A free bank card for life: the promise figures prominently in the sales pitch of online banks. However, it is subject to compliance with certain conditions.
It’s give-and-take. Some online banks (less and less, as we will see) still allow you to obtain a free bank card with no time limit. In exchange, they only ask you one thing: to use it.
BoursoBank, Fortuneo and Hello bank have thus introduced activity constraints on some of their cards quite a long time ago. Nothing insurmountable: it’s about use them at least once a month for payment. Otherwise, the bill can rise up to 9 euros per month for holders of a Visa Ultim card from BoursoBank and CB Gold Mastercard from Fortuneo.
| Free card | Activity condition | Inactivity fees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BoursoBank | Visa Welcome | 1 payment / month | 5 months |
| Visa Ultim | 1 payment / month | 9 months | |
| Fortuneo | Fosfo Mastercard | 1 payment / month | 3 months |
| Mastercard Gold | 1 payment / month | 9 months | |
| Hello bank! | Hello One | 1 payment or withdrawal / month | 3 months |
Reported as of February 7, 2024
Note that BoursoBank recently introduced a exemption case. Customers who choose to do without a PVC bank card and make do with its dematerialized version are not affected by these fees.
An account with or without a bank card? From now on, BoursoBank gives you the choice
The goal of these inactivity fees is clear: to encourage you maintain minimum activity on your accountwhy not make it your main account, and thus annoy new opportunistic customers who only open an account to receive a welcome bonus or occasionally benefit from a price advantage, such as free fees abroad.
Free without conditions at BforBank, Revolut and N26
It is still possible to find free cards that you do not have to use every month. The entry-level offers from BforBank (BforBASIC), N26 (Standard) and Revolut (Standard) do not provide for monthly inactivity fees.
How to get a free bank card?