Provider profile · 2026 edition
European Merchant Bank review 2026: scores, fees and alternatives.
A Lithuanian bank serving fintechs.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
A Lithuanian bank serving fintechs.
European Merchant Bank scores 3.8 out of 5 (76 out of 100) in the Buckingham Intelligence Safeguarding Banks Index 2026 and ranks 2 of 14. It is strongest for EU EMIs wanting a published safeguarding tariff, with 5 out of 5 for published pricing. Not published or not stated on the pages read: pricing, technology, protection and scale and published pricing.
Scores from the Safeguarding Banks Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For E-money institutions | 77 | 2 of 14 |
| For payment institutions | 77 | 2 of 14 |
| For firms applying for a licence | 74 | 2 of 14 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
EU EMIs wanting a published safeguarding tariff.
What European Merchant Bank publishes on its own pages, read on 21 October 2026.
A Lithuanian bank serving fintechs. It publishes safeguarding accounts open to all PIs and EMIs that pass its checks, an acknowledgement letter for firms applying for a licence, a fee schedule for financial institutions, TARGET2 membership and an API platform. It does not publish interest, a document list or an opening timeline beyond first contact within one working day.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Legal status | "European Merchant Bank UAB (EMBank) is licensed by European Central Bank", licence No. 3 (linked to the Bank of Lithuania site). |
| Who it serves | "All PIs and EMIs that have passed the KYC processes can open a safeguarding account in EMBank." A separate fee table applies to "Customers Outside Lithuania or Financial Institutions". Minimum monthly fee "To be determined based on client risk level". |
| Products | Safeguarding accounts and payment accounts; SEPA, SEPA Instant, TARGET2 ("We make EUR payments throughout the world with our TARGET2 membership") and SWIFT; EUR named. |
| Pricing | Safeguarding account opening "4,000.00 €" per account; onboarding fee "min 3,000.00 €"; API connection set-up "10,000.00 €"; safeguarding account maintenance fee "Min 1500.00 €" (period not stated); payment account maintenance "Min 1000.00 €"; SEPA and SEPA Instant outgoing 2.00 €; TARGET2 outgoing 8.00 €, incoming 20.00 €. Interest not stated. |
| Onboarding | "we will contact you within 1 working day"; "Your Safeguarding Account will be ready after AML/KYC procedures." EMBank provides "an official acknowledgement letter including your Safeguarding Account details that you will submit to the relevant supervisory authority to proceed with your license application." No document list or opening timeline. |
| Technology | "EMBank offers an API-driven platform" covering account opening, payment initiation and account information. Real-time balances and reconciliation reports not stated. |
| Protection and scale | "EMBank participates in the deposit guarantee scheme (DGS) of Lithuania." No client numbers published. |
| Date read | 21 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 21 October 2026 from: em.bank, em.bank/accounts/safeguarding-accounts, em.bank/fees-and-commisions, em.bank/blog/articles/….
Each score with the evidence behind it.
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Safeguarding Banks Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| ClearBank | 4.2 | 1 of 14 | EMIs and PIs needing direct UK and EU scheme access |
| Mano Bank | 3.8 | 3 of 14 | EU EMIs and PIs wanting fixed published safeguarding fees |
| Memo Bank | 3.6 | 4 of 14 | EU firms wanting interest on safeguarded euros |
| Magnetiq Bank | 3.5 | 5 of 14 | EEA EMIs and PIs still in the licensing queue |
| Banking Circle | 3.5 | 6 of 14 | Multi-currency safeguarding across the UK and EEA |
| Bank of London | 3.5 | 7 of 14 | Firms opening accounts during authorisation |
| Griffin | 3.2 | 8 of 14 | Dedicated per-customer safeguarding accounts |
| LHV Bank | 3.0 | 9 of 14 | GBP and EUR safeguarding with agency banking |
| Starling Banking Services | 2.8 | 10 of 14 | UK payment firms wanting their own sort code |
| Solaris | 2.2 | 11 of 14 | A second safeguarding account for licensed EMIs and PIs |
| CaixaBank | 2.1 | 12 of 14 | Payment firms licensed or passported into Spain |
| BNY | 1.9 | 13 of 14 | Large EMIs investing safeguarded cash in money market funds |
| Sutor Bank | 1.9 | 14 of 14 | Digital e-money and payment firms using banking as a service |
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
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