Secure and private bank with these requirements?

[bankingeuropean]

I'm European, however I can't use sofort, ideal and I do not live in Germany (for N26). I'm looking for a simple bank that I would use for simple money transfers between my government-owned bank and this bank, the card for grocery shopping and online purchases from various legit sites with legit goods. I don't have a card from the government-owned bank, so I could only make bank transfers, and I don't care much for cryptocurrencies either as they are way too volatile.

My concern is privacy and security - I don't want my data to be sold to third-parties, used for analysis of who I am and what I buy, where I am and what I do, or simply logged in a way that someone could access and use at some later time. I really hate those ideas and they make me feel sick that someone could know so much and such personal things about me without my knowledge and to be able to build a profile of who I am in my personal life. Having that in mind, I am in no way comfortable with showing my face online for selfie or video verification. Of course I also strongly care about my money staying safe, as I don't want the bank to just go poof one day like some bank did awhile back in Malta (or wherever).

What could be my options for banks, or is it just a pipe dream? And if it is, what is my best bet then? I do not want to use Paypal nor the government-owned bank, nor even order a card from them. I want as little information about me accessible by as few parties for as few reasons as possible online. No specific reasons (as some people here seem to have), I am simply hunting for more freedom and privacy - perhaps I wasn't born in the right era, lol.

 

[JohnLocke]

Well, you will not avoid verification at all with a real and even with most EMI's!

That said, you can avoid video shoots and selfies if you open an account for instant with EuroPacific Bank or one of the Cyprus banks!

I share your concern about the video selfie and the selfie since it is handled by third parties and there is a chance it could be misused!

 

[void]

I have the same "problem" you described personally and many of my clients have similar thoughts although their need is sometimes connected with their business. I'm really curious about suggestions you will get here. I'm trying to find some way for quite a long time - yes, this is the bad era...
Use cash until you can, use expensive anonymous prepaid cards with ridiculously low limits, don't use gsm phone, access the web via tor or multilevel vpn/proxy solution... crazy, right?

 

[countryfree]

One trip to Montenegro would solve all your problems.

 

[bankingeuropean]

Well, you will not avoid verification at all with a real and even with most EMI's!

That said, you can avoid video shoots and selfies if you open an account for instant with EuroPacific Bank or one of the Cyprus banks!

I share your concern about the video selfie and the selfie since it is handled by third parties and there is a chance it could be misused!

Well, some verification methods I am okay with, notably my bank statement. I would even just open a local bank account in the country I live in now, get a statement, verify something online, close my account here and transfer money from my country's account for low fees and no extra monthly fee for an extra bank that collects my data for who knows what in who knows how secure dataservers.

Well, I wouldn't mind opening an account like that as long as I don't have to travel - I am not high on finances, I have severe deficiencies in my brain chemicals which gives me all kinds of health problems most of the days, which means most of the time I am unable to work. Hence the simple grocery shopping and online purchases for cheaper vitamins and minerals - they help to an extend sometimes. So buying a two way ticket and likely paying for a night at a hotel is not really an option for me, unfortunately. :/

I have the same "problem" you described personally and many of my clients have similar thoughts although their need is sometimes connected with their business. I'm really curious about suggestions you will get here. I'm trying to find some way for quite a long time - yes, this is the bad era...
Use cash until you can, use expensive anonymous prepaid cards with ridiculously low limits, don't use gsm phone, access the web via tor or multilevel vpn/proxy solution... crazy, right?

Yeah, the times are crazy... Since I started seeing these changes in the society - addition of lots of cameras on every corner, cop cars registering your license plate every time patrol car passes by and building location databases and all kinds of crap that I never agreed to and would never agree to. It's in the official news even, so it's not conspiracy theories.
The bad thing in my case is that using cash results in much higher prices and that I get my money transferred somewhere, so I have to use online services, and I have to use GSM phone to talk to some people because VOIP solutions are too costly for me to talk to literally 2 people a couple of times a month, who use GSM anyway. The bad thing is, even if you use a secure phone, email, banking, whoever does not - big data will still be out there. With a phone your voice, email - anything you write in the email, and you bet your a*s someone will mention some personally-identifiable detail, banking is bit different - who knows who is under your name, unless you have a rare name that 10 people in the world have. And let's not forget all the kids walking around with smartphones all the time, filming and photographing everything from the food they ate to finding stranger's clothes unusual... Makes me wanna wear a cap and a hoodie, but then I'd look like a methhead, lol. But now I am derailing the topic, so maybe I'll stop with that, LOL.

