In this guide
Quick answer: For expats without a Dutch credit history, a debit card on a fintech account is usually the practical choice. Wise gives verified customers EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address) plus a card. If you want an NL IBAN and iDEAL, bunq gives accounts opened in the Netherlands an NL IBAN.
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Prepaid and debit cards are usually not a permanent solution in the Netherlands, more a bridge from “just arrived with no history” to “established enough for normal financial products”.
This article ranks five options for 2026, with attention to what each card can and cannot do in a Dutch context.
Who actually needs a prepaid card in the Netherlands?
“Prepaid card” gets used loosely for several different situations.
Expats with no Dutch credit history. Dutch credit card issuers set conditions that newcomers often do not meet yet: ICS Cards, for example, requires that you live in the Netherlands and have a net monthly income of at least €1,500, and ABN AMRO does not issue credit cards to holders of a temporary residence permit (icscards.nl and abnamro.nl). Lenders also check the BKR credit register. A prepaid or fintech debit card fills the gap.
Children and teenagers. Revolut offers an app and card for 6 to 17-year-olds, managed by a parent or guardian with a Revolut account. Dutch banks also offer youth accounts.
Budget control. Some people load a fixed amount for groceries, travel or other spending and stick to it, for example with Wise or sub-accounts at bunq or Revolut.
Short stays. If you are in the Netherlands for a few months on a contract or assignment, a fintech account may cover what you need.
People with a BKR registration. ICS says a credit card is not possible with a negative BKR registration. A debit card on an account involves no credit.
For a full comparison of traditional Dutch bank options for expats, see our guide to the best banking options for expats in the Netherlands.
The top 5 prepaid and debit cards for expats in the Netherlands (2026)
1. Wise: best overall for expats with no credit history
Card type: debit card (physical card €7, digital card free)
IBAN: Belgian (BE), multi-currency account
Credit: none, you spend your own balance
Monthly fee: free
Wise’s strength is currency. Card payments are made at the mid-market rate with “no markups or margins”, plus a conversion fee when you pay in a currency you do not hold, and you can pay in more than 40 currencies (wise.com/nl, checked 5 October 2026). For expats who still have income or expenses in another currency, this is the main reason to use it.
Open a Wise account: no subscription fees.
What Wise does well in the Netherlands:
- Card payments at webshops and in stores that accept cards, including via Apple Pay and Google Pay with the digital card
- SEPA transfers to and from Dutch accounts with the non-Dutch IBAN
- ATM withdrawals free up to and including €250 a month; above that, 2.69% of the amount over €250 (wise.com/nl/pricing/card-fees, checked 5 October 2026)
- Holding and converting money in several currencies
What Wise does not do:
- iDEAL. Wise is not on iDEAL’s list of issuers. Dutch direct debits are a different matter: according to De Nederlandsche Bank, a Dutch company may not refuse a direct debit on a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country.
- Credit. Wise has no credit facility or overdraft; you spend what you have loaded.
Who Wise is best for: new arrivals who want a euro account and a card quickly, and anyone who sends or spends money in other currencies.
For a head-to-head of these two fintechs, read our Wise vs Revolut for expats comparison.
2. Revolut Standard: free plan with a card and multi-currency features
Card type: debit card
IBAN: customers resident in the Netherlands are moved to Revolut’s Dutch branch and get a Dutch IBAN (Revolut Help); check the IBAN in your own app
Credit: none on the Standard account
Monthly fee: free (Standard plan)
Revolut’s Standard plan is free. Revolut says it includes currency exchange of up to €1,000 a month without additional fees on weekdays (after that a 1% fair-usage fee applies, plus an extra fee for exchanges at the weekend), and fee-free ATM withdrawals of €200 a month or 5 withdrawals (revolut.com/en-NL, checked 5 October 2026).
What Revolut Standard does well:
- Currency exchange without extra fees up to €1,000 a month on weekdays
- A Dutch IBAN for customers of the Dutch branch
- iDEAL for Dutch customers
- A separate app and card for children aged 6 to 17 with parental spending limits
Revolut’s limitations:
- Free ATM withdrawals capped at €200 or 5 withdrawals a month on Standard
- Weekend exchange fee on the Standard plan
- Customer support mainly via chat in the app
- Revolut Bank UAB has a Lithuanian banking licence; deposit protection runs via Lithuania
For the full bunq vs Revolut analysis, see bunq vs Revolut for expats in the Netherlands.
3. bunq: best for a real Dutch bank account with a card from day one
Card type: bunq Free includes 1 digital card (credit or debit); a physical card starts at bunq Core
IBAN: Dutch (NL) for accounts opened in the Netherlands
Credit: bunq says every user gets a digital credit card “with no interest fees or annual charges”, which you top up yourself
Monthly fee: €0.00 (bunq Free); €3.99 (bunq Core); €9.99 (bunq Pro); €18.99 (bunq Elite); €28.99 (bunq Pack, group plan), checked 5 October 2026 on bunq Help: What plans are available
bunq is a Dutch bank with a banking licence from De Nederlandsche Bank. Eligible deposits are protected under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme up to €100,000 per person. You open the account in the app without a BSN at the start and provide it within 90 days.
