N26 and SumUp partner up to lower barriers for cashless payment acceptance for freelancers and the self-employed 

N26 and SumUp partner up to lower barriers for cashless payment acceptance for freelancers and the self-employed 

  • A new partnership between the two industry pioneers will help freelancers, self-employed and entrepreneurs digitise their payment systems with easy and convenient cashless payments.

  • N26 Business, N26 Business Smart, N26 Business You and N26 Business Metal account holders across Europe will have access to an offer that makes SumUp’s mobile point-of-sale devices available at a reduced price.

Dublin, 20 April 2021 - N26, The Mobile Bank, today announced a partnership with SumUp, a global leader in digital payments, to lower the barriers to cashless payment acceptance in a rapidly digitising world, helping freelancers, the self-employed and entrepreneurs in Ireland and across Europe accept cashless payments.

In the past two years, N26 business customers in Ireland have almost trebled (grown 273%). When comparing growth figures from January 2019 to January 2020 and again from February 2020 to February 2021, data shows that Covid hasn’t inhibited this growth with a further increase of 70% in N26 business customers in the latter period.

The collaboration between N26 and SumUp stems from their shared vision of empowering wider adoption of cashless payment solutions across Europe. It’s a natural partnership between two digital leaders who both offer products and services with no hidden fees and a seamless user experience characterised by functional design, flexibility and accessibility. 

A year of economic uncertainty and lockdown measures have accelerated changes in spending habits across Europe, where many people have moved away from cash and banknotes in favour of contactless and digital payments. 

The new partnership will support N26 Business, N26 Business Smart, N26 Business You and N26 Business Metal account holders as they get back to business, providing the digital tools they need to accept cashless payments in a safe, easy and convenient way.  

Eligible account holders at N26 will be able to take advantage of a special offer that allows them to purchase one of SumUp’s Air Card Readers at a discounted price from 35%, enabling them to accept card and mobile wallet payments from their customers, without having to handle cash. 

“Freelancers and the self-employed are an increasingly important part of today’s global workforce. At N26, in Ireland and other core markets across Europe, we’ve seen our business customer base triple over the past 2 years. That is why we are thrilled to partner with SumUp, a leader in digital payments, to provide our valued business customers with the right tools to help their businesses thrive in today’s increasingly digitised world.” commented N26 COO and Irish Spokesperson, Adrienne Gormley

A recent SumUp survey amongst small businesses in France, Germany, Switzerland and the UK showed a growing desire to adapt their business to a more and more digital environment. As a result, 34% introduced additional payment methods such as remote payments and 23% started an online shop. The same study revealed that 22% of merchants needed help to digitise their businesses, highlighting the important role financial service pioneers such as N26 and SumUp can play to support freelancers, the self-employed and entrepreneurs in adapting to the evolving needs of their customers.

The fact that businesses can now accept digital payments in various forms has really helped those that needed a vital lifeline throughout the pandemic, and this partnership with another major industry player builds on that. It comes at a time when safety concerns are paramount, with both customers and business owners shifting to cashless payment methods”, says Carolin Wies, Partnerships Lead at SumUp at SumUp.

The special offer will be available starting April 20 for customers with an N26 Business, N26 Business Smart, N26 Business You or N26 Business Metal account in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain or Sweden. To access the offer, customers will just need to go to the Explore tab of their N26 app and click on the SumUp icon within the Partner Offers section.

About N26 

N26 is building the first mobile bank the world loves to use. Valentin Stalf and Maximilian Tayenthal founded N26 in 2013 and launched the initial product in early 2015. Today N26 has more than 7 million customers in 25 markets. The company employs more than 1.500 employees across 8 office locations: Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Vienna, New York and São Paulo. With a full European banking license, state-of-the-art technology and no branch network, N26 has redesigned banking for the 21st century and is available on Android, iOS, and desktop. N26 has raised close to EUR 800 million from the world’s most established investors, including Insight Venture Partners, GIC, Tencent, Allianz X, Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, Li Ka-Shing’s Horizons Ventures, Earlybird Venture Capital, Greyhound Capital, Battery Ventures, in addition to members of the Zalando management board, and Redalpine Ventures. N26 currently operates in: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the US, where it operates via its wholly-owned subsidiary, N26 Inc., based in New York. Banking services in the US are offered by N26 Inc. in partnership with Axos® Bank, Member FDIC.