Íkualo

Íkualo accounts and cards are issued by Paynovate, an NBB EMI (ref. 0506763929), under a Visa licence. LinkCy sits in the stack. The IBAN is Belgian. That is payments, not a bank. Safeguarding is not FGD. Keep a CaixaBank or Abanca salary account if you live in Spain. Use this as a BE rail if the file fits.

AFRIDAN TECHNOLOGY SL runs the Spanish app. Directories sell a purple immigrant super-app as a bank. This desk writes the Paynovate number. A BE IBAN that is e-money still looks like a bank IBAN on a payslip. That is the catch.

Íkualo lists EMI — Paynovate SA, ref. 0506763929. Íkualo is the brand under National Bank of Belgium (via Paynovate) in Belgium. On safeguarding we currently write: Not Belgian DGS / FGDR / FGD. Paynovate safeguards e-money in a segregated account. Insolvency of Paynovate is a safeguarding story, not a deposit-guarantee payout.. Holder / issuer line: Paynovate SA (EMI) under Visa — not a bank. An AML programme is claimed. Local bank details (IBAN / sort code / equivalent) are part of the pitch. We list 2 live markets on the product. As we score the sticker: monthly Freemium plus card fees — confirm live; FX Corridor product, not mid-market magic; ATM Prepaid schedule. This desk would open it for: People in Spain who need a BE IBAN and already keep salary at a Spanish credit institution.

What it does well: Named NBB EMI number; BE IBAN is real as a payment IBAN; Built for immigrants, not for Instagram. What to watch: Not deposit-insured; Paynovate is the licence, Íkualo is the brand; Spain-facing support on a Belgian IBAN. Desk score 6.2 / 10 (safety 5.2, fees 6.6, features 6.8, app 7.0). Last verified 2026-08-30. Headquartered in Madrid / Brussels rails, Spain; founded 2022. None of this is advice — it is a file so you can read the entity before the card colour.