In a bid to further advance its operations and scale its footprint, bunq has filed for a broker-dealer licence in the US, with the move focusing on allowing the company to collect operational insights and user feedback before reapplying for a full banking licence later in 2025. With this expansion in the US market, bunq aims to deliver its model to a community of nearly 5 million digital nomads, expats, international entrepreneurs, and remote professionals, regardless of whether they are EU or US citizens.
Furthermore, bunq filed for the broker-dealer licence with FINRA and the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Through this initial phase, US users are set to be able to invest in stocks, mutual funds, and ETFs while also benefiting from cash management capabilities, including automatic transfers to FDIC-insured accounts. Additionally, by working with Mastercard, bunq intends to roll out debit cards for its customers, aiming to serve their needs, demands, and preferences.
At the time of writing, bunq was waiting for regulatory approval, with the mobile bank continuing to be in talks to solidify its global offering and scale its presence across the US market.
In addition to planning to enter the US market, bunq has also recently expanded its offering, with the company announcing two new capabilities as part of its suite. Back in December 2024, bunq rolled out bunq Points, a loyalty programme developed to reward customers for their everyday spending. By utilising bunq Points, users with a paid subscription were set to be able to earn one point for every EUR spent. On the other hand, bunq Elite members could earn double points. Besides everyday spending, users could collect points through activities such as inviting friends, making bunq their main bank, or celebrating milestones like birthdays and anniversaries.
Moreover, during the same period, bunq upgraded its AI assistant, Finn, launching real-time speech-to-speech translation within its app. With the feature, users could communicate in their native language during phone calls with bunq support, as the app translated both their speech and the agent’s response instantaneously.
Every day we send out a free e-mail with the most important headlines of the last 24 hours.
Subscribe now