How Neobanks Make Money Through Cards, Deposits and Finance
Neobanks make money without branches by replacing physical infrastructure, not the underlying economics of financial services. Their main revenue streams include card payments, interchange fees, interest income, subscriptions, foreign exchange and wealth products.
Chime’s filings show the importance of card usage. In 2025, debit-card interchange generated 49% of its revenue, while credit-card interchange contributed a further 20%. This allows Chime to offer accounts without monthly maintenance fees while earning money when customers spend.
Revolut illustrates a more diversified model. Its 2025 revenue reached £4.5 billion, with card payments accounting for 22.2%, interest income 21.6%, subscriptions 15.7%, wealth products 14.7% and foreign exchange 13.4%.
Neobanks can also benefit from customer deposits by earning a margin between income from lending or investing balances and the interest paid to customers. Some rely on partner banks, while others are seeking direct banking licences. Revolut’s US charter application could allow it to offer deposits and loans more directly.
The neobank business model increasingly resembles a financial supermarket. A customer acquired through a free account may later pay for premium services, currency exchange, investments, crypto products or loans. For traders, the key takeaway is that neobank growth depends on account activity, customer balances and cross-selling, rather than account fees alone.
Neutral
The market impact is neutral because the article explains an established neobank revenue model rather than announcing a material change to crypto markets, regulation or liquidity. The figures from Chime and Revolut may reinforce confidence in fintech adoption, but they do not directly alter the supply, demand or valuation of major cryptocurrencies.
In the short term, traders may pay limited attention to the news. Fintech and payment-related stocks could respond more noticeably if investors view stronger interchange, interest or subscription income as evidence of resilient consumer activity. Crypto-linked sentiment may receive a modest indirect boost if neobanks expand access to digital assets, payments or stablecoins. However, the article provides no new product launch, user-growth surprise or regulatory approval that would normally trigger a strong price move.
Over the long term, the expansion of neobanks into foreign exchange, wealth management, lending and crypto could increase competition for traditional banks and broaden retail access to digital assets. Revolut’s US banking-charter application is relevant because a direct licence could reduce reliance on partner banks and support more integrated deposit, lending and crypto services. Similar fintech expansion has historically improved distribution but has also increased regulatory, credit and liquidity risks.
Overall, traders should treat this as sector background rather than a directional crypto signal. The main indicators to monitor are neobank customer growth, deposit balances, interest-rate trends, stablecoin usage, regulatory approvals and any evidence that crypto products are becoming a meaningful revenue source.