Provider profile · 2026 edition
Memo Bank review 2026: scores, fees and alternatives.
A French business bank.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
A French business bank.
Memo Bank scores 3.6 out of 5 (72 out of 100) in the Buckingham Intelligence Safeguarding Banks Index 2026 and ranks 4 of 14. It is strongest for EU firms wanting interest on safeguarded euros, with 5 out of 5 for technology and standing. Not published or not stated on the pages read: who it serves and onboarding.
Scores from the Safeguarding Banks Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For E-money institutions | 76 | 4 of 14 |
| For payment institutions | 75 | 4 of 14 |
| For firms applying for a licence | 66 | 7 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 firms wanting interest on safeguarded euros.
What Memo Bank publishes on its own pages, read on 21 October 2026.
A French business bank. It publishes client accounts for payment and e-money institutions in EUR, USD and GBP with French IBANs, real-time webhooks and virtual IBANs, and it is the only assessed bank that publishes the interest paid on safeguarded balances. A Memo Bank current account is required first.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Legal status | "Memo Bank is a limited company (Société Anonyme)"; "We're a credit institution, licensed by the ECB and supervised by the ACPR". |
| Who it serves | "Serving Payment Institutions, Electronic Money Institutions, fiduciaries, financing companies, and collection agencies"; also "ACPR-exempt entities". A Memo Bank business current account is required first. Countries and minimums not published. |
| Products | Client (safeguarding) accounts, each paired with a settlement account; "By default, all our client accounts are denominated in euros (EUR)", with USD or GBP on request; French IBANs; SEPA transfers and direct debits; international transfers. |
| Pricing | Client account balances earn 25% of the €STR, paid monthly, "from the first euro". Payments plans "From €449 excl. VAT per month". The tariff PDF (updated 8 September 2026) lists safeguarding and settlement account pricing as "Nous consulter" (on request). |
| Onboarding | "signing the terms and conditions and opening the client account can be done online." No timeline or document list; accounts before authorisation not stated. |
| Technology | "Plug our Premium API into your own systems"; "You are notified in real time (webhooks) upon the creation of the account, as well as on incoming and outgoing movements." Virtual IBANs for "precise, granular reconciliation". |
| Protection and scale | "covered by the FGDR, France's deposit guarantee scheme"; LCR of 477% and CET1 ratio of 50%; "more than 50 clients" supported in opening client accounts. |
| 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: memo.bank/en/product/client-accounts, memo.bank/en/usage/safeguarding-funds, memo.bank/en/pricing, assets.memo.bank/documents/….
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 |
| European Merchant Bank | 3.8 | 2 of 14 | EU EMIs wanting a published safeguarding tariff |
| Mano Bank | 3.8 | 3 of 14 | EU EMIs and PIs wanting fixed published safeguarding fees |
| 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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