Europe-based finance management solution for SMEs and freelancers Qonto has announced that it has filed for a banking licence with the Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR).
Through this move, Qonto seeks to solidify its position in the market and become a finance management solution with a fully independent banking offer at the core. The banking licence would enable the company to provide improved services to its over 600,000 customers across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, and Austria.
According to Qonto, the banking licence application follows a period of development for the company, which has expanded its operations across Europe to serve more businesses in the region. By obtaining the licence, Qonto is set to be able to provide an extended suite of services, including lending, savings, and investment capabilities. This advancement underlines Qonto’s stance as one of Europe’s finance management solutions for SMEs and freelancers.
Qonto’s development strategy
Qonto is already working on solidifying its payment capabilities, with the company recently introducing an in-house card processor and Pay Later service, which witnessed increased customer adoption. While collaborating with the ACPR on the licence application, the company continues to invest in improved banking infrastructure, risk management teams, and new product development.
Currently, Qonto is operating with a Payment Institution Licence. However, the Credit Institution licence will further augment Qonto’s value proposition for SMEs, merging comprehensive banking services with finance management tools. This combination of traditional banking and fintech advancement aims to respond to European businesses looking for both reliable banking infrastructure and modern finance management solutions in one integrated platform.
In May 2025, Qonto rolled out a payment acceptance suite, intending to address the needs of European SMEs. With these services, Qonto sought to mitigate fragmentation by merging Point of Sale (POS) terminals, Tap to Pay, and Payment Links in a unified platform integrated with its business finance solutions. To offer the solution, Qonto teamed up with several industry participants, including Adyen for POS Terminals and Tap to Pay, and Mollie for Payment Links. Through these collaborations, the company was able to leverage specialised payment technologies while maintaining integration with its core financial platform.
