European Alternatives to Chime
Looking for a European alternative to Chime? Chime describes itself as a financial technology company, not a bank, and its accounts are issued by US partner banks, The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A. (Members FDIC), so deposit protection is a US scheme. European residents cannot rely on that framework.
The European neobanks below are licensed banks or authorised e-money firms in the EU, UK or Switzerland, and each names its own regulator or guarantee scheme.
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11 European Alternatives to Chime
bunq
Dutch licensed bank with four personal plans, free to €18.99
Tomorrow
Sustainable German current account from €0 with Solaris as bank
Lunar
Danish bank with a free account, Plus and Unlimited plans
N26
German mobile bank with Standard, Smart, Go and Metal plans
Monzo
UK app bank with pots, savings, investments and pensions
Starling Bank
UK app bank with Spaces, Bills Manager and no fees abroad
Kroo
UK app bank paying interest on the current account
Openbank
Santander group online bank, free account and card in Spain
BoursoBank
French online bank with free Welcome and Ultim cards
Wise
Multi-currency account and card for sending and spending abroad
Nickel
French account opened at a tobacconist or online, no overdraft
Key takeaways
- Chime describes itself as a fintech and not a bank, and its accounts are issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A.
- Chime's own page states that Chime is not FDIC-insured and that the FDIC cover of $250,000 belongs to its two partner banks.
- Chime's privacy notice applies to U.S. consumers and does not mention rights under EU or UK law.
- bunq in Amsterdam is a licensed Dutch bank with deposits covered up to €100,000, which is the nearest structural match for an app-first account.
- None of the eleven European tools on this page lists an overdraft or cash advance comparable to Chime's SpotMe or MyPay on the pages checked.
Why people leave Chime
Chime is a US consumer finance app that calls itself a fintech and not a bank.
Its checking and savings accounts and its Visa debit and secured credit cards are issued by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., both described as Members FDIC. The company is based in San Francisco, and what it sells is mostly a layer of app features on top of those two partner banks: early access to a paycheque, a small overdraft called SpotMe and a cash advance called MyPay.
People in Europe look for an alternative for plain structural reasons. Deposit insurance is the US FDIC scheme, covering $250,000 per depositor at an insured bank under conditions, and Chime itself writes that it is not FDIC-insured.
Its privacy notice is written for U.S. consumers and cites rights of U.S. state residents only. A resident of the euro area or the UK has no IBAN to receive a salary on, no European guarantee scheme behind the balance and no right to rely on the notice.
That does not make Chime a poor product for its audience. Its tools are designed around American pay cycles, American retail cash-deposit networks and American credit scoring. The European accounts on this page are better described as replacements for the role, a salary account that works under local banking law, than as copies of the feature list.
- The bank behind the account is a US partner bank Chime states that banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., and that Chime is not the bank. The deposit insurance therefore belongs to those banks and is the US scheme, $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category. The European accounts below name their own regulator or scheme: €100,000 at a euro-area bank, £120,000 under the UK FSCS.
- The privacy notice is written for the United States The privacy notice says it applies to U.S. consumers, describes the rights of U.S. state residents and mentions neither EU nor UK rights. It does not state where data is stored. It lists sharing with bank partners, analytics and mapping providers, advertising services and Plaid for linked accounts. A European buyer who needs a data protection impact assessment has little to cite from that page.
- Core features are tied to US direct deposit SpotMe needs $200 or more in qualifying direct deposits each month, MyPay requires qualifying direct deposits in the preceding 36 days and is available only in certain states, and early pay depends on the payer's file timing. None of that maps to a European salary account, which receives SEPA credit transfers and has no direct-deposit file.
- Savings rates depend on the tier Chime's page lists 4.00% APY on savings for Chime Prime members, 3.00% for Chime Plus and 1.00% as standard, as of 6 October 2026. A saver who is not in the top tier earns a quarter of the headline figure. European banks publish their conditions differently, so compare after the promotion ends, not at the headline.
