UniCredit Belgium (formerly Aion Bank)

Overview

Aion Bank was a Brussels-based, app-only bank that launched in early 2020 [5](https://www.banken.nl/nieuws/22238/digitale-bank-aion-start-in-belgie). UniCredit bought it in March 2025, and its documents now carry the name UniCredit NV/SA [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html) [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf). What customers use to pay is the bank's own app, listed in the app stores as UniCredit PL, BE [15](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1488299047&country=be). It holds a euro current account with a Mastercard debit card that you can add to Apple Pay or Google Pay, and it sends free SEPA and instant SEPA transfers [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf) [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light). It is a bank account in an app, not a separate wallet: in-store phone payments go through Apple's or Google's wallet. The bank publishes no customer count.

History

• 5 October 2018: Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena announced the sale of its Belgian subsidiary, Banca Monte Paschi Belgio, to funds managed by Warburg Pincus. The sale closed on 14 June 2019 [3](https://emarketstorage.it/sites/default/files/comunicati/2022-05/20190614_64688.pdf).
• November 2019: Banca Monte Paschi Belgio changed its name to Aion [4](https://www.test-achats.be/invest/epargner/comptes-d-epargne/analysis/2019/11/banca-monte-paschi-belgio-changement-nom-aion). The app's App Store listing dates from 27 November 2019 [15](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1488299047&country=be).
• February–March 2020: Aion launched as a fully digital bank, with the app as the main point of contact. The Brussels Times dates the launch to 28 February 2020 [8](https://brusselstimes.com/1476031/italys-unicredit-finalises-takeover-of-belgian-bank-aion-bank). Banken.nl reported it on 3 March 2020 and named the CEO, Wojciech Sobieraj. Aion charged a flat €19 a month for its "regular" membership, with no separate fees [5](https://www.banken.nl/nieuws/22238/digitale-bank-aion-start-in-belgie).
• 24 July 2024: UniCredit announced it would buy Aion Bank and the Polish banking-software firm Vodeno, which had been Aion's business partner for several years [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html) [8](https://brusselstimes.com/1476031/italys-unicredit-finalises-takeover-of-belgian-bank-aion-bank).
• 7 March 2025: having received all approvals, UniCredit acquired the entire share capital of Aion Bank SA/NV and Vodeno Sp. z o.o. for €376 million in total [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html).
• 6 October 2025: the bank's terms and fee list, valid from that day, are issued in the name of UniCredit NV/SA, and the product is called UniCredit Light [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf) [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf). The old aion.eu customer notice now redirects to unicredit.be [1](https://unicredit.be/be-en/). The website still says "Aion" in page titles and app download prompts [1](https://unicredit.be/be-en/).

Ownership & operator

The operator is UniCredit NV/SA, a Belgian limited-liability company registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises under number 0403.199.306, at Square Victoria Régina 1, 1210 Brussels. It is licensed by the National Bank of Belgium and the European Central Bank as a credit institution under the Belgian banking law of 25 April 2014 [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf). The site describes the Belgian bank as part of UniCredit, a pan-European banking group; the group's own bio is UniCredit [2](https://unicredit.be/be-en/about-us).

UniCredit S.p.A. owns 100% of the bank since 7 March 2025 [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html). Before that, the bank (as Banca Monte Paschi Belgio, then Aion) belonged to funds managed by Warburg Pincus from June 2019 [3](https://emarketstorage.it/sites/default/files/comunicati/2022-05/20190614_64688.pdf). The bank works with Vodeno, now a fellow UniCredit company, to sell white-label Banking-as-a-Service on its licence: accounts, cards, payments and digital onboarding for other businesses [2](https://unicredit.be/be-en/about-us).

Technical integration

• Account and transfers. Every UniCredit Light member gets a current account with its own IBAN [2](https://unicredit.be/be-en/about-us). SEPA transfers, instant SEPA transfers to other banks, SEPA direct debits and standing orders cost €0, and a SWIFT transfer costs €2 [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf). The bank says: "We consider instant transfers as standard." [13](https://unicredit.be/be-en/transfers). Paper and manual transfers aren't available [11](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:d400d391-0db5-4d59-a68d-3d5675a9be91/Fee%20Information%20Document%20%28EN%29.pdf).
• Cards. The debit card can be used wherever Mastercard debit cards are accepted [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf). Members can hold up to five virtual debit cards, generate and view the PIN in the app, set limits, and pause cards or switch off contactless [14](https://unicredit.be/be-en/debit-card). Online card payments are confirmed in the app, so no card reader is needed [14](https://unicredit.be/be-en/debit-card).
• Phone payments. The virtual card can be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay and is ready to use within 10 minutes of opening the account [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light). The bank's wallet appendix covers "Apple Pay, Google Pay and any other similar service" [16](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:47f42eab-3f79-4d74-94a2-5ec55c19e21f/Appendix%20II%20-%20Use%20of%20Wallet%20Provider%20Services%20%28EN%29.pdf). See Apple Pay and Google Pay.
• QR codes. The bank's Belgian site describes no QR-code payment feature. It says nothing about Bancontact Pay, Wero or invoice codes [1](https://unicredit.be/be-en/).
• Channels and sign-up. It offers a mobile app for iOS and Android [15](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1488299047&country=be) [6](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=be.aion.android.app) and a web desktop app [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf). Belgian residents sign up with itsme, an ID card, a residence permit or a Belgian NFC passport. Polish residents use an ID card or a Polish NFC passport. Residents of 16 listed European countries can use an NFC passport. The app needs iOS 13.1 or Android 6 [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light).

