Filter-free comparison between Blank and Shine (and an alternative)

Our Blank vs Shine review in brief

The scales tip slightly from Shine because it offers better value for money and more advanced features.

However, we deplore the fact that Shine does not offer any financial schemes to help companies in financial difficulty. Hero offers an alternative that is better suited to the needs of small and medium-sized businesses.

Introducing Blank

Blank is a player in the banking sector dedicated to the self-employed.

Blank's history and mission

Launched in 2020, Blank is a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole dedicated to freelancers, has self-employed workers, to craftsmen and companies . It offers a 100% online pro account.

The pro Blank account includes professional and personal insurance. accounting and administrative tools.

Blank's main features

Here are Blank's main features:

• 100% online pro bank account

• Invoicing and quotation software

• Automatic URSSAF declaration

• Scanning and storage of accounting vouchers and scanning of expense reports

• Setting up a company

Blank's rates and offers

Blank offers three types of packages:

Simple offer at 6 euros per month

The platform offers one month free of charge and with no commitment to try out its features.

Blank's simple offer includes :

• A white Visa Business bank card

• 30 SEPA transfers

• A payment ceiling of 20,000 euros per month

• 3,000 euros monthly withdrawal limit

Comfort package at 17 euros per month

It offers :

• Une carte Visa Business black

• 60 SEPA transfers

• 3 cheque collections

• 40,000 euro payment limit

The complete package at 39 euros per month

It includes :

• Une carte Visa Business black

• Unlimited SEPA credit transfers

• 20 cheque collections

• A one-year subscription to the auto-entrepreneurs' federation

Introducing Shine

Shine is a neobank that originally targeted freelancers. It was only later that it extended its functionalities to corporate customers.

Shine's history and mission

Shine is a neobank founded in 2017 by Nicolas Reboud and Raphaël Simon. It was acquired by Société Générale in 2020. .

Originally a payment service provider, it is now referred to as a neobank. It offers banking services such as a bank card, a French IBAN and the ability to make bank transfers.

However, like other neobanks on the market, Shine offers functionalities that go far beyond those of traditional banks, and the two co-founders' original ambition was to make life easier for the self-employed. The aim was to help them avoid wasting time on time-consuming administrative and accounting tasks, so that they could concentrate on their core business.

Shine offers:

• An online billing tool

• Accounting exports

• Automatic calculation of social security contributions

• Contribution payment reminder

• Etc

Shine's main features

Here are the main features offered by Shine :

• A 100% paperless business account. Everything is done online, from account creation to account management.

• Accounting management functions

• An invoicing and quotation creation tool

Shine rates and offers

Like Blank, Shine offers 3 price plans:

Shine Basic offer

As its name suggests, this is Shine's most basic account. . It costs 7.90 euros per month.

Offer includes :

• A Master Card Basic bank card

• A payment limit of 40,000 euros and a withdrawal limit of 1,000 euros

Shine Plus offer at €14.90 per month

This is the most popular offer among Shine users. It offers the following features:

• A bank card

• 60,000 euro payment limit

• 20 virtual cards

• 60 free transfers and direct debits per month

• 2 free withdrawals

• 2 cheque collections per month

• A maximum cash deposit of 500 euros

Shine Pro at 29 euros a month

This is Shine's most comprehensive offering and includes :

• Unlimited virtual cards

• 2 cartes bancaires Mastercard World Debit

• 6 cheque collections

• 100 free transfers and direct debits per month

• 4 free withdrawals

• A maximum cash deposit of 1,500 euros

• 4 accounts including 3 sub-accounts

Feature comparison between Blank and Shine

Based on the presentation of each of the two neobanks, here is our comparison of their functionalities:

Account management

For neobanks, Shine and Blank real-time remote account management via an application . So on both Blank and Shine, you can open a pro account directly online.

What's more, the two companies each have an intuitive, ergonomic application and web interface.

Additional services (insurance, accounting, etc.)

Both neobanks offer a range of insurance products against accident, illness, death and miscellaneous benefits.

Ease of use and user interface

The two online banks are appreciated by their users for the ease of use and performance of their applications.

Price comparison

Tariffs also figure prominently among the criteria for choosing an online bank:

Blank subscriptions

Blank offers 3 types of subscription, ranging from from 6 to 39 euros per month . Each offer is available as a free, no-obligation one-month trial.

Shine subscriptions

Shine also offers different types of subscription from 7.90 euros to 29 euros. Only the two accounts at 14.90 and 29 euros offer a free one-month trial.

Value for money

Shine seems to offer the best value for money because although it's more expensive than Blank, it also offers more advanced features.

Customer support and user reviews

The quality of customer support is a criterion to be taken into account when assessing the quality of a neobank. In particular, you need to be able to reach them quickly.