What you have to replace, not just match
A European replacement has to cover the account itself first: an IBAN, a debit card, transfers in the local scheme and a deposit guarantee under local law. Chime offers a free checking account with no minimum balance, so the benchmark is a euro or sterling account without a monthly fee. N26, Monzo and Openbank all advertise a free tier, and bunq and Lunar have free plans on their pages.
The second layer is what Chime puts around the account. SpotMe, an overdraft from $20 up to $200 or more with no fee, has no counterpart listed on the pages checked for any of the eleven tools here, and Nickel goes the other way by refusing any payment that exceeds the balance.
MyPay, the cash advance of $20 to $1,000, is likewise absent. Anyone who leans on those two features has to budget for the loss, or look at credit products outside the app bank.
The third layer is the credit-building card. Chime sells a secured Visa credit card issued by one of the partner banks, tied to a US credit file. European credit data is held by national bureaus, and none of the neobanks reviewed here sells a secured card on the pages we checked. If building a US credit history is the reason you hold Chime, no European tool replaces it.
The alternatives compared
| Position | Tool | Headquarters | Pricing | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | bunq | Amsterdam, Netherlands | bunq Free Business for sole proprietors at €0; Core Business €7.99, Pro Business €13.99 and Elite Business €23.99 a month | EU (Netherlands) |
| #2 | Tomorrow | Hamburg, Germany | Now from €0 (under 21 or €500 paid in monthly), Change €8.90 a month, Plus €17.90 a month (checked 28 October 2026) | EU (Germany) |
| #3 | Lunar | Aarhus, Denmark | Simple 241 kr, Essential 366 kr and Limitless 491 kr a month on annual payment (2,890, 4,390 and 5,890 kr a year); Simple has a 1,495 kr setup fee | EU (Denmark) |
| #4 | N26 | Berlin, Germany | Standard €0, Smart €4.90, Go €9.90, Metal €16.90 a month (checked 28 October 2026) | EU (Germany) |
| #5 | Monzo | London, United Kingdom | Free current account; paid plans from £3, £9 and £19 a month (checked 28 October 2026) | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #6 | Starling Bank | London, United Kingdom | No fees abroad from Starling; savings rates published on the site (checked 28 October 2026) | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #7 | Kroo | London, United Kingdom | No monthly account fees, no minimum deposit; new customers 3.00% AER variable including a 2.00% bonus for 12 months (checked 28 October 2026) | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #8 | Openbank | Boadilla del Monte, Madrid, Spain | 0 euro account and card; shares and ETFs at €1 commission, €0 custody (checked 28 October 2026) | EU (Spain) |
| #9 | BoursoBank | Boulogne-Billancourt, France | Free account; Welcome and Ultim cards advertised as free; Metal offer paid (checked 28 October 2026) | EU (France) |
| #10 | Wise | London, United Kingdom | Pay per use, no subscription; sending from 0.24% fee depending on currency (checked 28 October 2026) | United Kingdom (adequacy decision, outside the EEA) |
| #11 | Nickel | Charenton-le-Pont, France | Classic €25 a year; My Nickel €25 a year plus €10; Chrome €55 a year (checked 28 October 2026) | EU (France) |
How each alternative compares to Chime
bunq
A Dutch licensed bank in an app, with plans from free to €18.99
Best for: Euro-area residents who want an app-first bank holding its own licence and Dutch deposit cover
bunq sells four personal plans, from free to €18.99 a month, and keeps a business account in the same app. It holds a Dutch banking licence, which is the first difference against Chime: the deposits sit with bunq and are covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme up to €100,000 per depositor according to the vendor, not at two partner banks.
The privacy statement names bunq B.V., Dutch Chamber of Commerce 54992060, at Basisweg 32 in Amsterdam, and says most operational data is stored on AWS in Frankfurt. That is a US provider's cloud in Germany, so a strict reviewer should note it. Against Chime's cash advance, bunq lists no equivalent in the sources we read.
