bunq has opened its bunq-as-a-Service banking platform to businesses across the European Union, expanding a service first introduced with Dutch bitcoin platform Blockrise.
The Amsterdam-based neobank said the offering lets mid-sized and larger companies embed financial services into their own products using bunq's banking infrastructure. Businesses can issue virtual cards, process instant SEPA payments, manage funds and subscriptions, and provide users with personal bunq IBANs.
The rollout marks a broader push by bunq to supply banking tools to other companies rather than limiting its services to its own app. The platform targets sectors including retail, eCommerce, software, mobility, the gig economy, and crypto.
Under the model, partner companies build customer-facing services on top of bunq's application programming interface, while bunq handles the regulated banking layer. That includes the underlying banking licence, compliance processes, and payment rails.
For businesses that want to add payments or account features, the arrangement provides a route into regulated financial services without having to build those systems themselves. It also supports loyalty programmes and subscription functions embedded within payment flows, alongside on- and off-ramping between fiat and crypto-related services.
Payments and cards are central to the offering. Partners can provide instant settlements and globally accepted card payments through networks and wallets including Mastercard, Google Pay, and Apple Pay.
Customer funds held in fiat are protected up to €100,000 under bunq's European banking licence and the Dutch Deposit Guarantee Scheme. That protection is likely to matter for companies that want to offer account-like products to users while relying on a licensed bank to hold deposits.
Early uptake
bunq pointed to early adoption figures from Blockrise, its initial partner for the service. In the first month, 40% of eligible Blockrise users moved to their own personal bunq IBAN, according to the company.
The figure offers an early indication of consumer willingness to adopt banking features delivered through third-party platforms. It also suggests users may be more willing to engage when those services include named accounts under an established banking licence.
The market for banking-as-a-service in Europe has attracted interest from fintechs, software groups, and non-financial brands seeking to add accounts, cards, and payments to existing products. At the same time, providers face scrutiny over compliance standards, partner oversight, and the economics of serving multiple business customers through a single regulated platform.
bunq is seeking to position itself as one of the infrastructure providers serving that demand. The company describes itself as Europe's second-largest neobank and has previously focused on direct banking products for consumers and businesses.
Opening the platform more widely adds a business-to-business infrastructure line to that strategy. It also puts bunq in more direct competition with other embedded finance and banking-as-a-service providers operating across the region.
Joe Wilson, chief evangelist at bunq, said the company sees the expansion as a way to extend its technology to a wider range of products and end users. "For years, we've been obsessed with building technology that simplifies life for our users. With bunq-as-a-Service, we're taking that mission a step further by empowering the most innovative companies in Europe to do the same," Wilson said.
He said the structure lets partners control the customer experience while relying on bunq for the regulated infrastructure. "It's our license, our compliance, our infrastructure, but the partners own the user journey and focus on what they do best: creating exceptional experiences for their users," Wilson said.
The expansion comes as more European technology companies look for ways to integrate financial functions directly into software, marketplaces, and digital platforms. By opening the service to a wider range of companies, bunq is betting that demand for embedded accounts, cards, and payments will continue to spread beyond specialist fintechs and into the broader business software market.