Money and economics · Dutch examples and account conditions

Saving with Trade Republic, Revolut and Trading 212: how safe is your money?

2 October 2026

The Strategic Newb Editorial Team

Updated: 2 October 2026

Translated from the original; figures and sources have been preserved. Read the original →

AI illustration of a smartphone and euro savings on a desk, with a Dutch canal in the background. — AI-generated illustration of the topic.

You work for your money. Yet it can earn very little in your bank account for months. Then you open another app and see interest on your balance, daily payments and sometimes a free current account.

Then comes the logical question: why stay with your trusted bank?

Trade Republic and Revolut offer customers in the Netherlands a Dutch IBAN. This makes using them for everyday banking easier. Trading 212 pays interest on uninvested cash, which can make an investment platform look attractive for your emergency fund. However, similar-looking apps can offer different forms of protection.

The key question is not just how much interest you earn. It is also where your money is held and what protection applies to that specific product.

Dutch examples and account terms. This article concerns products for customers in the Netherlands; the translations do not extend Dutch rules to other countries. The supplied article was fact-checked on 1 October 2026; official sources were checked again on 2 October 2026. Interest rates, offers and product terms may change.

Is your money automatically insured under €100,000?

Eligible bank deposits are normally subject to protection within the European Union up to €100,000 per person, per bank. This applies, for example, to payment accounts and savings accounts. Investment products are not included. In addition, DNB emphasises that EU foreign banks have a comparable deposit guarantee, carried out from the country concerned.

The word bank is decisive here.

The limit does not apply separately to each account, savings box or app. If you have multiple accounts at the same bank, the protected assets are added together. In addition, different brand names may be covered by the same banking licence.

A simple example:

Balances held at the same bank	Amount
Payment account	€8,000
Savings account	€85,000
Second savings account	€12,000
Total	€105,000

Under the normal limit, €100,000 is protected. The remaining €5,000 is excluded, unless a special scheme for temporary high funds applies.

Even if you have only €20,000, check whether the product is actually a bank deposit. A money market fund does not become a guaranteed savings account simply because the amount is below €100,000.

A Dutch IBAN does not mean Dutch deposit guarantee

An IBAN starting with NL makes an account recognisable and practical for payments in the Netherlands. It does not, by itself, tell you which deposit guarantee scheme protects you.

A foreign bank working through a Dutch branch may have protection from the home country. According to DNB, this is a normal situation within the European Union.

Revolut is a concrete example of this: the payment account at the Dutch branch of Revolut Bank UAB is subject to the Lithuanian Deposit Guarantee Scheme according to its own information sheet. The normal limit is €100,000 for all deposits of one account holder with Revolut Bank UAB together.

A Dutch IBAN is therefore useful for daily banking. For protection, you should read the DGS information sheet.

Trade Republic, Revolut and Trading 212 compared

Provider and product	What do you need to know about the protection?	What to check
Trade Republic: bank balance	The Dutch support information mentions protected bank accounts, but another support page also mentions money market allocation. Fund positions do not have a bank deposit guarantee.	Check your Dutch contract, bank allocation and any fund allocation.
Revolut: payment account	Eligible deposits with Revolut Bank UAB are subject to Lithuanian deposit guarantee.	Count your other deposits with the same bank.
Revolut: Instant Access Savings	Savings can be held with Revolut Bank UAB or with Deutsche Bank; the applicable system depends on this.	See in the app which bank holds your savings.
Revolut: Flexible Cash Funds	This is an investment product; the value may decrease.	Don't confuse investor protection with a guarantee on your deposit.
Trading 212: interest on cash	Cash can be in banks or, depending on product, entity and consent, in QMMF. The current support information for EU GmbH also mentions QMMF.	Check your contracting entity and the allocation between banks and funds.

These differences follow from the product and protection information provided by the providers.

Is saving at Trade Republic safe?

Trade Republic combines banking and investment. For Dutch customers it has introduced a payment account with Dutch IBAN. This also makes the platform relevant for people who want to manage their daily money.

The Dutch support page describes the money balance as a balance on a joint trust account with a partner bank, with legal protection up to €100,000 per customer. Securities are excluded from the deposit guarantee according to the same page.

The public information is not fully unambiguous: another support page under the Dutch country code also mentions money market allocation at higher amounts after activation of a Trade Republic-IBAN. The Dutch customer conditions distinguish between migrated Dutch accounts and existing accounts. Therefore, we cannot determine whether money market allocation applies to every Dutch account. Check your contract and balance distribution in the app. If a part is in a fund, that part is not a bank deposit and is not covered by bank deposit guarantee.