What bunq does better than Chime
- Holds its own banking licence instead of relying on partner banks
- Named company number and Amsterdam address
- Deposit guarantee under a European scheme
- Personal and business accounts in one app
Where bunq is a step down from Chime
- No SpotMe-style overdraft listed on the pages checked
- Four plan tiers to compare, where Chime has fewer
Standout against Chime. The only account on this page that combines a Dutch banking licence, a named Frankfurt data location and a business account in one app.
Best for: German account holders who care how deposits are used and accept a partner bank behind the app
Tomorrow is a Hamburg company, Tomorrow GmbH, offering a German IBAN in cooperation with Solaris SE. That mirrors Chime in one way, since neither holds the licence, but Solaris is a European bank under the national deposit guarantee of €100,000 that the vendor cites, while Chime's partner banks are insured under the US scheme.
The free Now plan needs an age under 21 or €500 paid in every month, and gives one free withdrawal a month. Change at €8.90 and Plus at €17.90 add withdrawals and sub-accounts. Chime's checking account has no minimum balance and no conditions on its free tier, so Tomorrow's condition is a real cost for people with irregular income.
What Tomorrow does better than Chime
- States where deposits are and are not invested
- German IBAN and a European guarantee scheme
- Sub-accounts with interest on every plan
- Account switch service for moving a salary account
Where Tomorrow is a step down from Chime
- Free plan has an age or inflow condition
- Fewer withdrawals on the lower plans
- No credit-building card
Standout against Chime. Tomorrow publishes a sustainability report that lets you check its claim about deposits against a document.
Lunar
A Danish bank paying interest on every plan, free tier included
Best for: Customers in Denmark who want a local bank with its own licence and interest on a free account
Lunar is a bank in Aarhus, Lunar Bank A/S, CVR 39697696, with a free account and digital card and Plus and Unlimited plans above it. The vendor says it holds its own banking licence under the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority and that interest is paid on every plan, which Chime reserves for savings tiers in the 1.00% to 4.00% APY range.
Deposits are covered by the Danish Guarantee Fund up to EUR 100,000. The Lunar pages we read quote kroner, so a euro comparison with N26 or bunq needs conversion, and the business pages mention Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Chime's advance products have no counterpart listed at Lunar.
What Lunar does better than Chime
- Own licence supervised by the Danish FSA
- Interest paid on the free plan as well
- Deposit cover under the Danish Guarantee Fund
Where Lunar is a step down from Chime
- Prices quoted in kroner on the pages checked
- Aimed at the Nordic market, not the whole euro area
Standout against Chime. Lunar pairs a Danish banking licence with interest on a free account, which no US partner-bank app on this page does.
Best for: Euro-area households that want one app for daily banking, savings and small-ticket investing
N26 is a Berlin bank, N26 SE with the bank entity N26 Bank SE, which states a BaFin licence and German deposit protection to €100,000. Standard, Smart, Go and Metal cost €0, €4.90, €9.90 and €16.90 a month, and the site lists 24 markets. Chime is limited to U.S. consumers, so N26 is the wider fit for someone who moves between euro countries.
Stocks and ETFs from €1 run through Upvest Securities GmbH, which handles execution and custody, and the vendor labels its Flexible Cash Fund as an investment that carries a risk of capital loss. Free euro ATM withdrawals rise from 2 a month on Standard to 8 on Metal. Chime names a list of fee-free ATM networks such as Allpoint and Visa Plus, which are US networks.
What N26 does better than Chime
- Investing from €1 inside the same account
- Joint accounts and cards for under 18s
- Listed in 24 markets
- A European licence and guarantee scheme
Where N26 is a step down from Chime
- Free ATM withdrawals capped per plan
- Useful benefits need paid plans
- No early-pay or advance product
Standout against Chime. N26 lists 24 markets, more than any other app bank reviewed on this page.
