Rakuten Bank vs Now Money.
Rakuten Bank (R70/100) 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. Rakuten Bank leads Now Money 4-0.
| N Now Money №52 · CBUAE 60 /100 | R Rakuten Bank №33 · JFSA 70 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 60 /100 | 70 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | Interbank | Interbank |
| Free FX / month EUR equivalent | €0 | €0 |
| Free ATM Before fee kicks in | — | — |
| Protection | ||
| Banking licence Tier | E-money inst. CBUAE | Full bank JFSA |
| 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 | Yes |
| UX | ||
| Trustpilot Customer score | — | — |
| App store iOS + Android avg | 4.0 ★ iOS 4.0 · And 3.9 | 4.3 ★ iOS 4.4 · And 4.2 |
| 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 Rakuten Bank if…
Largest Japanese internet-only bank by customer count (~14M+) and the only TSE Prime-listed pure-play net bank (TYO: 5838, IPO 21 April 2023 — the largest Japanese IPO in five years at the time). Originally chartered as eBank in 2001; acquired by Rakuten Group (TYO: 4755) in 2009. Structural moat is the Rakuten Points + Rakuten Card + Rakuten Securities + Rakuten Mobile + Rakuten Ichiba ecosystem — points cross-pollinate across the entire surface area. Full FSA Banking Act licence; statutory DICJ member at the JPY 10,000,000 ceiling.
- Best for fees Tied
- Best for protection Rakuten Bank won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Rakuten Bank won 1 of 3
- Best for ux Rakuten Bank won 1 of 2
Rakuten Bank 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 Rakuten Bank?
Under our v3 methodology, Rakuten Bank leads Now Money 4–0 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Now Money 60/100 vs Rakuten Bank 70/100. Rakuten Bank 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 Rakuten Bank cheaper?
Monthly fee — Now Money: €0; Rakuten Bank: €0. Card FX markup — Now Money: Interbank; Rakuten Bank: Interbank. Tied across fee rows. See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Now Money or Rakuten Bank?
Now Money holds a E-money inst. licence under CBUAE; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Rakuten Bank holds a Full bank licence under JFSA; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Rakuten Bank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Now Money and Rakuten Bank?
Now Money operates in 1 country; Rakuten Bank 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.