In Belgium, a credit card costs an average of €25-30 per year at major banks. Yet between neobanks at €0 and Argenta at €24/year, there are significantly cheaper options. The catch: not all are equal, and some "free" cards aren't real credit cards.
Argenta: no longer free since July 2025
Until 2025, Argenta was the only traditional Belgian bank offering a credit card with no annual fee. That's over. Since 1 July 2025, the Mastercard in the Green formula costs €2/month (€24/year).
The exception: 18-24 year olds still get it for free. Beyond that, €24/year remains the lowest rate in traditional banking — KBC charges €25, Belfius €26, BNP €27, ING €29.
| Bank | Card | Annual cost | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argenta | Mastercard Green | €24/year | Free for 18-24 |
| KBC | Mastercard | €25/year | KBC customer |
| Belfius | Mastercard | €26/year | Belfius customer |
| BNP Paribas Fortis | Mastercard | €27/year | BNP customer |
| CBC | Visa | Included in pack | Paid monthly package |
| ING | Visa Classic | €29/year | ING customer |
Europabank and Cofidis: credit cards without a bank account
Few Belgians know this: some credit cards don't require a current account at all.
Europabank offers a credit card with a €2,500 limit. Apply online, approval in 48 hours. Repayment by transfer from any Belgian account.
Cofidis offers a card with free ATM withdrawals worldwide — a rare advantage. The downside: revolving credit rates are among the highest in Belgium (12-14% APR).
Neobanks: Revolut, N26 and Wise at €0
Neobanks offer cards with €0 annual fees. But these are debit cards, not credit cards. No payment facilities, no revolving credit.
| Neobank | Cost | Exchange fees | ATM withdrawals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut Standard | €0 | 0% up to €1,000/month | €200/month free |
| N26 Standard | €0 | 0% in euro zone | 3/month free |
| Wise | €7 (issuance) | Real rate, ~0.4% margin | 2/month free |
For euro zone spending with little cash withdrawals, N26 Standard is enough. For non-euro travel, Revolut Standard is the best free option. Wise makes sense for international transfers.
Not sure which? Our personalised quiz helps you decide in 2 minutes.
How to choose?
Need a real credit line? Argenta, Europabank or Cofidis — neobanks only offer debit.
Travel outside the euro zone? Traditional banks charge 1.5% exchange fees. Revolut and Wise eliminate them.
Want a physical contact? Argenta has 400 branches. Neobanks do everything by chat.
My recommendation: take Argenta as your main card (€24/year) and Revolut for travel (€0). The combo covers 95% of needs. Compare on our traditional bank comparator.
Traps to avoid
Inactivity fees. N26 charges €2.90/month after 3 months without a transaction.
ATM fees. A "free" card charging €2 per withdrawal costs €48/year if you withdraw cash twice a week.
The package illusion. KBC, CBC and Belfius present the card as "included" in a monthly pack at €4-7/month (€48-84/year). The card isn't free — it's funded by the subscription.
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Sophie Laurent spent eight years in retail banking, first as a credit adviser and then in customer relations, before going independent in 2021 and settling in Louvain-la-Neuve. She compares Belgian credit cards, from the traditional banks (ING, BNP Paribas Fortis, KBC, Belfius) to the neobanks (Revolut, N26, Wise), starting from the official fee schedules: annual fee, currency-conversion charges, borrowing rate, limits and bundled insurance. Her rule: a free card is never really free, the cost hides in foreign payments and revolving credit. She saw too many clients sign up for cashback that didn't even cover the annual fee, and she says so.