Best for: UK residents who want a full current account with budgeting tools behind a free tier
Monzo is Monzo Bank Limited in London, registered under company number 09446231, with FSCS cover up to £120,000 per person according to its site. It is for UK residents only. The UK holds an adequacy decision but is outside the EEA, so for the comparison with Chime it is the nearest English-language peer.
Pots, Salary Sorter, savings up to 3.65% AER variable, investments from £1, pensions for ages 18 to 70 and credit cards sit in one app, though several need a Monzo current account. Paid plans cost £3, £9 and £19 a month. Chime's SpotMe and early pay, tied to US payroll files, do not exist at Monzo on the pages we read.
What Monzo does better than Chime
- Free current account with FSCS protection
- Savings, investments and pensions in the same app
- Salary Sorter to split income into Pots
- Cashback offers at chosen brands
Where Monzo is a step down from Chime
- UK residents only, no euro-area service
- Paid plans add cost for benefits many will not use
- Investment and pension values can fall
Standout against Chime. Monzo is the only account here that sells savings, investments, pensions and credit cards behind one free current account.
Best for: UK residents who want budgeting built into the account and no fees abroad from Starling
Starling Bank is Starling Bank Limited in London, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA, with FSCS protection up to £120,000. Spaces set money aside and virtual debit cards link to a Space, each with its own number, CVV and expiry date, so a card spends only what its Space holds.
Bills Manager pays bills from a ring-fenced Space. The site lists a Fixed Saver at 4.20% AER and a Flexible Cash ISA at 2.50% AER, both requiring a Starling current account. Starling publishes no plan ladder on the pages we read, which is simpler than Chime's tiers, but it also offers no early pay.
What Starling Bank does better than Chime
- Virtual cards tied to individual Spaces
- Bills paid from a ring-fenced Space
- No Starling fees abroad
- FSCS protection up to £120,000
Where Starling Bank is a step down from Chime
- UK residents only
- Savings rates are variable and bonuses expire
- Its AI spending feature is new and undocumented in depth
Standout against Chime. Starling lets a virtual card spend only what its Space holds, a budgeting control Chime does not describe.
Best for: UK customers who want interest on everyday balances without a monthly fee
Kroo is Kroo Bank Ltd in London, authorised by the PRA and regulated by the FCA under firm number 953772. New customers get 3.00% AER variable on balances up to £500,000, which includes a fixed 2.00% bonus for 12 months. After the bonus a tracker rate applies, so the figure falls. Chime ties its best savings rate to the Prime tier.
There is no monthly fee and no minimum deposit, and card spending abroad carries no Kroo markup, using Visa's exchange rate. ATM operators may add their own fees. A Cash ISA, savings pots and personal loans are in the same app. The product range is narrower than Monzo or Starling, and Kroo serves only UK residents.
What Kroo does better than Chime
- Interest on the everyday balance with no minimum deposit
- No monthly account fee
- No Kroo markup on card spending abroad
- FSCS protection up to £120,000
Where Kroo is a step down from Chime
- Headline rate includes a 12-month bonus for new customers
- Narrower feature set than larger app banks
- UK only
Standout against Chime. Kroo is the only UK bank on this page that pays interest on the current account itself.
Best for: Residents of Spain who want a no-fee online account with a large banking group behind it
Openbank is Open Bank, S.A., entered in the Banco de España register under number 0073, with its address in Boadilla del Monte. The site calls it the online bank of the Santander group and states a guarantee of €100,000 per depositor. Chime sits on two partner banks that are not its parent, so a bank backed by a large group is a different risk profile.
The account and card are advertised at 0 euro, and cash withdrawals are free at more than 5,000 Santander ATMs. Shares and ETFs cost €1 commission with €0 custody. A remunerated account at 3.25% TAE runs for a year when Bizum is brought over, with conditions. The pages are in Spanish, and availability outside Spain was not verified.