Check your account, not only a general review

For a decision on your savings, the documents in your account are more important than an old article or an offer for another country.

Check:

Which bank holds your balance.
Which deposit guarantee scheme applies.
Whether the entire amount is a bank deposit.
Whether you already have money at the same bank via other accounts or platforms.

The latter could lead to a hidden overlap. Two different apps do not necessarily mean two different banks.

My review: Trade Republic can be a serious option for interest on a bank balance. The decision should be based on the current protection of your account and on the interest offer that applies to you.

No universal interest rate is quoted here. A temporary promotion for new customers is different from the standard rate.

Is saving at Revolut safe?

At Revolut you must first determine which product you are using. In fact, both bank deposits and money market funds exist within one app.

The payment account

The Dutch payment account is offered by the Dutch branch of Revolut Bank UAB. Eligible deposits shall be subject to Lithuanian deposit guarantee.

Savings held directly at Revolut Bank UAB are added to your current account balance. The official information sheet gives an example: €90,000 in savings plus €20,000 in a current account totals €110,000, of which €100,000 is covered under the ordinary scheme.

Instant Access Savings

Revolut’s Dagelijks Sparen, also called Instant Access Savings, is a deposit product.

According to the current product information, the money can be directly with Revolut Bank UAB or via a trust account with Deutsche Bank. The Lithuanian system applies to Revolut; the German system applies to Deutsche Bank. In the app you can see which bank holds your savings. The limit should be assessed together with any other deposits with the same bank.

Flexible Cash Funds

Dagelijkse Geldmarktfondsen, also called Flexible Cash Funds, are a different product. They invest in funds holding short-term financial instruments. Revolut warns that their value can fall and you may receive less than you invested.

The investor protection described concerns certain failures to safeguard or return assets. It does not compensate for ordinary investment losses.

For someone who is mainly looking for a guaranteed savings buffer, that difference is decisive.

Revolut does not pay everyone the highest advertised interest

“Up to 2.5% interest” does not mean every customer earns 2.5% on their entire balance.

The product information sheet effective from 8 September 2026 lists the following rates for personal euro savings:

Revolut subscription	Variable interest rate according to the information sheet
Standard	2% on the first €2,500; 1% on the amount above that
Plus	2% on the first €2,500; 1% on the amount above that
Premium	2% on the first €2,500; 1.5% on the amount above that
Metal	2%
Ultra	2.5% up to €100,000; 2% on the amount above that

Special promotions may differ. Always check the offer in your app.

What would €25,000 on Standard earn?

With the above rates, the simple annual calculation is:

€2,500 × 2% = €50.
€22,500 × 1% = €225.
Total: about €275 gross per year.

This is about 1.1% of €25,000, before the small effect of interest on interest and possible tax.

This calculation example shows why you need to compare the rate over your entire balance. A paid subscription also deserves a separate calculation: additional interest must first compensate for the subscription costs.

Is saving at Trading 212 as safe as a bank?

Trading 212 calls the payment interest on uninvested cash. That sounds familiar, but its structure can differ from an ordinary savings account.

The provider describes that money for this interest can be held at banks and in qualifying money market funds, the so-called QMMF. In the interest dashboard you can view the distribution. Money in such a fund shall be treated as an investment and shall not be subject to bank deposit guarantee.

The current German-language support page explicitly states that Trading 212 EU GmbH may hold cash at banks or invest it in QMMFs with your consent. This does not mean every Dutch account has the same allocation. Check your legal contracting entity, product terms, consent and current cash allocation.

What are the risks of a money market fund?

A money market fund tends to aim for stable value and low risk. However, that is not a guarantee.

Trading 212 includes credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. Under exceptional market conditions, losses or delays in withdrawals may occur.

The claim “my Trading 212 balance is below €100,000, so everything is insured” is therefore too broad.

Check which Trading 212 entity offers your account

Trading 212 works with different legal entities. The protection arrangements differ.

For Trading 212 EU, the provider describes deposit protection up to €100,000 per person, per partner bank for cash held there, in addition to a separate investor compensation scheme. For Trading 212 Markets it calls it a different arrangement. You cannot simply apply these amounts and conditions to each account.

My assessment: interest on money that you hold for investments can be attractive. For an emergency buffer, a clear bank deposit is preferable if you set a statutory deposit guarantee as a hard requirement.

Do these providers always deliver more than traditional banks?

No. For this you have to compare the current products.

A high advertised rate may:

Apply only to new customers.
Fall after a promotional period.
Be subject to a maximum balance.
Require a paid subscription.
Apply to another currency.
Come from an investment product.

