) virtuale gratuita; fisica €7,99 una tantum, plafond massimo €12.500 |
| Interest on balance | 0% |
| Network | Mastercard (prepagata Nexi) |
| ATM withdrawal | Free |
| Free ATM limit | First 12 withdrawals/year free, then €2 (€4 outside the euro area); max 2 withdrawals/day for €250 total. Free in the euro area with Premium |
| Fund custody | Custodial (platform holds funds) |
| KYC | Full |
| Supported countries | EEA · 1+ countries |
| Regulator | Banca d'Italia |
| Segment | B2C |
| Funding / solidity | Banca Profilo's app account (Banca Profilo Group, Milan) · technology partnership with Tinaba S.p.A. · card managed by Nexi Payments |
| MiCA / License status | Licenza bancaria (Banca Profilo S.p.A., Albo Banche n. 5271) IT banking licence (Bank of Italy) — Wallet issued by Banca Profilo S.p.A. |
Strengths
- Genuine €0 fee, no stamp duty, with an Italian IBAN and unlimited operations included
- The Wallet is issued by Banca Profilo (a supervised bank): FITD coverage up to €100,000 stated in the information sheet — not an EMI's safeguarding
- Free ordinary and instant SEPA transfers (first 4 per month) and SDD direct debits at €0
- Free virtual prepaid Mastercard; social features (money sharing, group collections) and an in-app robo-advisor
- No notable sovereignty advantage documented.
Weaknesses
- Free plan with tight limits: 4 transfers/month then €0.49, 12 withdrawals/year then €2 (max 2 per day for €250 total), non-euro area €4
- The card is a prepaid (not a full debit card): €12,500 maximum balance, physical card at a one-off €7.99, currency conversion with a 1-2% fee
- Non-interest-bearing, single-currency account; unlimited transfers and withdrawals require Premium at €5.99/month
- 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) — Wallet issued by Banca Profilo S.p.A.): 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
The 3.6 rating rewards a genuine €0 fee (no stamp duty) and above-average protection for a payment app: the Wallet, although e-money, is issued by Banca Profilo — a supervised bank adhering to the FITD — and the information sheet explicitly states coverage up to €100,000. It goes no higher because the 'free' items have counters: 4 transfers/month, 12 withdrawals/year, a prepaid card with a €12,500 cap and 1-2% currency conversion. An excellent zero-cost secondary account; using it as a main account pushes you towards Premium (€5.99/month).
A supervised bank account in app form: custodial, full KYC, censorable and freezable by court order or AML obligation — the information sheet expressly provides for suspension of the Wallet and card. FITD coverage and Bank of Italy supervision, strengths for protection, are the opposite of the trustless model: 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
Is Tinaba a bank? Are funds guaranteed?
Tinaba is the app; the contractual relationship is with Banca Profilo S.p.A., an Italian bank supervised by the Bank of Italy. The Wallet is e-money with an attached current account and — as the information sheet states — the bank adheres to the Interbank Deposit Protection Fund: coverage up to €100,000 per customer.
What is really free on the Start plan?
€0 fee with no stamp duty, free virtual card, SDD at €0, the first 4 SEPA transfers (including instant) each month and the first 12 withdrawals each calendar year. Beyond that: transfers €0.49, withdrawals €2 (€4 outside the euro area). The physical card costs a one-off €7.99.
What does Tinaba Premium add?
For €5.99/month (or €49.99/year): unlimited free transfers (€20,000 per operation, €40,000/day limit), free withdrawals in the euro area, free top-ups from €20 up, reduced crypto fees and partner discounts.
Sources
- Official service page Data verified on Jul 12, 2026