Penta review

Penta review

Penta is one of the new online business bank accounts on the block – it offers fast online banking to small businesses and startups. There is a quick turnaround on sign up and the opportunity to fine-tune your expense management with corporate cards for your employees.

Penta is based in Berlin, Germany, where it launched in December 2017. There are plans to expand to other European countries. Penta has the backing of solarisBank AG, a banking platform that holds a full German banking license. solarisBank AG is regulated BaFin. It offers a €100,000 guarantee on deposits made to Penta. 

It is possible to open a Penta account in just a few minutes online by heading to the Penta website. It should be noted that accounts are not currently offered to freelancers, although there is a waiting list should this option become viable. German businesses with the following classifications can apply; UG, GmbH, AG, GbR, OHG, PartG, KG, e.K., and eG. If you are a German business in the process of incorporation (GmbH in Gründung and UG in Gründung), you can also apply.

For Penta clients

Business plans include; the free Basic package, the most popular option that offers 50 outgoing transfers per month, one business Visa card, and one Penta user; the Advanced plan for €9 a month, 100 outgoing transfers per month, two Penta users, and two business Visa cards, as well as accounting integrations; and the Premium package at €19 per month, which includes 300 outgoing transfers per month, five Penta users, five business Visa cards, Premium Support, international payments, and accounting integrations. 

The only way to add funds to your Penta account is by making a bank transfer. You initiate the transfer to your account using BIC and IBAN, which you can find in the ‘Account’ section.

Penta plans to release its new mobile app “in a few months.” For now, it has produced a “product roadmap” (https://trello.com/b/v0hXe4kb/penta-product-roadmap) with the latest news on the app.

For clients who want to start a new company in Germany

One of the Penta products is Kompass, which offers clients to form UG or GmbH in Germany. And this will be in as quickly as seven days. 

Administrative, tax, and legal support available in two packages, which costs €239 (one-time fee) for “Express” and €349 for the “Advisory” package.

Penta POS

This is the “Point of Sales” product for offline merchants. It allows starting accepting card payments with no setup fees or lock-in contacts. Payouts go directly to Penta’s business bank account without waiting time to receive funds. 

Apple, Google, and Samsung pay are supported.

Conclusion

• Different size plans for growing businesses
• Convenient for corporate cards
• Ideal for companies with regular outgoing transfer requirements
• Kompass – fast and cost-efficient service to start and run company in Germany 
• Penta POS – “Point-of-Sales” product with connection to Penta Business bank