Penta vs Now Money.
Penta (P61/100) and Now Money (N60/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. Penta leads Now Money 3-2.
| N Now Money №52 · CBUAE 60 /100 | P Penta №49 · BaFin 61 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 60 /100 | 61 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €9 /mo |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | Interbank | 1.00% |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | E-money inst. CBUAE | Partner-bank BaFin |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded AE.DPS | Safeguarded No DGS |
| Reach | ||
| Markets served Licensed jurisdictions | 1 country | 1 country |
| Crypto Coins available | No | No |
| Stocks & ETFs Self-directed | No | No |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | 3.2 ★ 0k reviews |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.0 ★ iOS 4.0 · And 3.9 | 4.1 ★ iOS 4.2 · And 4.0 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Now Money if…
Migrant-worker-focused EMI in the UAE. Built-in remittance to South Asia at competitive FX. CBUAE-supervised EMI; not a bank — funds are safeguarded, not deposit-insured. Fills the underbanked segment that Liv/Wio/Mashreq Neo don't directly serve.
Pick Penta if…
The German SME-focused partner-bank neobank with the deepest DATEV-first workflow in the category. Customer deposits sit at Solaris Bank AG (BaFin-licensed credit institution) with DGS pass-through cover — structurally distinct from EMI-licensed Tide / Finom / Anna / Holvi. The structural fit for German GmbH / UG companies needing DGS-protected operating cash plus DATEV / Lexoffice / sevDesk integration depth without Qonto's freelancer-tier UX baggage.
- Best for fees Now Money won 2 of 4
- Best for protection Tied
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux Penta won 2 of 2
Penta vs Now Money — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Now Money better than Penta?
Under our v3 methodology, Penta leads Now Money 3–2 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Now Money 60/100 vs Penta 61/100. Penta is stronger overall, but the right pick depends on which row matters most to you — fees, protection, reach, or app quality.
Is Now Money or Penta cheaper?
Monthly fee — Now Money: €0; Penta: €9. Card FX markup — Now Money: Interbank; Penta: 1.00%. Now Money wins more fee rows (2 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Now Money or Penta?
Now Money holds a E-money inst. licence under CBUAE; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Penta holds a Partner-bank licence under BaFin; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Both score equally on regulatory protection rows.
Where can I use Now Money and Penta?
Now Money operates in 1 country; Penta operates in 1 country. Check each provider's signup page for the live country list — eligibility depends on residency, not just the licence footprint.
Want a 3- or 4-way comparison?
The dynamic compare picker handles up to four banks. Add this pair plus one or two more and we'll resolve every row.