Users & growth

Neither the bank nor UniCredit publishes a customer count for the Belgian app. The figure of about 250,000 customers in the earlier version of this bio had no source and has been removed. UniCredit's March 2025 closing statement gave a target, not a count: the group aims to add 2.5 million clients through the Aion Bank and Vodeno platform within three years, investing up to €200 million [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html). The iOS app had 3,465 ratings in the Belgian App Store on 21 October 2026. That shows the app is in use, but it doesn't measure users [15](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1488299047&country=be).

Use cases

• Everyday account. A €3.90 monthly membership covers the account, a debit card, electronic statements, app access and FX conversion [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf) [11](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:d400d391-0db5-4d59-a68d-3d5675a9be91/Fee%20Information%20Document%20%28EN%29.pdf).
• Paying in shops and online. You pay contactless with Apple Pay or Google Pay, or with the Mastercard debit card [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light) [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf).
• Cash and travel. ATM withdrawals in Belgium and abroad are free up to €300 a month. Above that, the bank charges 2% of the excess. FX conversions carry a 0.2% margin [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf).
• Saving. Regulated savings accounts and term deposits sit in the same app [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light).
• Embedded banking for businesses runs through Vodeno [2](https://unicredit.be/be-en/about-us).

Implementations & partners

• Card network: Mastercard, for the debit card [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf).
• Phone wallets: Apple Pay and Google Pay [16](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:47f42eab-3f79-4d74-94a2-5ec55c19e21f/Appendix%20II%20-%20Use%20of%20Wallet%20Provider%20Services%20%28EN%29.pdf).
• Identity: itsme, for Belgian onboarding [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light).
• Technology: Vodeno's cloud core-banking platform [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html).

Fun facts

• The price dropped by four-fifths. At launch in 2020, Aion's flat membership cost €19 a month, which banken.nl compared to what many ordinary banks charge for a whole year [5](https://www.banken.nl/nieuws/22238/digitale-bank-aion-start-in-belgie). The UniCredit Light membership costs €3.90 a month as of 6 October 2025 [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf).
• The core system was the prize. UniCredit described the deal as one of the first moves by a bank to fully own a new core technology, with no dependence on third-party providers [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html).

Comparison

	UniCredit app (ex-Aion)	Belfius app
Model	App-only, €3.90 monthly membership [10](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:2d4728b9-859b-4b89-93cd-f30ad63759f9/Appendix%20I%20-%20Fees%20&%20Charges%20%28EN%29.pdf)	Branch bank plus app
Pay a friend or a shop by QR	Not offered on the site [1](https://unicredit.be/be-en/)	Wero QR codes and phone contacts [17](https://www.belfius.be/site/retail/nl/producten/betalen/online-bankieren/wero/)
Tap to pay	Apple Pay, Google Pay [12](https://unicredit.be/be-en/light)	Apple Pay, Google Pay [18](https://www.belfius.be/site/retail/nl/producten/betalen/belfius-mobile)
Card	Mastercard debit [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf)	Card linked to the account

The trade-off is price against reach. The ex-Aion app is a cheap, fully digital account that you can open from several EU countries, with no branch. Incumbent apps such as Belfius, KBC Mobile and BNP Paribas Fortis add the QR codes that Belgian shops and friends use, notably Wero. Other digital options in Belgium include Keytrade Bank and bunq.

Status

Active, under the UniCredit brand. The Belgian terms and fee list valid from 6 October 2025 are issued by UniCredit NV/SA [9](https://unicredit.be/dam/jcr:0a82e638-639d-4d28-a3d1-0a7760c7da40/Light%20Membership%20-%20General%20T&Cs%20%28ENG%29.pdf). The iOS app's latest version (2.8.2) was released on 30 September 2026 [15](https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1488299047&country=be). UniCredit has said it plans to use the platform to re-enter Poland and expand into nearby Western European countries [7](https://www.unicreditgroup.eu/en/press-media/press-releases-price-sensitive/2025/march/unicredit-completes-acquisition-of-aion-bank-and-vodeno--kicking.html).

Sources

Source

Biography extracted from unicredit-belgium.md. See matrix.md for standards-support matrix if present.