How we rank products
We believe in transparency. Here's exactly how we evaluate and recommend financial products.
Our principles
User first
Recommendations are based on what's best for you, not what pays us the most.
Data-driven
We use objective criteria like fees, rates, and features—not subjective opinions.
Transparent
We clearly disclose our methodology and affiliate relationships.
Credit card evaluation
We evaluate credit cards based on these factors:
Annual fee
High impactNo-fee cards score higher when cost is a priority. Premium cards must justify their fees with valuable benefits.
Foreign transaction fees
High impactImportant for expats who travel or shop internationally. Cards with 0% foreign fees score higher.
Rewards & benefits
Medium impactPoints, miles, cashback, and insurance. We assess the realistic value for typical spending patterns.
Ease of approval
Medium impactCards that are accessible to newcomers without established Dutch credit history score higher for new expats.
Features
Lower impactApple Pay, contactless payments, mobile app quality, and customer service accessibility.
Savings account evaluation
We evaluate savings accounts based on these factors:
Interest rate
High impactThe APY you'll actually earn. We distinguish between promotional rates and standard rates.
Access flexibility
High impactCan you withdraw anytime? Or do you need to give notice? Instant access scores higher when flexibility is prioritized.
Deposit guarantee
High impactAll recommended accounts are covered by EU deposit guarantee (up to €100k). We verify this for each product.
Minimum/Maximum deposits
Medium impactWe match accounts to your savings amount. No point recommending an account with a €10k minimum if you have €2k.
Provider reputation
Lower impactWe consider the bank's stability and customer service quality, especially for English speakers.
How quiz recommendations work
When you take our quiz, we adjust the weighting of factors based on your answers:
- •New to NL? We prioritize products with easier approval processes and expat-friendly customer service.
- •Travel rewards focused? We weight miles, insurance, and low foreign transaction fees more heavily.
- •Best rate for savings? Interest rate becomes the dominant factor.
- •Need flexibility? Instant access and no notice periods become key.
Affiliate relationships
Full disclosure: We earn money when you apply for products through our affiliate links and are approved. This is how we keep the site running without charging you.
However, we commit to these principles:
- We include products without affiliate programs when they're genuinely good.
- Affiliate commission is a minor factor (we add a small boost, not a dominant factor).
- We never recommend a worse product just because it pays more.
- Our top recommendations are based on your stated priorities, not commission rates.
Always up to date
Automated daily updates
Our system automatically checks and updates interest rates, fees, and product availability every day. You'll never see stale data—what you see is what's actually available right now.
Financial products change constantly. Here's how we stay current:
- Daily rate checks — Interest rates and fees are verified every 24 hours
- Provider monitoring — We track announcements from banks and card issuers
- Instant updates — Changes go live on our site within hours of confirmation
- New product alerts — We add new expat-friendly products as they launch
Spotted something that looks wrong? Let us know at hello@expatmoney.nl