4Rank 04 of 8 · Best Travel Money Cards
bunq bunq
A Dutch bank with full deposit protection, unusually flexible sub-accounts, and a subscription rather than a free tier.
8.1BPR score
- €4Price
- Dutch banking licence — deposits protected to €100,000Deposit protection status
- 4 of 8in Best Travel Money Cards
- 8.1BPR score 0–10
Review
What this product is
Written after the analysis, from the same sources the score is built on: the manufacturer's documentation, available studies and verified owner feedback.
The other genuinely-a-bank option here, and the most flexible account structure in the ranking.
bunq holds a Dutch banking licence and deposits are protected to €100,000 under the Dutch scheme implementing Directive 2014/49/EU. It offers multiple sub-accounts with their own IBANs, which is more useful than it sounds — a separate travel account with a separate card, funded with exactly the trip budget, is the cleanest way to limit exposure without thinking about it.
Card payments abroad and multi-currency handling are competitive, and the app is the most configurable here for people who like configuring things.
The catch is the price. There is no free tier — plans start at around €3.99 a month and the useful travel allowances sit on higher tiers. For an annual two-week holiday that is poor value against Revolut's free plan; for someone travelling monthly, or who wants sub-accounts and deposit protection together, it is defensible.
Exchange rates are good but not the sharpest here, and the free ATM and FX allowances are tied to your subscription tier. Availability and pricing vary by country.
Technical data
Specification
Figures from the manufacturer's documentation, verified against available outside sources. Values we could not confirm are marked as declared.
- Licence
- Dutch banking licence
- Deposit protection
- Yes — €100,000
- Plans
- From ~€3.99/month, no free tier
- Sub-accounts
- Multiple, with separate IBANs
- FX/ATM allowances
- Tier dependent
Component scores
Where the score
comes from.
Four components, equal weight, each on a 0–10 scale and each resting on a named source. The overall score is their mean — the full procedure is in the methodology.
What we liked
- Dutch banking licence with deposits protected to €100,000
- Multiple sub-accounts with separate IBANs and cards
- Highly configurable app
- Competitive multi-currency handling
Worth knowing
- No free tier — from around €3.99 per month
- Best travel allowances only on higher-priced plans
- Exchange rates good but not the sharpest here
- Pricing and availability vary by country
Comparison
How it compares
within the category
All values come from the same analysis and are comparable only within the category Best Travel Money Cards.
| Product | Score | Deposit protection status | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| WiseTop score | 9.0 | E-money institution — safeguarded, NOT deposit-guaranteed | — |
| bunqThis product | 8.1 | Dutch banking licence — deposits protected to €100,000 | €4 |
| Category average8 products analysed | 7.8 | — | — |
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is a paid account ever worth it?
If you travel monthly, or want deposit-protected money in a ring-fenced travel sub-account with its own card, yes. For one holiday a year, a free plan elsewhere will cost you less than the subscription saves.
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The same protocol, the same key parameter, the same set of sources.
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