One trip to Montenegro would solve all your problems.

Unfortunately travel is not an option for me due to finances. :/ Great idea for those who can do that though - thank you for suggesting.

 

[void]

One trip to Montenegro would solve all your problems.

for now possibly - how long do you think this will work? look at Serbia

 

[countryfree]

for now possibly - how long do you think this will work? look at Serbia

Can't tell. I've been surprised to learn that Albania has joined AEOI. But you can't be safe anywhere. In the EU, everybody is at risk of some new tax, so I'm still better off.

 

[Milky Moon]

Unfortunately travel is not an option for me due to finances. :/ Great idea for those who can do that though - thank you for suggesting.

Guess if your finances are that low you are mostly out of luck.

If you live in an EU country: HSBC in France does not have any videoID. Can be openend remotely. You have to wire the first deposit from a bank in your own name, and they speak English.

HSBC is a stable bank, falls under strict French privacy laws and offers you a master/credit card. It will cost you approx €8.15 p/m. However if you do not live in a €-country exchange rates will be a b*tch.

 

[bankingeuropean]

Guess if your finances are that low you are mostly out of luck.

If you live in an EU country: HSBC in France does not have any videoID. Can be openend remotely. You have to wire the first deposit from a bank in your own name, and they speak English.

HSBC is a stable bank, falls under strict French privacy laws and offers you a master/credit card. It will cost you approx €8.15 p/m. However if you do not live in a €-country exchange rates will be a b*tch.

Thanks for the suggestion! I can actually open HSBC bank account in my country at a branch. Wonder if that would be the same? I know the monthly fee is definitely lower though, but every single local bank has insane transfer in/out fees, which is kind of a dealbreaker for me, because firstly I need to transfer in money and paying 5-10eu for it is insane, and secondly I was planning to use some service for virtual IBANs for payments on various websites. Lately been reading about banking info getting stolen from simple random non-bank sites that you might make a purchase. Some people made one purchase years ago and had a lot of problems with their banks just because the site stored that info. Not sure if it's viable or even needed yet, just a thought. Still we have first reason, because I'd make at least a couple of transfers a month, so I'd end up paying 10-20eu + monthly fee of a few eu, which will become around half of the money I spend on food per month.

I was wondering how about AdvCash, WorldCore, Monese, DiPocket, VIABUY, and possibly some others? Do they all require video confirmation, or are they not trustworthy when it comes to my money or just not privacy-oriented, or something else that does not fit my criteria?

I know for sure that things like Revolut, N26 (unless I was in Germany - then I could visit a post office and show my ID, I think), Bunq (unless I live in a few specific countries with SOFORT, which I don't), and some others are a no-go because they ask for video confirmation... But these I am not sure about. If my info about N26 is correct here, it's a great option for German citizens, since they can go phyiscally, show ID, get an account no problem. Same goes with Bunq if you are in one of SOFORT or iDeal supporting countries.

 

[Martin Everson]

You can also try a Transferwise borderless account. They are also offering a card service and are in trial mode I believe with selected customers.

 

[Martin Everson]

Guess if your finances are that low you are mostly out of luck.

If you live in an EU country: HSBC in France does not have any videoID. Can be openend remotely. You have to wire the first deposit from a bank in your own name, and they speak English.

HSBC is a stable bank, falls under strict French privacy laws and offers you a master/credit card. It will cost you approx €8.15 p/m. However if you do not live in a €-country exchange rates will be a b*tch.

Two of my German clients applied online and just got rejected with:

"After reviewing your application, we are sorry to inform you we are unable to respond to your request to open an account".

