Compare
Side by side from each provider's own published terms: who can apply, what it costs, the accounts and cards, and how your money is held. Nobody pays to be listed, and Finzil doesn't rate providers.
Equals Money
Payment institution · UK business account
UK business account with a multi-currency IBAN in 37 currencies, payments out in 60, and Mastercard expense cards with spending controls.
Pleo
E-money institution · UK and EEA spending account
Company cards and spend management with an e-money account behind them: balances in six currencies, physical and virtual cards for every employee, receipts, invoices and reimbursements in one app.
From the two provider profiles on Finzil, latest check 13 October 2026: each provider's own website, price list and terms.
The short answer
Side by side
A gap means the provider doesn't publish it; ask before you apply.
| The basics | Equals Money | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| Account | UK business account | UK and EEA spending account |
| Provider type | Payment institution | E-money institution |
| Licence | Payment institution in the UK | E-money institution in the UK; also licensed in Denmark |
| Licensed company | Equals Money PLC | Pleo Financial Services UK Ltd |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | Denmark |
| Who can apply | Equals Money | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| Legal forms | Companies, Sole traders and freelancers, Charities | Companies, Sole traders |
| What it costs | Equals Money | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Not published | from £8 |
| Plans | Business account: custom | Start: £8 a month; Build: £14 a month; Optimise: £18 a month |
| Physical card | £10 | Free |
| Card spending abroad | 0–1.5% | 1.49–2% |
| Accounts and payments | Equals Money | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| Currencies | 37 | 6 |
| Local account details | Multi-currency IBAN | Not published |
| Payment networks | SEPA, Faster Payments, SWIFT | SEPA, SEPA Instant, Faster Payments, ACH |
| Cards | Virtual and physical Mastercard | Virtual and physical cards |
| Opening and safety | Equals Money | Pleo |
|---|---|---|
| Opening time | 3–5 days | 3–5 days |
| Open remotely | Yes | Yes |
| How money is held | Segregated accounts | Segregated accounts |
| TrustpilotThird-party score, shown for reference. Finzil doesn't rank providers by it. | 4.5 from 444 reviews | 3.7 from 1,581 reviews |
From the profiles
Strong points
Watch out for
Strong points
Watch out for
Our view
Finzil's own opinion, kept apart from the facts above.
Equals Money works well for UK businesses that want one multi-currency IBAN and controlled expense cards for a team, and it takes sectors such as iGaming and digital assets seriously. Account and FX prices are quoted, not published, so get them in writing before you commit. It is a UK-centred product; companies from elsewhere should check eligibility first.
Pleo is a tidy way to give employees cards and stop chasing receipts, and it is one of the few such tools open to sole traders. It is not a main business account: you fund it from your bank and spend from it. Costs add up per user, so it suits a team of five to fifty better than a company of two.
It depends on how you use the account. Monthly fee: Equals Money not published, Pleo from £8. Currency exchange: Equals Money not published, Pleo not published. Transfers and cards are priced line by line in the table on this page, from each provider's own price list.
Neither is a bank. Equals Money is a payment institution, licensed in the UK. Pleo is an e-money institution, licensed in the UK. Equals Money: segregated accounts. Pleo: segregated accounts.
Keep comparing
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Read articleOne Finzil profile
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How this page is built: every row comes from the two provider profiles on Finzil, which are taken from each provider's own website, price list and terms (latest check 13 October 2026). Prices and rules change; check them with the provider before you apply. Meeting a provider's published rules does not mean it will approve a particular application. General information, not legal or financial advice.
