Sony Bank vs Now Money.
Sony Bank (S69/100) 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. Sony Bank leads Now Money 4-1.
| N Now Money №52 · CBUAE 60 /100 | S Sony Bank №41 · JFSA 69 /100 | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | ||
| Composite score Out of 100 | 60 /100 | 69 /100 |
| Fees | ||
| Monthly fee Cheapest paid tier (€0 if free) | €0 Free tier | €0 Free tier |
| FX markup Debit card abroad | Interbank | 0.15% |
| 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 | 4.1 ★ 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 Sony Bank if…
Japan's longest-running internet-only bank (operational since June 2001) — predates Rakuten Bank's eBank acquisition and tied with SBI Sumishin for first-net-bank tenure. The structural specificity is multi-currency forex strength: foreign-currency deposit accounts in 12+ currencies plus retail FX margin trading, the deepest retail-FX product among Japanese chartered net banks. Wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Financial Group, in turn part of Sony Group Corporation (TYO: 6758). Sony Bank ≠ Sony Pay / Sony Mobile Wallet — the bank holds a full Banking Act licence, the wallet brands do not.
- Best for fees Now Money won 1 of 4
- Best for protection Sony Bank won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Sony Bank won 1 of 3
- Best for ux Sony Bank won 1 of 2
Sony 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 Sony Bank?
Under our v3 methodology, Sony Bank leads Now Money 4–1 across 12 dimensions. Composite scores: Now Money 60/100 vs Sony Bank 69/100. Sony 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 Sony Bank cheaper?
Monthly fee — Now Money: €0; Sony Bank: €0. Card FX markup — Now Money: Interbank; Sony Bank: 0.15%. Now Money wins more fee rows (1 of 4). See the Fees section of the matrix above for ATM caps and the rest.
Which is safer for deposits, Now Money or Sony Bank?
Now Money holds a E-money inst. licence under CBUAE; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Sony Bank holds a Full bank licence under JFSA; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Sony Bank is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Now Money and Sony Bank?
Now Money operates in 1 country; Sony 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.