The applications were straightforward depositing 5k a month from their Deutsche bank accounts in their name. I guess this is why HSBC France profits are down nearly 50%.

 

[JohnK]

One trip to Montenegro would solve all your problems.

don't they have any reporting there?

 

[icecold]

You can also try a Transferwise borderless account. They are also offering a card service and are in trial mode I believe with selected customers.

What is that service. I have signed up with transferwise but I can't see where to create an account?

 

[Martin Everson]

What is that service. I have signed up with transferwise but I can't see where to create an account?

Free Multi-Currency Account

You get even a local ABA routing code if you open a US account and a UK sort code for your UK account. All accounts are in your name also.

 

[void]

don't they have any reporting there?

not for now

 

[bankingeuropean]

Well, you will not avoid verification at all with a real and even with most EMI's!

That said, you can avoid video shoots and selfies if you open an account for instant with EuroPacific Bank or one of the Cyprus banks!

I share your concern about the video selfie and the selfie since it is handled by third parties and there is a chance it could be misused!

Sorry for taking so long - I had a lot of things going on.

I looked into EuroPacific bank, and their fee for a single transfer is a fifth of what I spend on food monthly, haha. I also looked into Cyprus banks, but I think I'll need a recommendation for that, if you could?

You can also try a Transferwise borderless account. They are also offering a card service and are in trial mode I believe with selected customers.

They seem to be content with a simple passport photo - that works for me. I will see if I can find a better solution (since they are UK-based, and UK is notorious for data processing, collection and sharing with third-parties - according to my sources, it's actually worse than the US!), but if I can't, I might have to go with these guys.

 

[bankingeuropean]

I can't edit my post, so I will add: I just noticed that Transferwise doesn't offer debit cards and doesn't give you an IBAN, and if I open a bank account here, there is still a high incoming transfer fee. They say that they should soon issue cards in EU, so I will be waiting for that for now. But in the meantime, I am growing in increasing need to get a card, so I still have to look for alternatives. If someone could suggest something (or some of those Cyprus banks), that would be great!

Guess if your finances are that low you are mostly out of luck.

If you live in an EU country: HSBC in France does not have any videoID. Can be openend remotely. You have to wire the first deposit from a bank in your own name, and they speak English.

HSBC is a stable bank, falls under strict French privacy laws and offers you a master/credit card. It will cost you approx €8.15 p/m. However if you do not live in a €-country exchange rates will be a b*tch.

I also checked out HSBC, and they require two things that I cannot provide: one is 500gbp income per month - that's simply not possible for me, and second is address identification, which I could provide only by opening a bank account here, depositing maybe 10eu, getting a statement and closing it, but I'm not sure if that would work for them (or for other banks, does anyone know this?).

 

[Martin Everson]

I can't edit my post, so I will add: I just noticed that Transferwise doesn't offer debit cards and doesn't give you an IBAN, and if I open a bank account here, there is still a high incoming transfer fee. They say that they should soon issue cards in EU, so I will be waiting for that for now. But in the meantime, I am growing in increasing need to get a card, so I still have to look for alternatives. If someone could suggest something (or some of those Cyprus banks), that would be great!

They do give IBAN for EUR and GBP. They do offer cards but only to select members at present after you register. You don't pay incoming wire fees.

Free Multi-Currency Account

Maybe my iban's and card im looking at right now are imaginary. Good luck anyway there are many other solutions out there.

 

[void]

Maybe my iban's and card im looking at right now are imaginary. Good luck anyway there are many other solutions out there.

:-D
I've IBANs and card too, so it's hardly a dream...
The card is right now for invited only, but if you ask nicely they will do it for anybody interested. The card has (at least for me) incredibly low limits but I was told they plan to allow higher limits to be configured later.

 

[Spinat]

They do give IBAN for EUR and GBP. They do offer cards but only to select members at present after you register. You don't pay incoming wire fees.

Free Multi-Currency Account

Maybe my iban's and card im looking at right now are imaginary. Good luck anyway there are many other solutions out there.

Will have to check this out.. What are the limits on the Card and account?