Open outside Europe
Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries. bunq serves residents of 27 EEA countries.
What is bunq?
Halocard is the better bunq alternative for virtual cards, and for anyone outside Europe or paying US platforms. bunq is a licensed Dutch bank, founded in Amsterdam in 2012, whose digital Mastercards sit inside its app-based current account. bunq's digital cards are Mastercards that come with a full bank account, open to residents of 27 EEA countries and tied to your real identity and IBAN. It has a free plan, a rotating CVC, deposit protection up to €100,000, and is rated 3.7/5 on Trustpilot. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries. Halocard has no free plan, but Essential is free with 3 referrals, and every friend you refer earns you $5 or more a month.
Pros
- Pros: Free plan with one digital card
- Pros: Deposits protected up to €100,000
- Pros: Rotating CVC
- Pros: Up to 25 cards on Pro and Elite
- Pros: Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Pros: Rated 3.7/5 on Trustpilot
Cons
- Cons: Residents of 27 EEA countries only
- Cons: European cards tied to an IBAN
- Cons: One digital card on Free and Core
- Cons: No per-card billing address
- Cons: No stablecoin funding
How much does bunq cost?
- Free
- Free
- Core
- €3.99/mo
- Pro
- €9.99/mo
- Elite
- €18.99/mo
What fees does bunq charge?
- Digital cards
- Included in your plan
- 25 extra cards
- €19.99/mo
- Card payments in other currencies
- 0.5%; 1.5% on Free above €1,000
How does Halocard compare to bunq?
Halocard is the best bunq alternative for virtual cards. It is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with no bank account to open.
Better choice | bunq | |
|---|---|---|
| What you sign up for | Advantage: Virtual cards, with a US bank account built in | A full Dutch bank account |
| Eligibility | Advantage: US residents and residents of 120+ countries | Residents of 27 EEA countries |
| Card type | Advantage: US-issued Visa credit card | European Mastercard, credit or debit |
| Funding | Advantage: Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Bank Transfer, Stablecoins & Crypto | Bank transfer, card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, iDEAL |
| USD bank account | Advantage: Your own US account and routing number | ACH details on a USD foreign currency account |
| Virtual cards | Advantage: 3 to 60 cards, by plan | 1 on Free and Core, up to 25 on Pro and Elite |
| Pricing | Advantage: From $12 a month, or free with 3 referrals | Free plan; paid plans from €3.99 a month |
| Support | Advantage: Chat, email, and phone on every plan | Chat and email; SOS phone line on paid plans |
| Trust and transparency | Advantage: A regulated US company and card issuer | Advantage: A licensed Dutch bank |
Why Halocard is the better bunq alternative
A US-issued credit card
US platforms that decline European cards see a Visa credit card issued in the US.
3 cards from the cheapest plan
bunq's Free and Core plans include one digital card. Give every subscription, tool and ad account its own Halocard.
A billing address on every card
Choose the billing address and cardholder name on each card, for platforms that check them.
bunq FAQ
Does bunq offer virtual cards?
Yes. bunq offers Digital Cards, its renamed virtual cards, on Mastercard. They are created instantly in the app, work through Apple Pay and Google Pay, and can refresh their CVC every five minutes for added security. They require an open bunq bank account.
How much do bunq digital cards cost?
The cards are included in your plan. bunq Free and Core (€3.99 a month) include one digital card, and Pro (€9.99) and Elite (€18.99) up to 25 each. 25 more cards cost €19.99 a month, up to 100 per account.
Is bunq a real bank?
Yes. bunq holds a full Dutch banking licence under De Nederlandsche Bank, with eligible deposits protected up to €100,000 under the Dutch deposit guarantee scheme. Halocard, by contrast, is a card provider, not a bank.
What should I do if a US merchant declines my bunq card?
Pay with a Halocard instead. US services that filter by card country, or expect a US billing address, often decline European cards. Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with a separate card for each merchant and a billing address you choose.
What are the best alternatives to bunq for virtual cards?
If you want virtual cards without opening an EU bank account, or you live outside bunq's European footprint, Halocard is a strong bunq alternative: Halocard is a US-issued Visa credit card for customers in the US and 120+ countries, with 3 to 60 cards and a custom billing address on each.Read the best virtual credit cards in the Netherlands
Disclaimer
Based on public information as of October 2026 (see Sources on our Halocard vs bunq comparison); bunq's products, fees and terms may change, so check before you decide. Halocard publishes this page and makes one of the products compared, so verdicts and ticks are our opinion. bunq and its product names are trademarks of their owner, used only to identify its products; Halocard is not affiliated with or endorsed by bunq. Not financial, legal or tax advice.