Quality of Blank customer support

The accessibility of customer support varies according to the package chosen at Blank :

• With the entry-level package, the simple offer, customer support is only available by email.

• With the Comfort offer, it is accessible 7/7 by email and 5/7 by telephone.

• With the complete offer, customer support is available 7 days a week by email and telephone.

Few users complain of a lack of responsiveness from Blank customer service. Most remain satisfied.

Quality of Shine customer support

Shine's greatest strength is the quality of its customer support. Users are virtually unanimous on this point, and the company was voted Customer Service of the Year 2024.

The responsiveness and performance of Shine's customer service is also one of the most frequently mentioned features of Shine's user reviews. However, we regret that it is only available by email.

User feedback

Ratings for Blank on rating platforms are generally positive.it is rated :

• 4.3 /5 sur Trustpilot

• 5/5 on Finance Héros

• 4.9/5 on Google Play

Most users speak of the application's ease of payment, as well as the presence of accounting and billing tools.

For its part, Shine displays :

• 4.6/5 on Trustpilot

• 4.7/5 on Capterra

• 4.8/5 on Finances Hero

Positive reviews include customer service quality and application performance.

The advantages and disadvantages of the two new banks

Here's a summary of the pros and cons of Blank, on the one hand, and Shine, on the other.

The benefits of Blank

Here are the main advantages of Blank:

• Un French IBAN

• From insurance products covering hospitalization, equipment breakdown, accidents and legal action

• A guarantee of income maintenance from the comfort package

• The possibility of create an online business . Blank has teamed up with LegalPlace to enable you to set up a business 100% online, in just a few clicks. At a cost of 59 euros, your micro-business is created in 24 hours.

• A billing tool

• An intuitive, modern interface

• A tool for accounting management . The Blank application lets you scan receipts and expense reports.

• Responsive customer service

• Legal, tax and accounting assistance by phone, chat and email

• Crédit Agricole Group expertise

The disadvantages of Blank

Here are the main disadvantages of Blank's pro account:

• More or less significant additional costs especially for foreign transfers and payments

• No integration with accounting tools

• No cash deposit facility

• Lack of team expense management features. Unlike Shine, Blank does not offer multiple account or multi-card functionality.

The benefits of Shine

Here are the main advantages of Shine:

• An intuitive, easy-to-use application

• The possibility of depositing cash with a ceiling of up to 3,000 euros free per month. Shine is one of the few neobanks to offer this feature.

• A free, no-obligation one-month trial

• Features for creating quotes and invoices. Shine's application provides users with ready-to-use estimates and invoices. Shine's invoicing functions are more powerful than those of Blank.

• Excellent value for money

• Professional insurance that includes legal assistance by telephone, manufacturer's warranty and accident coverage

• Integration with accounting tools such as Zoho Books, QuickBooks or Sellsy. This allows you to export accounting data to your usual tool.

Shine's drawbacks

Shine also has a number of drawbacks. These include:

• The impossibility of making SWIFT transfers

• Reduced cash collection and deposit limits

• Customer support only available by email

• Offers ill-suited to companies with international operations, as foreign transactions are not free of charge.

• No deferred debit. All cards are immediate debit.

Which solution to choose?

It's verdict time! Between Blank and Shine, which should you choose for your needs and activities?

For freelancers and self-employed workers

If you're a freelancer or self-employed, your banking needs are limited. You can therefore opt for a basic offer. Blank's offer should suffice.

However, the Shine Basic offer is also specifically designed for the needs of freelancers.

For VSEs and SMEs

For a VSE or SME with more or fewer employees, the ideal choice would be a bank that offers a multi-user account This is precisely the case with Shine, which lets you block/unblock employee cards, track expenses in real time, and manage expense reports.

Conclusion

Both neobanks are rated highly by their users. However, neither of them offers deferred payment or fractional payments, which enable small and medium-sized businesses to continue their normal activities even when they are short of cash.

On the other hand, neither company offers free account.

What's the alternative to Blank and Shine?

logo-hero

Released in 2021, Hero is an innovative player on the banking horizon for VSEs and SMEs. Originally a dedicated payment tool for B2B companies, the brand has now expanded its offering to include an online pro account.

Hero is :

• A free pro account with physical and digital bank cards and a deferred payment option

• An online payment solution at unbeatable prices

• Flexible, no-obligation financing solutions (BNPL in B2B, accelerated payment on marketplaces (Amazon...), receivables and debt financing)

To sum up, Blank and Shine offer the same neo-banking functions, with a few exceptions, but neither offers financial support for VSEs and SMEs. This comparison Blank vs. Shine leaves a taste of incompleteness. These shortcomings are fully remedied by Hero's pro account offer, which is both free of charge and tailored to the needs of very small businesses.