What Openbank does better than Chime
- Bank licence and register entry in Spain
- Free withdrawals at Santander ATMs
- Shares and ETFs at €1 with no custody fee
- A large banking group behind it
Where Openbank is a step down from Chime
- Spanish pages for a Spanish audience
- Promotional rates carry conditions
Standout against Chime. Openbank gives free cash access at more than 5,000 Santander ATMs, a parent-bank network no independent app bank here has.
Best for: French residents who want a low-cost online bank with savings, brokerage and insurance
BoursoBank is the brand of Boursorama SA, registered in Nanterre under RCS 351 058 151 at Boulogne-Billancourt, formerly Boursorama Banque. It advertises a free account and a free Welcome card with no income condition. Ultim is aimed at travellers and Metal is a paid premium offer. Chime's free checking has no minimum balance but is limited to the United States.
The savings range includes Livret A, LDDS, PEL, CEL and LEP, which are French regulated products without a US equivalent in Chime. EasyMove helps move an existing account over. The deposit guarantee, fees abroad and parent group were not verified on the pages checked, and the site is in French.
What BoursoBank does better than Chime
- Free card without an income condition
- French regulated savings accounts
- Brokerage and insurance in the same app
- Switching service for moving a bank account
Where BoursoBank is a step down from Chime
- French-language and France-focused
- Premium Metal offer is paid
- Deposit guarantee not verified on the pages checked
Standout against Chime. BoursoBank is the only account here offering French regulated savings such as Livret A next to brokerage.
Best for: People who spend, send or receive money across currencies and keep a main account elsewhere
Wise is Wise Payments Limited, which says it is authorised by the FCA under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011, firm reference 900507. It is an e-money institution, not a bank. Chime also says it is not a bank, but it relies on partner banks, whereas Wise safeguards funds as an e-money firm and has no lending on the pages checked.
Pricing is per use. Opening is free, exchange happens at the mid-market rate and sending starts from 0.24% depending on the currency. ATM withdrawals are free up to a monthly limit, 250 GBP on the UK page. Wise Assets is an investment product from a separate entity. The page checked was the UK one, and fees and limits differ by country.
What Wise does better than Chime
- Mid-market exchange rate with a visible fee
- Multi-currency account and debit card
- No subscription plans
- Business version available
Where Wise is a step down from Chime
- Not a bank, no credit, mortgage or overdraft on the pages checked
- ATM limits and fees vary by country
- Wise Assets returns are not deposits
Standout against Chime. Wise is the only tool here with no plan ladder, charging per transfer instead.
Best for: Residents of France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Germany who want a basic account with in-person opening
Nickel is the trading name of Financière des Paiements Électroniques, registered in Créteil under RCS 753 886 092, head office in Charenton-le-Pont. It is available in France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Germany according to its country selector. Where Chime has no account fee and sells optional fees, Nickel charges a yearly price for the card: Classic €25, My Nickel €25 plus €10, Chrome €55.
The vendor says an overdraft is not possible, because a payment is only authorised when the balance is sufficient. That removes overdraft fees and also means a declined payment, the opposite of SpotMe. Accounts can be opened online or at a Point Nickel, which the vendor advertises as about five minutes. No savings range or investing was seen on the pages checked.
What Nickel does better than Chime
- Opening in person at a Point Nickel
- Predictable annual card fee
- No overdraft fees by design
- Available in five countries
Where Nickel is a step down from Chime
- Card costs from €25 a year where app banks offer a free tier
- No savings range or investing seen
- Mostly French-language site
Standout against Chime. Nickel can be opened at a counter in a few minutes and refuses any payment above the balance.
What actually breaks when you switch
Leaving Chime is mostly an administrative exercise. Move the salary first, then the direct debits and card subscriptions, and keep the Chime account alive until the last refund has landed. Chime's pages describe no EU exit process, so assume you will move balances by US transfer to an account you can still reach. If you hold the secured credit card, the US credit file stays behind: a European bank starts without that history.