The free plan is bunq Free: up to 3 bank accounts and 1 digital card. Note the catch for a card-focused article like this one: bunq Free includes no physical card. If you need a physical card rather than a card in Apple Pay or Google Pay, that starts at bunq Core, €3.99 a month, which includes 1 physical and 1 digital card. For expats who need a Dutch account quickly, for rent, utilities or salary, bunq Free covers the essentials without a monthly fee.
Open a bunq account: bunq gives accounts opened in the Netherlands an NL IBAN.
What bunq does well:
- NL IBAN for rent, utilities, direct debits and salary
- iDEAL
- Several accounts with their own IBAN on paid plans (up to 5 on Core, up to 25 on Pro and Elite)
- Account opening via the app, bunq says “in just 5 minutes”
bunq’s limitations:
- bunq Free has no physical card and caps you at 3 bank accounts; foreign-currency card spending is at the standard exchange rate up to €1,000 per year, after which bunq states “a fee of 3% of each further transaction amount applies”
- More accounts, more cards and free foreign-currency transfers require paid plans: Core €3.99, Pro €9.99, Elite €18.99 per month
- No physical branches; support mainly via the app
For people who want to compare bunq against N26, there’s a dedicated N26 vs bunq for expats guide.
4. N26: for expats already using N26
Card type: N26 Debit Mastercard (virtual card free; physical card €10 one-time)
Bank: N26 Bank SE, Berlin (Germany)
Credit: none on the Standard account
Monthly fee: free (N26 Standard)
N26 is a German bank (N26 Bank SE, Berlin). N26 Standard is a free account with no account maintenance fees or minimum deposit, a virtual Mastercard, two free ATM withdrawals within the eurozone each month and chat support in English, among other languages (n26.com, checked 5 October 2026). A physical card costs €10. Check which IBAN you receive; under EU rules a Dutch company may not refuse a direct debit on a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (De Nederlandsche Bank).
What N26 does well:
- Free account with a virtual Mastercard
- Two free ATM withdrawals a month in the eurozone
- Chat support in English
- iDEAL (N26 is on iDEAL’s list of issuers)
- Works as a backup card or for expats who already used N26 before arriving
N26’s limitations:
- Physical card costs €10 one-time on Standard
- Only two free ATM withdrawals a month
- No Dutch banking licence; N26 is a German bank
- More sub-accounts (up to 10) and other extras are on paid plans such as N26 Smart
For a three-way comparison, see N26 vs bunq vs Revolut for expats in the Netherlands.
5. Prepaid cards from shops: honourable mention
Some prepaid cards are sold in shops and online without a bank account behind them. You load money and spend it.
They can be useful in specific cases, such as a gift or a one-off travel budget, but they have clear limitations for expats:
- No IBAN, so they cannot receive transfers, salary or direct debits
- No iDEAL
- Purchase, loading or inactivity fees may apply; check the card’s own terms before you buy
For an expat who needs a payment tool for daily life in the Netherlands, these cards are a last resort compared with an account at Wise, bunq, Revolut or N26.
Comparison table: prepaid and debit cards for expats in the Netherlands
| Card | IBAN type | Monthly fee | Free ATM withdrawals | iDEAL | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wise | BE (multi-currency) | Free (card €7 one-time) | Up to €250 a month | No | First card, other currencies |
| Revolut Standard | NL for customers of the Dutch branch (check your app) | Free | €200 a month or 5 withdrawals | Yes (Dutch customers) | Travel, currency exchange |
| bunq Free | NL | €0.00 | See bunq’s pricing sheet | Yes | Dutch account from day one (digital card only) |
| N26 Standard | German bank (check your IBAN) | Free (physical card €10 one-time) | 2 a month in the eurozone | Yes | Existing N26 users, simple needs |
| Shop prepaid card | None | Card and loading fees | Varies | No | Gifts, one-off budgets |
Sources: wise.com/nl, revolut.com/en-NL, bunq.com and help.bunq.com, n26.com, all checked 5 October 2026.
Scenario-by-scenario recommendations
“I just arrived in the Netherlands and need something working soon.”
Open Wise: sign-up and verification run online, and the digital card is free. Add bunq if you want an NL IBAN.
“I need to pay Dutch direct debits (utilities, rent) from day one.”
bunq gives accounts opened in the Netherlands an NL IBAN; for Revolut, check the IBAN shown in your own app. Under the SEPA Regulation a landlord may not refuse a direct debit on a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (De Nederlandsche Bank).
“I’m here for six months on assignment and don’t want to open a Dutch bank account.”
Wise plus Revolut Standard covers card payments, transfers and currency exchange. For iDEAL, you need a provider on iDEAL’s list, such as Revolut, bunq or N26.
“I’m on a tight budget and want to control spending.”
Use sub-accounts at bunq or Revolut, or load a fixed amount on Wise, and treat each as a hard limit.
For the full picture of Dutch banking options beyond prepaid cards, see how to open a Dutch bank account without BSN and Dutch bank accounts for non-residents in 2026.
What about Dutch credit cards specifically?
