Starter is Qonto's €0/month business account with no contract. You can cancel or upgrade at any time. It's designed for freelancers and sole proprietors who want a professional business account from day one, with nothing to lose by trying it.
Is the Starter plan really free?
There's no catch, but there is a clear line between what's included and what's a paid extra:
- Included at €0/month: a local IBAN, 1 user, 1 virtual card, 5 free SEPA transfers in and out per month, locally compliant invoicing, local accounting integration, local tax payments (where available), Pay Later, Business API, and 24/7 support.
- Paid extras, shown before you pay for them: a physical card (€5/month + €6 delivery), extra transfers beyond 5/month (€0.20 each), additional virtual cards (€2/month each), and international transfers at standard rates.
We show every cost before you commit to it — nothing is charged retroactively.
Can I open a Starter account?
Starter is for sole proprietors and freelancers with no employees.
- 🇮🇹 Italy: Liberi professionisti, Ditte individuali
- 🇪🇸 Spain: Autónomos (empresario individual), ERL
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands: Eenmanszaak, and also BV (LLC)
What's not included in my Starter plan?
A few things are reserved for our Basic and Smart plans:
- Additional users
- Sub-accounts
- Accountant access
- Bulk transfers
- Overdraft
- Interest on your balance
- Most third-party integrations
- Preferential rates on international transfers and card payments abroad
If you need any of these, you can upgrade to Smart at any time — your account and history carry over.
Is Qonto a bank?
No. Qonto is a payment institution, regulated and supervised by the relevant local authority. Your funds are safeguarded in line with regulatory requirements.
Will I be charged after a free trial period?
No — Starter isn't a trial. It's a permanent €0 plan: no trial clock, no automatic charge after a few months. You'll only ever pay for the specific extras you choose to use, and each one is shown to you before you pay it.
What invoicing and tax payment features are included in my plan?
- 🇮🇹 Italy: compliant electronic invoicing, plus F24 and PagoPA tax payments, and accounting integrations with Fatture in Cloud / TeamSystem.
- 🇪🇸 Spain: compliant invoicing, AEAT tax payments, and a Holded accounting integration.
- 🇳🇱 Netherlands: invoicing and receipt capture are included. VAT (BTW) estimation and accounting integrations (Exact Online, Snelstart) are available on our Smart plan.
Can I switch from my current paid plan to Starter?
If you're a sole proprietor/freelancer with no employees, yes — subject to eligibility. Before switching, it's worth knowing you'd lose accountant access, sub-accounts, bulk transfers, interest on balance, most integrations, and preferential transfer/card rates. If you have an existing discount or voucher, it won't carry over to Starter, since there's nothing to discount at €0.
What support do I get on Starter?
The same as on our paid plans: 24/7 support by phone, chat and email, with human agents. We don't restrict support based on your plan.
Can I upgrade later?
Yes, at any time, with no penalty. Many customers start on Starter and move to Smart once they need sub-accounts or accountant access — this is the most common upgrade path.
Didn't ind your answer? Contact us via chat, phone, or email — available 24/7.