A traditional bank may also offer more interest on a fixed-term deposit than on an instant-access savings account. However, your money may then be locked away.

The most useful comparison is: what will I earn on my amount over the same period, after costs, and with the same access to my money?

How much does extra interest matter?

The following example assumes a constant balance, a full year and a one percentage point interest differential.

Savings	Extra gross interest per year
€5,000	€50
€10,000	€100
€25,000	€250
€50,000	€500
€90,000	€900

A large balance is clearly worth comparing. With a small buffer, an expensive subscription can largely eat the advantage.

Can you get your salary at Trade Republic and Revolut?

Revolut explicitly describes that you can receive salary on the Dutch IBAN and set up direct debits. Trade Republic also introduced a Dutch payment account. Check with both providers which payment functions are actually active on your account.

For Trading 212, you do not automatically treat an investment account as a full salary account. A payment card or the possibility to deposit money does not prove that all functions for daily banking are available.

Receiving your salary and earning more interest on savings are two separate decisions.

You can continue to receive your salary at your current bank and then transfer your savings. So you don't have to move your entire banking relationship right away to use a better interest rate.

Deposit guarantee does not protect against every problem

Deposit guarantee is intended for the situation in which a bank cannot repay its deposits. It's not general insurance against any financial loss.

For your daily life, other questions are also relevant:

Can you pay if the app temporarily doesn't work?
Do you have a second payment option?
Can you easily contact support?
What happens if a payment is investigated?
Can you access your money if your phone goes missing?

A protected balance and immediate access are different things.

Therefore, a second account at another bank is practical, even if your total savings are well below €100,000. You're spreading your access to money.

Also note box 3

A foreign account does not automatically make your assets tax-free.

The Dutch tax authority distinguishes bank balances from investments and other assets. Foreign bank and savings balances also fall within the rules for bank deposits. Different deemed rates of return apply to these categories in the provisional assessment for 2026.

This also makes the legal nature of a product fiscally relevant. Don't rely solely on the word cash in an app: check how the product and any fund positions are on your annual overview.

A slightly higher gross return may become less attractive when costs and applicable tax treatment are considered.

Is switching sensible if you have less than €100,000?

Yes, a switch or a partial switch may be wise if the net interest advantage is clear and your money is covered by the appropriate deposit guarantee.

Having less than €100,000 is only one part of the decision.

My practical preference for someone who especially wants to save safely:

Choose the right product first. Look for a bank deposit if protecting your principal is your priority.
Check the bank behind the balance. Count any other balances with the same bank.
Calculate your actual interest advantage. Use your balance, the interest tiers, the promotional period and subscription costs.
Test everyday banking. Try payments, transfers and important direct debits before switching completely.
Keep a second way to pay. Make sure you can cover essential expenses if one account is temporarily unavailable.

In addition, leave room below the limit for new salary and accrued interest. Anyone who maintains exactly €100,000 can then rise above the normal protection limit.

Frequently asked questions

Is Trade Republic safe for savings?

Bank deposits may be legally protected, but the public support pages are not fully unambiguous about money market allocation. Check your Dutch contract, the bank and any fund positions. Funds do not have a bank deposit guarantee.

Does Revolut fall under Dutch deposit guarantee?

According to its deposit information sheet, the current account at Revolut Bank UAB is covered by Lithuanian deposit protection. For Instant Access Savings, German deposit protection can apply when the money is held at Deutsche Bank.

Is all my money at Trading 212 guaranteed up to €100,000?

No, that cannot be assumed. Bank deposits are subject to conditions and limits per person and bank. Money market funds have no bank deposit guarantee; the current support information also describes their use for Trading 212 EU GmbH with consent. Check your contracting entity, product and cash allocation.

Do I have to move my salary to get more interest?

No. You can use different providers for everyday banking and savings. Moving your salary payments is mainly a decision about convenience and account costs.

What is the most important feature of an emergency buffer?

My preference is a freely withdrawable bank deposit with clear deposit guarantee, combined with a second way to pay. For emergency money, reliable access weighs heavily.

Earning more interest starts with the right product

There is no reason to accept a low interest rate without comparison. But an attractive app and a high percentage don't tell the whole story.

Trade Republic, Revolut and Trading 212 deserve a comparison at product level. See where your money stands, what guarantee applies and how much you really get after costs.

These checks help you make an informed choice: move only your savings, move your salary payments too, or keep your current bank. The best account fits what your money needs to do: earn interest, remain accessible and support your daily life.

Sources

Official sources rechecked on 2 October 2026. The July 2025 press release is used only as a historical source for the Dutch launch. Interest rates and product structures may change.