A Dutch credit card comes with conditions. Two examples, checked 5 October 2026:
- ICS Cards: you must be 18 or older, live in the Netherlands and have a net income of at least €1,500 a month; a credit card is not possible with a negative BKR registration (icscards.nl).
- ABN AMRO: a net monthly income of at least €1,500, or box 3 assets of at least €27,500 in the past 2 years; with a temporary residence permit you cannot apply (abnamro.nl).
That is why newcomers often start with the cards in this article. They are debit or prepaid cards, meaning you spend money you have already deposited. No credit facility, no revolving balance.
For everyday payments that is usually fine: in Dutch shops you pay with a debit card, and online you can use iDEAL or a card. The cards from Wise, Revolut, bunq and N26 work wherever their card scheme is accepted. Some situations, such as car rental or hotel deposits, can still require a credit card.
For the full guide to Dutch credit cards once you’re established, see best Dutch credit cards for expats in 2026.
How to work towards a Dutch credit card
If a Dutch credit card is eventually on your list:
First: open a Dutch account, for example at bunq, ING or ABN AMRO, and have your salary paid into it. Wise and Revolut are useful complements.
Then: check the issuer’s conditions. Income requirements (such as €1,500 net a month at ICS and ABN AMRO) and residence status matter more than how long you have banked with them. ABN AMRO does not issue credit cards to holders of a temporary residence permit.
Always: avoid payment arrears on loans and credit, because negative BKR registrations block credit cards at ICS.
The fintech cards in this article are the bridge that gets you through the first period.
For more on the full first-year experience, see the complete first year in the Netherlands guide.
The editorial recommendation
Wise: for online payments, international transfers and spending in other currencies. Free to open; physical card €7 one-time.
bunq (bunq Free, €0.00/month; checked 5 October 2026): for your Dutch NL IBAN, direct debits, iDEAL and anything that requires a Dutch bank account.
Together these two cover most payment situations in your first year. Add Revolut if you want a third card for travel spending, or its 6 to 17 account if you have children.
Related reading:
- Best banking options for expats in the Netherlands 2026
- Wise vs Revolut for expats — full comparison
- bunq vs Revolut for expats 2026
- N26 vs bunq for expats Netherlands
- How to open a Dutch bank account without BSN
- Dutch bank accounts for non-residents
- Best Dutch credit cards for expats 2026
- N26 vs bunq vs Revolut for expats Netherlands
- Complete first year in the Netherlands guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best prepaid card for expats in the Netherlands with no credit history?
A debit card on a fintech account is usually the practical choice, because these cards spend money you have already deposited rather than credit. Wise gives verified customers EUR account details with a non-Dutch euro IBAN (Wise uses a Belgian BIC and address) and a card (one-time card fee EUR 7). bunq is a Dutch bank with an NL IBAN; its free plan includes a digital card. Revolut Standard is a free plan with a card.
Can minors get a prepaid card in the Netherlands?
Revolut offers an app and debit card for 6 to 17-year-olds, linked to a parent or guardian aged 18+ with a Revolut account, who can set spending limits and freeze the card. Dutch banks also offer accounts for young people; check the conditions with the bank.
Do prepaid cards work for Dutch direct debits (automatische incasso)?
A pure prepaid card does not: a direct debit is collected from an account with an IBAN, not from a card number. Accounts with an IBAN, such as bunq or Revolut with a Dutch IBAN, can be used for direct debits. According to De Nederlandsche Bank, a Dutch company may not refuse a direct debit on a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country.
Is there a fee-free prepaid card option for the Netherlands?
Revolut Standard and the Wise account are both free to open and hold, and bunq Free costs EUR 0.00 a month. Fees apply to some use: Wise charges 2.69% on ATM withdrawals above EUR 250 a month, Revolut Standard includes EUR 200 or 5 ATM withdrawals a month and EUR 1,000 of weekday currency exchange without extra fees, and bunq Free charges 3% on foreign-currency card spending above EUR 1,000 a year.
Can I use a prepaid card to rent an apartment in the Netherlands?
A card number alone is not enough for SEPA direct debit; you need a payment account with an IBAN. bunq's IBAN for accounts opened in the Netherlands is Dutch (NL); for Revolut, check the IBAN shown in your own app. A Dutch landlord or company may not refuse a direct debit on a euro IBAN from another EU/EEA country (De Nederlandsche Bank).
Can I use a prepaid card for iDEAL payments in the Netherlands?
Not with a pure prepaid card. iDEAL is not a card scheme: you pay from the app of your own bank or payment firm, and only organisations on iDEAL's list of issuers offer it. bunq, Revolut and N26 are on that list; Wise is not. Your Wise, Revolut, bunq or N26 card still works for ordinary card payments at webshops that accept cards.
What is the difference between a prepaid card and a fintech debit card?
A pure prepaid card is loaded with your own money and is only a card, with no account behind it. A fintech account such as Wise, bunq, Revolut or N26 is an account with an IBAN plus a card, so it can receive SEPA transfers as well as pay. bunq is a bank licensed by De Nederlandsche Bank and gives accounts opened in the Netherlands an NL IBAN; Wise is a payment institution whose EUR account details use a non-Dutch euro IBAN.