Juni vs Payhawk
Side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, ratings, use cases. Find which Business Banking fits you best.
💰 Pricing
- FX markup: 0.7% above interbank on free plan, 0.4% on Growth, 0.2% on Scale.
- International transfer fee: 0.3% of amount (SWIFT), free within SEPA.
- Physical card delivery: $10 per card.
- Virtual card issuance: free for first 10, then $1 per card.
- Cashback on ad spend: up to 1.5% for Essential, 2.5% for Growth, custom for Scale.
- Cashback is paid in the form of credits, not cash, and can only be used for ad spend.
- Excess withdrawal fee: 0.5% on amounts over $20,000 per month.
- Inactivity fee: $10/month after 6 months of no activity.
- Chargeback fee: €25 per chargeback event.
🔧 Features
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Cashback on ad spend is a unique, tangible perk. By linking your Google and Meta ad accounts, you earn a recurring percentage back on every dollar spent. For a business spending $50,000 monthly on ads, 1.5% cashback translates to $750 per month — real money that directly offsets one of the largest operating costs in e-commerce. No other neobank offers this directly.
- Multi-currency IBANs (EUR, GBP, USD) let you receive payments in those currencies without needing separate local bank accounts. This means you can get paid by customers and marketplaces in their local currency, avoiding foreign exchange fees and potentially faster settlements. The ability to hold and convert balances gives you control over when to convert, protecting against unfavorable rates.
- Virtual corporate cards are instantly generated, each with its own spending limits and customization. This is a lifesaver for managing team expenses and subscriptions. You can set a limit for a junior marketer to buy ad tools, or issue a single-use card for online purchases, reducing the risk of fraudulent overspend. The granular controls are on par with what larger companies use.
- The spend controls aren't just limited to cards. You can set permissions and approvals for team members, making it easy to delegate financial tasks without losing oversight. This is crucial for remote teams where multiple people may need to make purchases on behalf of the company.
- Juni integrates with popular accounting software like Xero and QuickBooks, simplifying bookkeeping. Automated transaction syncing and expense categorization save hours of manual data entry each month, which is a big win for busy founders who don't have a full-time finance team.
⚠ Watch out for
- Juni is not a licensed bank. It partners with financial institutions to hold funds, which means your money may not be covered by any government deposit insurance scheme (such as FSCS in the UK). If a partner bank fails, you could lose liquidity without the safety net that a traditional bank account provides.
- Geographic availability is restricted. Only businesses in the UK and a select set of EU countries (like Sweden, Norway, and Germany) can open an account. This excludes many international e-commerce merchants, particularly those in Asia, North America, or South America. Even within Europe, some countries are not covered, so check eligibility before applying.
- Virtual cards are not universally accepted. Some ad platforms, marketplaces, and physical retail locations may not accept virtual card numbers (especially when a physical card is required). While this is a common limitation of neobanks, it can be a nuisance. Physical cards are also not always included — they may require a paid plan or may be unavailable in your region.
- Cashback rates are tiered and vary by platform and your spend volume. Some platforms may only offer 0.5% or 1%, and there may be caps or minimums. It's not a flat rate across the board. You need to actively manage your ad accounts to ensure you're earning the maximum, and the rules can change.
- Customer support can be slow. Based on user feedback and the company's own statements, response times can extend beyond 24 hours for non-urgent issues. While they offer support via email and chat, but there is no phone support. This might be acceptable for routine issues, but it's a concern if you hit a critical problem.
🎯 Best for
EU- and UK-based e-commerce businesses that want to streamline ad spend management, earn cashback on marketing costs, and handle multi-currency payments without leaving their banking dashboard.
🚫 Who should skip
Businesses outside Europe, traditional brick-and-mortar companies, or any company needing business loans, credit cards with revolving credit, or in-person banking services.
📚 Learning curve
Minimal — setting up accounts, cards, and integrations is straightforward; advanced features like custom approval flows may require some exploration, but the average business owner can get started in under a day.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Juni is a strong tool for e-commerce businesses that spend heavily on ads and operate across currencies. Its cashback feature can pay for the account many times over, and the multi-currency IBANs are a practical benefit. But if you need a fully licensed bank with deposit insurance or you're outside
💰 Pricing
- Card replacement fee: €10 per card
- Out-of-network ATM fee: 2% with €2 minimum
- International card payment fee: 1%
- FX markup on non-EUR transactions: 0.5% (Essential), 0.2% (Growth), 0.1% (Scale)
- Accounting integration fees: from €50/month for premium integrations like NetSuite
- Cross-entity transactions incur FX fees
- Cash deposit fees apply if using physical banking
- Premium accounting integrations cost extra
- Card issuance fee for physical cards (€5 per card)
🔧 Features
📋 Assessment
💪 Strengths
- Unified platform: Payhawk combines corporate cards, expense management, and AP automation in one interface. This means no more stitching together separate tools and manually syncing data. Finance teams get a single source of truth for all outgoing money, which simplifies reconciliation and reporting.
