Penta vs Discover Bank.
Penta (P61/100) and Discover Bank (D60/100), scored on the same six pillars and compared row-by-row. Every cell is sourced from licence registers and live pricing pages, not opinion. A close tie.
| D Discover Bank №51 · OCC 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 | Payment inst. OCC | Partner-bank BaFin |
| Deposit guarantee Per depositor | Safeguarded US.FDIC | 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 | 4.8 ★ iOS 4.8 · And 4.7 | 4.1 ★ iOS 4.2 · And 4.0 |
| Read review → | Read review → | |
Pick Discover Bank if…
OCC-chartered direct bank, integrated with the Discover Card network. Famous for zero foreign-transaction fees + 1% cashback debit. Fully FDIC-insured. The card-network-integrated alternative to Ally for travellers + cashback-driven readers.
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 Discover Bank won 2 of 4
- Best for protection Penta won 1 of 2
- Best for reach Tied
- Best for ux Tied
Penta vs Discover Bank — FAQ
Quick answers to the four questions the search-bar asks most about a head-to-head.
Is Discover Bank better than Penta?
Discover Bank and Penta are tied 3–3 across 12 dimensions under our v3 methodology. Composite scores: Discover Bank 60/100 vs Penta 61/100. The right pick depends on which dimension you weight most heavily.
Is Discover Bank or Penta cheaper?
Monthly fee — Discover Bank: €0; Penta: €9. Card FX markup — Discover Bank: Interbank; Penta: 1.00%. Discover Bank 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, Discover Bank or Penta?
Discover Bank holds a Payment inst. licence under OCC; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Penta holds a Partner-bank licence under BaFin; deposit guarantee per depositor: Safeguarded. Penta is the stronger pick on regulatory protection.
Where can I use Discover Bank and Penta?
Discover Bank 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.