Use "Bank" without banking license = €50K+ fines per EU country. Financial services naming heavily regulated. Check restrictions BEFORE filing EUIPO trademark or face forced rebrand.
Prohibited Financial Terms
"Bank," "Banking," "Banque" = require banking license. Can't use without authorization. "N26 Bank" needed license. "Revolut" avoided "bank" until licensed. Regulators enforce strictly.
Also restricted: "Insurance," "Assurance," "Credit Union," "Building Society." Using restricted term without license = automatic regulator action. Not suggestion, law.
The "Pay" Workaround
Can't use "bank"? Use "Pay." PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna (originally KlarnaPay). "Pay" signals financial service without triggering banking regulations.
Also works: "Wallet," "Card," "Money," "Transfer," "Send." All unregulated terms. "Wise" (was TransferWise) = money transfer without "bank." Smart navigation of rules.
PSD2 Compliance Names
Payment Services Directive requires transparency. Name can't mislead about services offered. "Instant Bank Transfer" but you're not instant? Misleading = regulatory violation.
Name must match capabilities. Don't promise what you can't deliver. "FastPay" but transfers take 3 days? Problem. "StandardPay" = honest, compliant. Boring beats regulatory fines.
The guarantee trap: "Guaranteed Returns," "100% Safe," "Risk-Free" = prohibited claims in EU financial services. Can't guarantee financial outcomes in name or marketing. Regulators take this seriously.
ECB Supervision Rules
European Central Bank oversees cross-border financial services. Name can't imply ECB endorsement. "ECB Approved Payments" = illegal. "EuroPayments" = fine (describes geography, not endorsement).
Avoid: Government associations, central bank references, regulatory body names. "EU Certified" unless actually certified = violation. Factual > aspirational in financial naming.
Country-Specific Rules
Germany: "Sparkasse" (savings bank) restricted. France: "Caisse" (fund) restricted. Spain: "Caja" (bank) restricted. Each country has protected terms. Can't use without license.
Check target markets individually. Name OK in France might violate in Germany. EUIPO trademark doesn't override national financial regulations. Need both: trademark + regulatory clearance.
The Trust Signal Balance
Need to signal trust without making prohibited claims. "Secure" = OK (factual about security). "Safest" = not OK (superlative claim). "Trusted" = OK if true. "Guaranteed" = not OK (outcome claim).
Revolut, N26, Wise, Klarna = trust through simplicity and clarity, not through claims. Brand builds trust, name states service. Let track record create trust, not name.
Cryptocurrency Naming Rules
"Coin," "Token," "Crypto" = unregulated currently but MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) coming 2025. Rules changing. Pick future-proof name not dependent on current regulatory gap.
Avoid: "Bitcoin" + modifier (trademark issues + regulatory attention). Use abstract/coined terms. "Ledger," "Nexo," "Celsius" = better than "CoinBank" or "CryptoSafe."
The License-First Strategy
Get license, then name brand using regulated terms. OR pick unregulated name, grow, get license later. Most EU fintechs: Start with unregulated name (Revolut, N26, Wise), add "Bank" after licensing.
Don't assume you'll get license. Many denied. Naming yourself "X Bank" before license = either forced rebrand or forced to get license you might not qualify for. Risky either way.
Domain TLD Signals
.bank TLD = requires banking license verification. Using .bank without license = impossible (registry verifies). Can signal legitimacy IF you have license. Expensive ($1,000+/year) but trusted.
Alternative: .com (universal) or country ccTLD (.de, .fr). Don't use .io for fintech (too tech-startup, not serious enough for finance). .com or ccTLD = professional standard.
Check This First
No prohibited terms (Bank, Insurance, Credit Union)? No prohibited claims (Guaranteed, Safest, Risk-Free)? No government/ECB implications? Checked all target country restrictions? PSD2 compliant?
All yes? Regulatory-safe name. Any no? Legal review required before launch. €5K legal review cheaper than €50K+ fines across 27 countries. Get it right first time.
Trademark Lens flags EU financial services naming restrictions across all 27 member states - identifying prohibited terms, regulated claims, and country-specific rules before you file EUIPO trademark application.