MyFin vs Starling Bank
Both MyFin and Starling Bank clear the checkouts our readers ask about most. Here is where the two part ways on fees and verification.
MyFin issues on Visa · Mastercard and Starling Bank on Mastercard; verification is ID only at MyFin versus ID + proof at Starling Bank.
MyFin is the more cost-effective option for everyday spending and travel thanks to its free virtual cards, no monthly fee. Starling Bank is the better fit for power users who need ad spend and AI subscriptions.
Side by side
| Field | MyFin | Starling Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Card network | Visa, Mastercard | Mastercard |
| Card type | Digital Bank / Neobank | Digital Bank / Neobank |
| KYC | ID only | ID + proof |
| Card issuance fee | Free | Free |
| Monthly fee | Free (Standard); Advanced ~€5.14; Premium ~€10.23/€10 per mo | Free |
| Top-up fee | — | — |
| FX fee | 0% | 0% (no foreign transaction fee) |
| Crypto funding | — | No |
| AI tool support | — | ChatGPT / Claude / Midjourney |
| Risk level | Low-Medium | Low-Medium |
| Our rating | 8.8 | 9.1 |
| User reviews | 376 | 437 |
| Best for | App Store / Play · Free issuance | All-rounder · Ad spend |
A green left edge marks the side that holds the advantage on that row, where the data gives one.
The head to head
- Starling Bank covers a wider spread of use cases; MyFin is more of a single-purpose tool.
- Prefer a short sign-up? MyFin is the lower-friction option here.
The two, compared
Both cards clear the same checkouts in our tests, so the call comes down to cost. MyFin is cheaper on issuance (free) and top-ups (no top-up fee), while Starling Bank is worth the premium only for ad-platform billing and AI subscriptions.
Questions people ask
That depends on what you spend on. MyFin scores 8.8/10 against Starling Bank's 9.1/10 in our tests, but the two split on fees, KYC and crypto funding. Read the table above, then match it to the checkouts you actually run.
MyFin is the cheaper card to run. Both MyFin and Starling Bank issue virtual cards for free.
MyFin asks for ID only at signup; Starling Bank asks for ID + proof. If a light sign-up is the priority, the one with the lower KYC label is the faster route.
Both show up in 9 of the same test scenarios, including Amazon US, eBay, Nike US. They overlap on a good share of checkouts, so the choice between them matters most on those pages. Where one is accepted and the other is not usually comes down to the billing country and 3-D Secure handling.
Where both show up
MyFin and Starling Bank both landed in our top picks for 9 checkouts. Grouped by category so you can jump straight to the one you actually pay for:
🎮 Gaming 3
🌐 Cloud & VPS 1
🧳 Travel & Productivity 1
Their BIN ranges
Cards issued in 🇪🇺 Europe (EEA) · 🇬🇧 UK — the country guides group every range we track from there.
What our charge log shows
Every count here is a real charge attempt we placed on that range, renewals included, with the gateway response recorded. Weeks tracked is how long the range has been in the programme: