Kontist by Shine review
Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
Kontist by Shine is a business account with fees of €0 a month and no annual fee, and it suits freelancers and small teams who want tax tools and receipts in the app. Currency conversion at 2% is the catch for anyone spending abroad.
Key facts
- Best for
- A business account that keeps tax estimates and receipts in one app.
- Monthly fee
- €0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 2% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Free ATM withdrawals
- €0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card type
- Debit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Card network
- Visa (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Shine Germany GmbH (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Features
- Virtual card, Travel
- Audience
- Business
- Official website
- kontist.com
Credit cards
- Annual fee
- €0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Currency conversion fee
- 2% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Rewards type
- None (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Perks
- Automatic real-time tax estimation, Receipt management and invoicing tool, Subaccounts on paid plans, Apple Pay and Google Pay, Deposit protection up to EUR 100,000, Free physical Visa business debit card, Mobile and browser app, Partnership discount offers (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Shine Germany GmbH (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- Germany (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Chat, Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Pricing model
- No annual fee
- Features
- Virtual card, Travel
- Audience
- Business
Apps and profiles
- Get the app
- App StoreGoogle Play
- Elsewhere
- Wikidata
Pros and cons
Pros
- Monthly fee €0 and annual fee €0, matching the site median of €0
- Automatic real-time tax estimation, plus a receipt management and invoicing tool
- A free physical Visa business debit card, wallet payments and deposit protection Automatic real time tax estimation, Receipt management and invoicing tool and Subaccounts on paid plans
- Support by email, chat, phone and a help centre email, chat and phone
Cons
- Currency conversion costs 2% against a site median of 1%
- Free ATM withdrawals are €0
- Subaccounts need a paid plan
Who it suits
- Freelancers and sole traders who want tax estimates calculated as they spend
- Small teams that need a shared receipt and invoicing tool
- Businesses that want a physical Visa business debit card with no annual fee
Who should look elsewhere
- Travellers who move money often, since conversion costs 2% and ranks 160
- Anyone who needs a free ATM allowance, because free ATM withdrawals are €0
- Reward seekers, as rewards type is none
Fees and currency costs
Kontist by Shine charges a monthly fee of €0 and an annual fee of €0, so the account sits alongside the cheapest debit cards on the site at a monthly fee median of €0. Currency conversion is the line to watch: fees run 2% on foreign spend, above the site median of 1% and a touch under the upper quartile of 2.5%. Domestic spending and a free physical Visa business debit card carry nothing extra.
How Kontist by Shine compares
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.7
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.9
9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 9.6
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.4
9.1 vs 9.2
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
9.1 vs 9.1
Kontist by Shine vs CoinJar9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8- 9.1 vs 8.8
- 9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.8- 9.1 vs 8.8
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.3
9.1 vs 8.2
9.1 vs 8.0
9.1 vs 8.0
Where Kontist by Shine is available
- Available
- Germany
- Licence in Germany
- BaFin and European Central Bank - licence held by banking partner Solaris SE, which holds and manages the German IBAN accounts; Kontist itself states it holds no banking licence, checked September 26, 2026
Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Frequently asked questions
What does Kontist by Shine cost to run?+
The monthly fee is €0 and the annual fee is €0, so the account itself costs nothing. Currency conversion is the charge to plan for, and subaccounts are reserved for paid plans rather than the free tier.
How much does it cost to spend in another currency?+
Currency conversion runs at 2%, which sits above the site median of 1% and ranks 160 of 259 brands. Owners who bill in euros and spend in other currencies should expect to pay it on foreign purchases.
Are my deposits protected?+
Deposit protection is listed among the account features Automatic real time tax estimation, Receipt management and invoicing tool and Subaccounts on paid plans. The German IBAN accounts are held and managed by the banking partner Solaris SE, supervised by BaFin and the European Central Bank, and Kontist itself states it holds no banking licence.
Can I get free ATM withdrawals?+
Free ATM withdrawals are €0, so cash machine use is not part of the free allowance. That ranks 41 of 115 brands on this measure, against a site median of €0.
Does the account help with tax?+
Yes, automatic real-time tax estimation is built in and updates as money moves, alongside a receipt management and invoicing tool. That pairing is the main reason to pick this business account over a general current account.
What card do I get?+
A free physical Visa business debit card is included, and virtual cards are also offered. Apple Pay and Google Pay work too, and the app is available on mobile and in a browser.
Who is this account for?+
It is aimed at business users, so freelancers, sole traders and small teams fit better than personal accounts. A monthly fee of €0 and an annual fee of €0 keep the running cost at nothing for a small company.
How do I get help if something goes wrong?+
Support runs by email, chat, phone and a self-service help centre, which covers most questions without an appointment. Partnership discount offers are also listed among the account features Automatic real time tax estimation, Receipt management and invoicing tool and Subaccounts on paid plans.
Sources
- kontist.com/en/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Annual fee, Pricing model, Perks
“Free - Your free business account with automatic tax calculation - €0”
- kontist.com/en/product/cards checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Rewards type
“The Kontist card is a debit card, not a credit card.”
- kontist.com/imprint checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity
“Shine Germany GmbH (formerly Ageras GmbH), Boxhagener Strasse 77-78, 10245 Berlin, Germany”
- kontist.com/partners checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Licences
- kontist.com/pricing checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Free ATM withdrawals, Audience, Card type, Features, Currency conversion fee, Monthly fee, Card network, Support channels
“Free monthly cash withdrawals in EUR: 2 (Start), 4 (Plus); additional withdrawals and withdrawals in the Free plan are charged 2 EUR plus tax”
Compiled from 5 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Protection.