Sumeria review

Sumeria runs a no monthly fee model: the monthly fee is €0 and the card on the Basic offer is free. Currency conversion costs 0%, so spending in another currency does not eat into the balance. It is a easy access current account with instant access to a French IBAN.

The balance sits under EU DGS up to EUR 100,000, the EU deposit guarantee scheme, so eligible deposits are covered up to that ceiling. The account is run in France by Lydia Solutions as a easy access current account, and the guarantee applies to the cash you hold in it.

Free withdrawals come to €250, a thin allowance that places Sumeria at 12 of 124 brands on this measure. The Basic offer also caps payments and withdrawals across the month, so heavy cash use can cost more than paying by card.

Currency conversion costs 0% on the Basic offer, and Sumeria ranks 1 of 258 brands compared on this measure. The debit card runs on visa with travel features listed, so euro trips and everyday foreign spending are the cases this suits.

The headline rate is 1% to 2% and the rate type is variable, so the figure can move rather than being locked for a term. The median headline rate across the site is 3%, and the trade-off is easy access: the money is reachable at once.

A virtual card is listed among the card features at virtual card and travel, alongside travel features. The debit card itself is free on the Basic offer, and access to a French IBAN is instant with no commitment, so an online-only card can be set up without a notice period.

Sumeria suits people who live and spend in the euro area and want a French IBAN they can reach immediately. Founded in 2011 and operating from FR, it pays 1% to 2% on the balance with a monthly fee of €0 and no commitment.

Support runs on chat and help centre, so help comes through the chat and the help centre rather than by phone. Card questions, account questions and travel use of the visa card are all handled in those channels.