# Kroo

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/kroo
> research date 2026-06-01 · extracted at 2026-10-03
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Kroo — official](https://www.kroo.com/)

## Overview

**Kroo** is a **UK neobank** operated by **Kroo Bank Ltd**, which received a **full UK banking license in 2022** and launched a smartphone-first current account <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>. Kroo differentiates on social / group-money features (splitting bills and sharing money with friends), competitive credit interest on current-account balances, fee-free spending abroad, and a tree-planting sustainability angle.

## History

**Founded ~2016 (as Kroo); banking license 2022** <sup>[2][2]</sup>: Kroo operated initially around a prepaid/social-money product before securing authorisation.

**2022 — Full UK banking license + current-account launch** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>: Kroo Bank Ltd was granted a banking license and rolled out FSCS-protected current accounts.

**2023 — Rapid customer growth + interest-bearing current account** <sup>[2][2]</sup>: Kroo grew quickly by offering credit interest on current-account balances and committed to planting trees for customer activity.

## Ownership & operator

**Operating entity**: **Kroo Bank Ltd** (UK).

**Co-founder**: **Andrea De Gottardo** (CEO) <sup>[2][2]</sup>.

**Regulators**: **FCA** + **PRA** (UK); deposits FSCS-protected.

## Technical integration

| Layer | Description |
|---|---|
| **Channels** | Kroo mobile app (iOS + Android) + Kroo card |
| **Identifiers** | Phone + email + sort code + account number |
| **UK rails** | Faster Payments + BACS |
| **Card network** | Mastercard (Kroo debit) |
| **Wallets** | Apple Pay + Google Pay via EMV tokenization |
| **Distinctive** | Group / shared money + bill splitting; credit interest on balances; fee-free foreign spend; tree-planting |

## Implementations & partners

**Operator**: **Kroo Bank Ltd** (FCA + PRA-regulated UK bank).

**Card-network partner**: **Mastercard**.

**Competitors**: [Monzo](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/monzo), [Starling Bank](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/starling), [Revolut](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/revolut), [Chase UK](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/chase-uk) and other UK app banks.

## Status

**Active** <sup>[1][1], [2][2]</sup>:
- **Kroo Bank Ltd** — full UK banking license since 2022.
- Social / shared-money current account with interest on balances and a sustainability angle.
- Customer counts and financials not consistently disclosed in verifiable public form (~).

## Sources

[1]: https://www.kroo.com/ "Kroo — official"
[2]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroo_Bank "Kroo Bank — Wikipedia"
[3]: https://www.altfi.com/ "Kroo coverage — AltFi"

- [1] [Kroo — official][1]
- [2] [Kroo Bank — Wikipedia][2]
- [3] [Kroo coverage — AltFi][3]

## Source

Biography extracted from [kroo.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/kroo). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.