The opening side has its own friction. An IBAN account in Europe needs identity checks that often require a local address, and the free tiers carry conditions: Tomorrow wants an age under 21 or €500 paid in every month, Kroo's bonus lasts 12 months, and Openbank's remunerated account depends on Bizum. Account switch services such as Tomorrow's or BoursoBank's EasyMove shorten the move for direct debits, and Wise can carry foreign currency during the transition.
Is my Chime balance protected if I move to Europe?
Chime says it is not FDIC-insured and that its partner banks, The Bancorp Bank, N.A. and Stride Bank, N.A., are the insured members. The insurance covers the failure of an insured bank, up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, per ownership category, and pass-through coverage for a Chime customer depends on certain conditions. Chime does not describe any cover for a customer who has moved abroad.
Before leaving, move the balance to a European account that names its scheme. A euro-area bank such as bunq, N26 or Openbank states €100,000 per depositor. Monzo, Starling Bank and Kroo state £120,000 under the FSCS. Close the Chime account after the last salary and refund have arrived, since the page describes no exit process for non-US residents.
Can I get early pay or an overdraft like SpotMe at a European neobank?
On the pages we checked, no. Chime offers paycheques up to two days early depending on when the payer submits the payment file, and SpotMe lets eligible members overdraw from $20, rising to $200 or more with account history, on a $200 monthly direct deposit. The eleven European tools on this page list their own features, and none matches either one.
What they offer instead is organisation. Starling Bank has Spaces and Bills Manager, Monzo has Pots and Salary Sorter, Tomorrow has sub-accounts, and Kroo pays interest on the balance. If you want a buffer, check each bank's overdraft terms on its own pages, because overdraft products were not verified here.
Which one to pick
If you live in the euro area, start with bunq or N26. bunq holds a Dutch licence with €100,000 deposit cover and a business account in the same app. N26 lists 24 markets and adds stocks and ETFs from €1. Choose Tomorrow if where the deposits go matters to you and you accept that Solaris SE is the licensed bank, and Lunar if you live in Denmark and want interest on a free account.
In the UK, Monzo suits those who want Pots and savings products in one app, Starling Bank suits those who budget with Spaces and virtual cards, and Kroo suits savers who want interest on the balance.
Choose Openbank in Spain and BoursoBank or Nickel in France according to whether you want investing or a basic account. Keep Wise next to any of them if you move money across currencies, and keep Chime only if your income and credit history remain in the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
For a euro-area resident, bunq from Amsterdam and N26 from Berlin are the closest app-first banks, and <a href="/tool/tomorrow-bank">Tomorrow</a> suits those who care where deposits go. In the UK, <a href="/tool/monzo">Monzo</a> and <a href="/tool/starling-bank">Starling Bank</a> are the nearest equivalents. Openbank, BoursoBank and Nickel suit Spain and France, and Wise covers money in several currencies.
No. Chime describes itself as a financial technology company, and its banking services are provided by The Bancorp Bank, N.A. or Stride Bank, N.A., both Members FDIC. Several European neobanks on this page hold their own licence: bunq, N26, Lunar, Openbank, Monzo, Starling Bank and Kroo state a banking licence, while Wise is an authorised e-money institution and Tomorrow works with Solaris SE.
Chime's privacy notice states that it applies to U.S. consumers, and the pages we read mention no EU or UK service. We found no IBAN or European product on them. A resident of Europe should treat Chime as a US-only account and pick a European bank with a local guarantee.
N26 Standard costs €0, Monzo has a free personal current account, Kroo has no monthly account fee and no minimum deposit, and Openbank and BoursoBank advertise a free account and card. Tomorrow's free Now plan needs an age under 21 or €500 paid in each month, and Nickel charges €25 to €55 a year for the card.
Wise charges per transfer, starting from 0.24% depending on the currency, with no subscription and the mid-market exchange rate. Starling Bank states no Starling fees abroad and Kroo applies no markup on card spending abroad. Wise is an e-money institution and not a bank, so many people keep it next to a main account.
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