- Excellent multi-entity and multi-currency support: With granular approval workflows and role-based permissions, Payhawk is built for companies operating across borders. You can manage subsidiaries with different currencies and compliance rules, and configure approval flows that match your org structure.
- European banking integrations: Payhawk's European origins mean seamless connections with local banks and payment networks like SEPA. This makes multi-currency payments and VAT handling straightforward, a significant advantage over platforms designed primarily for the US market.
- Real-time expense tracking: Employees can capture receipts and log expenses on the go via a mobile app, and managers can see spending as it happens. This visibility helps prevent budget overruns and ensures expense policies are followed.
- Automated AP workflow: Invoices are digitized, matched to purchase orders, and routed for approval automatically. This cuts down on manual data entry and reduces the risk of duplicate payments.
⚠ Watch out for
- Not a free service: While Payhawk offers a trial, the platform requires a subscription and charges for card issuance and transactions. For small businesses or startups with tight margins, these ongoing costs can be a hurdle, especially compared to some competitors that offer more generous free tiers.
- Limited global availability: Payhawk's core markets are the UK and EU. If your business has operations in other regions like North America (beyond limited support) or Asia, Payhawk may not be usable there, forcing you to maintain a patchwork of spend tools.
- Complex onboarding for multi-entity setups: Setting up multiple entities, custom approval flows, and integrating with ERPs like NetSuite can take time and may require IT or finance involvement. The learning curve is real, and smaller teams might find the initial configuration overwhelming.
- Payments can take time: While card transactions are instant, ACH or wire transfers via the AP module might take a few business days. If you need to make urgent payments, the built-in speed might not match a dedicated payment platform.
- Customer support can be inconsistent: While Payhawk provides support via chat and email, response times can vary. Some larger clients report dedicated account managers, but smaller customers might feel left to self-serve. The knowledge base is helpful, but for complex issues, you might wait longer than ideal.
🎯 Best for
Mid-market and enterprise finance teams in Europe and the UK that need to manage corporate cards, expenses, and accounts payable across multiple entities in one platform.
🚫 Who should skip
Solo founders and very small businesses with basic spending needs would likely be overpaying and over-engineering — simpler tools like a basic expense app or a standard business credit card with auto-categorization are enough.
📚 Learning curve
Moderate — finance staff can grasp core features in a day, but setting up approval policies, integrations, and multi-entity hierarchies requires deliberate onboarding and configuration.
🧑⚖️ Verdict
Payhawk is a powerful, unified spend management solution for growing companies in the UK and EU that need multi-entity and multi-currency control. Its all-in-one approach and strong European integrations make it a top contender, but the subscription costs and limited global reach mean it’s not ideal
📊 Use Case Suitability
Higher score = better fit. Scores from editorial review.
🧭 Which One Should You Pick?
Choose Juni if...
- You are: EU- and UK-based e-commerce businesses that want to streamline ad spend management, earn cashback on marketing costs, an
- 👍 Cashback on ad spend directly reduces a major cost center for e-commerce businesses, with rates vary
- 👍 Multi-currency IBANs (EUR, GBP, USD) allow you to receive international payments like a local compan
- 👍 Virtual corporate cards offer granular spend limits and can be created instantly, making it easy to
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: Not a licensed bank; funds are held with partner banks, so deposits may not bene
Choose Payhawk if...
- You are: Mid-market and enterprise finance teams in Europe and the UK that need to manage corporate cards, expenses, and accounts
- 👍 Unified platform for cards, expenses, and AP automation — no need to patch together separate tools.
- 👍 Strong multi-entity support with granular approval workflows and role-based permissions.
- 👍 European origin means solid local banking integrations and multi-currency handling for EU/UK busines
- 💰 Free tier available
- ⚠ Trade-off: Not a fully free service — the trial is limited, and ongoing subscription fees p
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
How does Juni's cashback on ad spend work?
Juni automatically earns you cashback when you pay for advertising on platforms like Facebook, Google, and TikTok using your Juni account. The cashback percentage depends on the platform and your plan, and it is credited directly to your balance.
Which countries is Juni available in?
Juni is available to e-commerce businesses registered in the UK and most EU countries. Availability is not universal across Europe, so you need to check their website or contact support for your specific country.
Does Juni offer physical cards?
Juni primarily offers virtual corporate cards, but physical cards are available in some regions on request. Since card availability can vary by country, you should confirm with Juni support for your location.
What accounting integrations does Juni support?
Juni integrates with Xero, QuickBooks, and Slack, allowing you to automate transaction syncing and get real-time financial visibility. This makes reconciliation much easier for growing e-commerce businesses.
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