N26 referral 2026: €15 for the referrer and €15 for the referred friend - Complete guide
The N26 reward scale presented here is €15 for the referrer and €15 for the referred friend, subject to the official page. The comparison with Revolut cannot be based on a fixed maximum: the Revolut reward depends on the campaign displayed in the referrer's app. Since 06/08/2026, BoursoBank has advertised up to €160 for the referred friend and €20 to €60 for the referrer, or €220 between the two of them. N26 mainly stands out for its mobile journey.
The manually verified N26 referral code, official link and current terms:
View the N26 referral offer →N26 is a German neobank founded in Berlin in 2013, with a full banking licence and supervision by BaFin. Operating in 24 European countries and in France since 2016, it offers a euro account with a German IBAN, a Mastercard and an app designed for speed. Its referral programme follows the same philosophy: no obstacle course, just a link, an account and a first payment, and it is done.
What each person receives
| Referrer | Referred friend | |
|---|---|---|
| Reward | €15 | €15 |
| Trigger | Referred friend's first card payment | Registration + first payment |
| Condition | Active Standard account | Must never have held an N26 account |
| Card | Physical + virtual Mastercard | Physical + virtual Mastercard |
| Registration time | n/a | around 8 minutes |
The Standard account is free and more than sufficient for the referral programme. It includes a German IBAN valid throughout the SEPA area, a physical Mastercard, an immediately available virtual card, fee-free payments abroad and up to 3 free withdrawals per month in the eurozone. The referred friend must be a new customer and must make a first card payment to validate the reward. For exact payment timeframes and any promotions, the official page takes precedence: they may change.
N26's real selling point: speed
Where a traditional bank makes you wait for weeks, and some competitors ask for a stack of supporting documents, N26 has reduced registration to the essentials: proof of identity, a selfie and eight minutes. This is not a marketing slogan; it is the actual process. For a referrer, it is often more decisive than the amount.
Why? Because the biggest barrier in a bank referral is not that the reward is too small, but that people give up part-way through. A referred friend who gets stuck on a thirty-minute form will never receive their €15, and neither will you. With N26, dropping out is uncommon because everything is finished before motivation has time to fade. The virtual card available as soon as registration is complete also lets them make the first payment straight away, without waiting for the physical card to arrive by post.
For the referrer: the right pitch and the right person
Get your link from the app by opening your profile and then the "Invite friends" section. This personal link connects the referred friend to your account; without it, nothing is recorded. Share it by SMS, WhatsApp or email.
The pitch that works fits into one sentence: "eight minutes, free, Mastercard included". N26 shines for some very specific profiles: a student opening their first digital account, an expatriate who quickly needs a European IBAN, or simply someone who cannot stand lengthy administrative procedures. You are not selling these people a €15 reward; you are selling a frictionless solution. That is exactly what gets them to take action.
Once the referred friend has registered and made their first payment, you can track the progress in the app's referral section, and the reward is paid automatically.
For the referred friend: what you need to know
The bare essentials: proof of identity (identity card or passport), a smartphone, an email address and eight minutes. Identity verification is completed using a photo and selfie, directly in the app, in a matter of minutes. No branch visit and no need to wait for anything by post before getting started.
The free Standard account is enough. You receive your €15 after your first card payment, according to the current timeframes. There is one crucial step not to miss: you must register through the referrer's link, never from the N26 home page, otherwise the referral is cancelled and nobody receives anything.
My considered view
In terms of the amounts alone, you need to compare the offers displayed at the time of registration: N26 presents a reward scale of €15 each here, Revolut offers a variable reward in the referrer's app, and BoursoBank offers up to €160 for the referred friend, or €220 between the two people with the maximum referrer reward.
But "which referral programme is the most profitable?" is not always the right question. Sometimes, the real question is "which one will my referred friend actually complete?" This is where N26 regains the advantage. When recommending a neobank to someone who has never opened a bank account online, who does not have half an hour to spare, or who has just arrived in France without an account, it is often the first name to mention. Simplicity is an underestimated selling point in referral programmes because it does not appear in huge lettering on a banner, but it is what turns an intention into a paid reward.
If you want to maximise your earnings, look elsewhere. If you want to offer a smooth experience to someone close to you who is not comfortable with online banking, N26 remains a safe choice.
N26 compared with other banks
| Bank | Referrer | Referred friend | Registration | Free account |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N26 | €15 | €15 | around 8 min | Yes |
| Revolut | Amount displayed in the referrer's app | Check according to the campaign | Variable | Depends on the plan |
| BoursoBank | €20 to €60 depending on holdings | Up to €160 | Variable | Depends on the offer |
| Sumeria / Lydia | Variable | Variable | around 10 min | Yes |
The table is easy to read: N26 ranks low for the amounts but high for speed. Revolut offers much more in euro terms, but with conditions that vary from campaign to campaign. BoursoBank offers the best rewards for referred friends, at the cost of a longer process and stricter eligibility criteria. Each programme has its own rationale, and N26 fully embraces its own: little money, zero friction.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't €15 really quite low? Yes, and N26 makes no secret of it. The bet is that registration speed makes up for it among people who would never complete a more demanding form.
Can you use it as your main account? Absolutely. It has a European IBAN, accepts salary transfers and direct debits, and provides a Mastercard that can be used everywhere. Many people also keep it alongside a traditional bank.
How does the virtual card help with the referral? It lets you validate the reward immediately. Available as soon as you register and compatible with Apple Pay or Google Pay, it allows you to make the required first payment without waiting for the physical card.
Check before taking action: amounts (€15 for the referrer, €15 for the referred friend) known as at 23/04/2026, but N26 may amend or suspend the programme at any time. Refer to the official N26 referral page before taking any action. PlanParrainPromo.fr is not an N26 partner.
In summary
The N26 referral programme is not the most rewarding, and that is not its aim. It is the easiest to activate: eight minutes, an immediate virtual card and zero paperwork for the referred friend. For referring someone new to banking, a student or an expatriate, it is often the choice that is actually completed. Current conditions are available on the PlanParrainPromo N26 listing.
See also
The manually verified N26 referral code, official link and current terms:
View the N26 referral offer →Related guides
PlanParrainPromo.fr is not an official partner of any brand mentioned. Amounts and conditions change, so always check the current offer on the brand's official website before signing up.