Your cookie choices

We use necessary cookies to make this site work. With your permission, analytics cookies help us understand usage and marketing cookies support advertising.

You can reject non-essential cookies and still use the site. Change your choices anytime in Cookie settings.

Cookie policy
Cookie settings

ActivoBank review

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

We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings.

Our verdict

ActivoBank suits people in Portugal who want an account with nothing to pay for holding it, plus a debit card marked for travel. The monthly fee is €0 and the annual fee is €0, while a credit card sits alongside at 17.9%.

Key facts

Best for
A euro account in Portugal with no holding fee and a travel ready debit card.
Monthly fee
€0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card type
Debit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Banco ActivoBank, S.A. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Portugal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Features
Virtual card, Travel
Official website
activobank.pt

Credit cards

Annual fee
€0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APR
17.9% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards type
None (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card kind
Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Banco ActivoBank, S.A. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
Portugal (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Support channels
Phone (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
No annual fee
Features
Virtual card, Travel

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataLinkedInX

Pros and cons

Pros

  • The account model is no annual fee, and the charges match it: an annual fee of €0 and a monthly fee of €0 on the simple account.
  • The debit card is marked for travel and comes with a virtual card as well, per virtual card and travel, so card use away from home is covered.
  • It ranks first on monthly fee among the 419 brands compared on the site, with a monthly fee of €0.

Cons

  • Credit users pay 17.9% on the credit card, and the rewards type is none, so nothing comes back on the spend and the rate is the whole cost.
  • Support runs on phone only, so a question about the card or the charges means a phone call rather than a message thread.
ActivoBank

Ready to try ActivoBank?

Scored 8.8 / 10 by DebitCue.

See alternatives

Who it suits

  • People in Portugal who want an account with a monthly fee of €0 and an annual fee of €0 on the simple account.
  • Travellers who want a debit card marked for travel, with a virtual card alongside it, per virtual card and travel.
  • Credit users who are comfortable with a rate of 17.9% and a rewards type of none on the borrowing side.

Who should look elsewhere

  • Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, where a secured credit card is the shape you want and the monthly fee is $0.
  • Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card), whose monthly fee is $0 but whose card is secured rather than a plain debit card.
  • Wise, whose monthly fee is £0 too, if a euro account held in Portugal is not the base you want.

The company behind it

The account is issued by Banco ActivoBank, S.A., a bank based in Portugal. The accounts and cards sit with that legal entity rather than with a partner or a separate issuer. Support runs on phone only, so most questions about the card or the charges start with a phone call rather than a message thread.

How ActivoBank compares

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to keep an ActivoBank account open?+

The account carries a monthly fee of €0 and an annual fee of €0, so there is no routine charge for holding it open. The model is no annual fee. Borrowing on the credit card is priced separately at 17.9%, so the free part covers the account and not the credit.

Is the ActivoBank card a debit card or a credit card?+

ActivoBank runs both. The account card has a card type of debit, so spending comes straight from the balance held in the account. There is also a card with a card kind of credit, which works on borrowing and repayment terms rather than on money you already hold.

What rate does the ActivoBank credit card charge, and does it pay anything back?+

The credit card is priced at 17.9%. Its rewards type is none, so nothing is earned back on purchases and the rate carries the whole cost. The debit card on the account is a separate product and does not run on that rate, so each product should be weighed apart.

Does the ActivoBank debit card come with a virtual card?+

The feature list on the debit card reads virtual card and travel, which covers a virtual card and travel use. A virtual card therefore sits alongside the main card, and the card is positioned for travel rather than for everyday spending in a single market.

How do I reach ActivoBank support?+

The support mix is phone, so the phone line is the direct route for questions about the account, the cards or the charges. That route matters most when the card is used abroad and time zones work against a written question.

Who runs ActivoBank and where is it based?+

The account is issued by Banco ActivoBank, S.A., a bank based in Portugal. The contract, the charges and the cards all sit with that bank rather than with a partner or an overseas parent, so the bank handles the whole relationship from the one account.

Who is the ActivoBank card aimed at?+

The debit card is aimed at travel, with travel and a virtual card both named in virtual card and travel, and the account is built around holding cost at €0 a month. Borrowing is the job of the credit card, priced at 17.9%, so each side suits a different habit.

Where does ActivoBank sit on monthly fee among the cards compared here?+

It ranks first on monthly fee among the 419 brands compared on the site, with a monthly fee of €0 against a site median of €0. The credit card side is priced separately, at 17.9%.

Sources

Compiled from 7 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

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

ActivoBank

ActivoBank

A euro account in Portugal with no holding fee and a travel ready debit card.

8.8/10See alternatives