The digital bank has followed its contemporary Revolut by releasing a metal card with extra benefits this month.
Digital banks are really shaking up the financial landscape and two names rule the roost: N26 and Revolut. With traditional banks having such poor reputations, paired with the glacial pace at which they announce new services, a digital bank can be a fantastic way to have real-time control over your finances.
N26 is a German digital bank which this month announced it was following in the footsteps of Revolut by offering a metal card.
Metal is the third product released from N26 after its standard account and its first premium offering; N26 Black.
Their entry-level standard account doesn’t cost you a penny and if you are enjoying the card, then we're going to review whether it’s worth the upgrade.
Premium benefits
N26 Black and N26 Metal come with a range of extra benefits compared to the free version.
Metal has all the same benefits as the Black card but has two distinct advantages, these being partner discounts with the likes of Headspace, WeWork and Hotels.com, as well as priority customer support which is available on the phone or via chat in the app. And of course a lovely, stainless steel debit card.
Other benefits included with both premium accounts that you won't get with the standard account include an Allianz-backed insurance package which covers phone theft, flight and luggage delay cover, foreign medical expenses with 24/7 medical phone assistance, as well as extended warranties on certain items bought with the card.
You will also get extra Spaces accounts for your savings.
No foreign exchange fees
When you pay with an N26 card online and in stores outside of the eurozone there are no markups and no foreign exchange transaction fees meaning frequent travellers could really save big. What's more, with N26 Black and Metal, you can also withdraw cash for FREE in ANY currency from ATMs around the world too.
With the standard N26 card you'll be charged a 1.7% fee for cash withdrawals (mind you this is still far cheaper than almost every other bank).
N26: Standard V Black V Metal
| Features | N26 Standard | N26 Black | N26 Metal |
|
Price |
Free | €9.90/month | €16.90/month |
|
Receive push notifications with your account activity |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Instant Mastercard freezing should card be misplaced |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Secure fingerprint login |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Instant, real-time bank transfers |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Make international money transfers with TransferWise |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
N26 Spaces - which can function as a savings account |
Two accounts | 10 Accounts | 10 Accounts |
|
Automatic categorization of your spending, to keep an eye on what your money is being spent on |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Export and print transactions |
Yes | Yes | Yes |
|
Debit card payments worldwide |
Free | Free | Free |
|
ATM cash withdrawals worldwide |
1.70% | Free | Free |
|
Priority customer support |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Foreign medical expenses cover |
No | Yes | Yes |
|
Flight and luggage delay cover |
No | Yes | Yes |
|
Theft insurance |
No | Yes | Yes |
|
Extended warranty |
No | Yes | Yes |
| Exclusive discounts with partners |
No | No | Yes |
Is it worth it?
It depends on a couple of things. If you are sick of your bank's glacial pace for releasing new features we’d highly recommend that you look into switching to a digital bank like N26. Whether you need to upgrade to one of its premium accounts will depend on your own personal preferences.
Some of you might just want that sexy metal card and go for it because of this. However, when it comes to benefits, upgrading is probably best reserved for frequent travellers who will benefit from the travel insurance package as well as the free worldwide ATM withdrawals.
What do you think?
Are you an N26 customer? Thinking of upgrading to Metal? Why? Get in touch and let us know!
You can either drop us a comment below or you can get in touch with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
