bunq Travel Card
Dutch digital bank with excellent international rates and eco-friendly features.
Visit bunqATM detail: Easy Travel plan: zero forex fee on spending, competitive ATM rates. Check current plan details on bunq website.
Our verdict
bunq is worth considering for EU residents who want a values-aligned bank with good travel rates. The travel benefits are on paid plans, but at €3.99/month the Easy Travel plan is affordable. Not the cheapest option but solid.
Full review
Bunq is a Dutch-licensed neobank (full banking licence from DNB, the Dutch central bank) offering what it calls the "bank of the free" — a mobile-first bank with strong environmental commitments and above-average travel card features. Available across the EU, bunq cardholders benefit from EU deposit insurance up to €100,000 on their balances.
The bunq Mastercard debit card charges zero additional foreign transaction fees on international spending; the Mastercard network rate applies. This is consistent with other euro-area neobanks like N26. ATM withdrawals have an allowance per plan tier (0 free on the Personal plan, 2 free/month on the Core plan at €3.99/month), with fees above the free allowance.
Bunq's distinguishing features compared to N26 include: multi-currency accounts in up to 16 currencies (allowing holders to maintain balances in GBP, USD, and EUR separately), a "Travel Mode" that can be activated during trips (no function change, but conceptually frames the product as travel-ready)
The subscription model for all meaningful features (the entry plan with travel features starts at €3.99/month) makes bunq more expensive as a daily banking product than N26's free tier. However, the full current account functionality, multi-IBAN capability (each currency sub-account can have its own IBAN), and strong ethical positioning (planting trees per user) appeal to a specific segment of EU users who are willing to pay for a premium banking experience.
For EU residents who want a multi-currency debit card combined with full banking, particularly those who hold or receive income in multiple EU currencies, bunq is a strong alternative to N26 or Revolut.
Pros
- Zero forex fee on spending (on travel plans)
- Mastercard rate — competitive
- Green/eco features (tree planting per transaction)
- Strong privacy features
Cons
- Requires paid plan for travel benefits (from €3.99/month)
- Less established than Revolut/N26 for travel