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Hello bank! review

Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

Hello bank! puts a bank account, savings, a debit card, personal loans and a small investment range in one app run by BNP Paribas, which suits French adults who want fewer places to check. The loan rate of 4.2% is the number that sets it apart.

Key facts

Best for
A free to run French bank account, card, savings and personal loans under one roof.
Monthly fee
€0↗
Card type
Debit↗
Card network
Visa↗
Legal entity
BNP Paribas↗
Headquarters
France↗
Founded
2013↗
Support channels
Phone, Chat, Help-centre↗
Features
Travel, Virtual card
Audience
Beginners
Official website
hellobank.fr

Loans

APR
4.2%↗
Loan amount
€1,000 to €75,000↗
Term
4 to 108 months↗
Arrangement fee
0 EUR - no origination (dossier) fee↗
Credit check
Hard↗
Funding time
Funds by transfer within 14 days of acceptance at the latest; from day 8 on request, otherwise day 15↗
Representative example
12 000 EUR over 48 months: 48 instalments of 271,59 EUR, total due 13,036.55 EUR, fixed TAEG 4.20 %, interest 1,036.55 EUR, no dossier fee↗
Rate type
Fixed↗
Lender type
Direct lender↗
Free early repayment
Yes↗
Eligibility
Any adult natural person, French resident, already a Hello bank! customer for at least 3 months; 3 months' account tenure required before applying↗
Origination fee (%)
0%↗
Loan types
Personal↗
Use cases
Home-improvement↗
Pricing model
No monthly fee

Personal insurance

Premium from
€0↗
Insurance types
Home, Auto, Gadget, Life↗
Provider type
Broker↗
Monthly payments
Yes↗
Excess from
€175 to €360↗
Cover limit
Driver personal protection up to EUR 1,300,000 (Assurance Auto)↗
Claims channels
App, Online, Phone, Post↗
Age range
18+↗

Savings

Headline rate
2.5%↗
Deposit protection
EU DGS up to EUR 100,000↗
Account kind
Easy access↗
Regulators
ACPR - Banque de France (via BNP Paribas)↗

Brokers

Markets
Stocks, ETFs, Bonds, Funds↗
Investor protection
EU ICS up to EUR 20,000↗
Account types
Joint↗

Mortgages

Initial rate
3.45%↗
APRC
4.206%↗
Fixed period
20 years↗
Product fee
€1,980↗
Purpose
Purchase, Remortgage, First-time-buyer↗

Facts checked September 26, 2026, 14 sources

Apps and profiles

Elsewhere
WikidataWikipedia

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The debit card runs on visa and the account carries fees of €0.
  • Deposits sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 and investments under EU ICS up to EUR 20,000.
  • Personal loans come with free early repayment, monthly repayments and 0 EUR - no origination (dossier) fee.
  • The card adds travel and virtual card options, and a joint account can be opened.

Cons

  • Every loan application runs a hard credit check, and borrowing is limited to customers who have held the account for a waiting period.
  • Support runs on phone, chat and help centre only, with no branch or postal channel listed.
  • 70.15% of retail investment accounts lose money, so the investment side suits longer term holdings.

Ready to try Hello bank!?

Scored 9.1 / 10 by SumCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • Adults living in France who want banking, savings and borrowing handled in a single app.
  • Customers who already hold the account and plan home improvement borrowing of €1,000 to €75,000.
  • Beginners building a portfolio across stocks, etfs and bonds.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Readers wanting a debit card account outside France: Starling Personal Account Debit Card charges £0 a month.
  • People who want a transfer led account instead of a French deposit and loan range can compare Wise, at £0 a month.
  • Anyone building a credit history with a card: Varo Believe Secured Credit Card charges $0 a month, where Hello bank! offers a debit card.

Rates and terms

The savings account pays 2.5% on a fixed rate. Personal loans are offered at 4.2% over 4 to 108, which lets a borrower choose a short schedule or a longer schedule at the same stated rate. A fixed rate keeps the savings return steady rather than moving with the market, so the return is easier to plan around.

Who runs it

Hello bank! is operated by BNP Paribas from FR and has been running since 2013. Support runs on phone, chat and help centre, so questions reach the team by phone, in live chat or through the help centre. Banking, savings, lending and investing all sit inside the same brand.

How Hello bank! compares

Where Hello bank! is available

Available
France

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost to hold the account and the card?+

The account and the debit card both run on a no monthly fee model, so fees of €0 cover the banking side each month. Optional cover is priced separately from €0, and a personal loan carries 0 EUR - no origination (dossier) fee on top of the rate.

Is my money protected?+

Savings balances sit under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, so cash in the account is inside a recognised deposit protection scheme. Money in the investment side sits under EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, a much lower ceiling, which is a reason to keep savings and investments apart. The card runs on visa.

Can I pay off a personal loan early?+

Free early repayment is available on personal loans, so settling a loan before the end of the schedule carries no charge. There is 0 EUR - no origination (dossier) fee to set up, and repayments can be taken monthly. The rate is 4.2% across 4 to 108.

Who can borrow from Hello bank!?+

Borrowing is open to adults living in France who have held the account for a waiting period, and every application runs a hard credit check. Loans are for personal borrowing, with €1,000 to €75,000 available. The lender is direct rather than a broker, so terms come from BNP Paribas.

What card comes with the account?+

It is a debit card on the visa network, with travel and virtual card options for travel and online shopping. A joint account can be opened, which suits couples sharing a balance. Card questions go to phone, chat and help centre.

What can I invest in?+

The investment side covers stocks, etfs and bonds, so shares, ETFs, bonds and funds make up the range. Balances sit under EU ICS up to EUR 20,000, well below the EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 that covers savings. Most retail accounts of this kind lose money, so the money suits longer term holdings.

How long does a loan take to arrive?+

Loans are paid out by bank transfer, and the stated timetable starts at the acceptance date, with an earlier release available on request. Repayments then run 4 to 108 at 4.2%. Applicants who are not yet customers cannot apply.

Sources

Compiled from 14 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee, Free ATM withdrawals, Protection.

Hello bank!

A free to run French bank account, card, savings and personal loans under one roof.

9.1/10See alternatives