bunq Business Review
Best for VAT automation & expense controls · Founded 2012 · Amsterdam, Netherlands
Overview
bunq Business holds a full Dutch banking license regulated by DNB (De Nederlandsche Bank), providing deposit insurance up to €100,000 per account holder — the same protection offered by traditional Dutch banks. Four modular plans — Free (€0), Core (€7.99), Pro (€13.99), and Elite (€23.99) per month — serve everything from micro-businesses to growing teams across nine EU countries. A standout feature is AutoVAT, which automatically segregates VAT from incoming payments into a separate pot, helping businesses avoid the common cash flow trap of spending tax money. SEPA Instant is supported on all plans via both TIPS and RT1 networks, with a daily limit of €50,000.
SEPA transfers operate on annual caps rather than monthly allowances: Free (pay-per-transfer at €0.13), Core (100/year), Pro (250/year), and Elite (500/year), with €0.13 per overage transfer. This model requires careful planning for high-volume businesses. International SWIFT transfers are available via a Wise partnership (€5 shared fee plus partner fees). The Pro and Elite plans unlock API and Zapier access, receipt OCR and enforcement, Company Cards with granular spend limits (3 on Pro, 10 on Elite), and integrations with DATEV, Sage, Oracle NetSuite, FreshBooks, and Pennylane. Eligibility is restricted to 9 EU countries, and all Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) must be EEA residents.
Plans & Pricing
Free Business
Free
- 3 IBANs
- 1 virtual card
- €0.13/SEPA transfer
- No Company Cards
- No API access
- Attachment search
Local transfers: 0/mo
International: Not included
Cards: 0
Core Business
€7.99/mo
- 5 IBANs
- 100 free SEPA/year (€0.13 overage)
- 1 physical card
- Up to 3 free directors
- SEPA Instant supported
- No API or Zapier
Local transfers: 100/mo
International: Not included
Cards: 1
Pro Business
€13.99/mo
- 25 IBANs + 25 virtual cards
- 250 free SEPA/year
- 3 Company Cards included
- API and Zapier access
- AutoVAT
- Receipt OCR and enforcement
- DATEV, Sage, NetSuite integrations
- XML batch payments
Local transfers: 250/mo
International: Not included
Cards: 28
Elite Business
€23.99/mo
- Everything in Pro
- 500 free SEPA/year
- 10 Company Cards included
- Travel insurance
- Up to €1,000,000 daily account limit
Local transfers: 500/mo
International: Not included
Cards: 35
Prices as of . See official pricing page for the latest rates.
Key Features
- Dutch banking license with €100,000 DNB deposit protection
- AutoVAT: automatic VAT segregation and reclaim
- Receipt OCR and enforcement (Pro/Elite)
- API and Zapier for accounting automation (Pro/Elite)
- DATEV, Sage, Oracle NetSuite, FreshBooks, Pennylane integrations
- SEPA Instant (TIPS + RT1, up to €50,000/day)
- 22 currencies with 0.5% FX markup
- Company Cards with granular spend limits
- SWIFT international transfers via Wise partnership
Key Information
| FX Fee | 0.5% |
|---|---|
| Supported Currencies | 22+ |
| Countries Served | NL, BE, FR, DE, AT, ES, IT, IE, PT |
| Target Audience | Teams needing expense automation and VAT management |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Full Dutch banking license with €100,000 deposit insurance
- AutoVAT automatically handles VAT segregation
- Strong API + Zapier automation (Pro/Elite)
- Granular Company Card controls and receipt enforcement
- SEPA Instant on all plans
Cons
- Annual SEPA caps — high-volume businesses pay €0.13/transfer overage
- API and Company Cards require Pro (€13.99+)
- Available in only 9 EU countries
- All UBOs must be EEA residents — no global teams
- No mileage tracking or multi-step approval workflows
bunq FAQ
What is bunq AutoVAT and how does it work?
AutoVAT is a feature unique to bunq that automatically segregates VAT from incoming payments into a separate dedicated pot. When a payment arrives, bunq calculates the VAT portion based on your configured VAT rate and moves that amount into a ring-fenced VAT account. This prevents the common problem of spending tax money on operating costs, ensuring you always have funds available for VAT remittance. AutoVAT is available on the Pro Business (€13.99/month) and Elite Business (€23.99/month) plans.
How does bunq's SEPA pricing work?
bunq uses annual SEPA transfer caps rather than monthly allowances. The Free Business plan charges €0.13 per transfer with no included quota. Core Business (€7.99/month) includes 100 SEPA transfers per year. Pro Business (€13.99/month) includes 250 per year. Elite Business (€23.99/month) includes 500 per year. Transfers beyond the annual cap cost €0.13 each. For high-volume businesses, this pricing model requires careful planning — a business making 50 SEPA transfers per month would use all Pro plan allowances in 5 months and pay €0.13 per transfer thereafter.
Is bunq available for my company?
bunq Business is available for companies registered in 9 EU countries: Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Portugal. A critical eligibility requirement is that all Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) must be EEA residents — companies with non-EEA shareholders or directors cannot open a bunq Business account. International SWIFT transfers are available via a Wise partnership. If your company is registered outside these 9 countries or has non-EEA UBOs, bunq is not an option.
Does bunq Business offer accounting integrations?
Yes, on the Pro Business and Elite Business plans. bunq integrates natively with DATEV, Sage, Oracle NetSuite, FreshBooks, and Pennylane. API access and Zapier automation are also available from Pro onward, enabling connections to additional accounting platforms. Receipt OCR is available with enforcement rules (requiring receipts for expenses above a set threshold) on Pro and Elite. The Core Business plan does not include API, Zapier, or advanced accounting integrations. Free Business has no accounting integrations.
Head-to-Head Comparisons
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