Perhaps you remember our blog on August 25, titled “From Instant Payments to Instant Savings: How Revolut’s Daily Payouts Challenge Belgian Banks”.

Revolut had payment solutions for a long time, and now added a savings product, in a market addicted to savings accounts. This was a digital-first player saying: we’re here to compete, on your turf, on your terms, with more fancy products: a savings account with daily interest payouts. It seems like Revolut isn’t just offering another clever feature; it’s rebuilding what “banking” means for Belgian customers.

That was the heart of my recent conversation with Francesco Aghemio, Revolut’s Branch Manager for Belgium and the Netherlands, a conversation that revealed how digital transformation, done right, isn’t about speed. It’s about fit.

From Product Launch to Purpose

Francesco started by making one thing clear: Revolut doesn’t design products to impress the media or regulators. It builds for customers. And, as it turns out, customers have responded with real enthusiasm. Revolut’s Instant Savings offers what most Belgian banks don’t: clarity. There are no base rates in combination with fidelity bonuses. No fine print promising better returns in a year if you’re patient enough to leave your money untouched. Just a simple, flexible rate and daily payouts.

That daily rhythm is more than a financial feature, as it changes the psychology of saving. It makes value visible, tangible and transparent. Although the daily amounts are small, users see their money work every day.

No, the savings product isn’t a regulated savings account with fiscal benefits, but the argument matters less and less to Belgian consumers. After all, how many are effectively moving banks for the best possible rates these days?

“We see a very good adoption of the product,” Francesco told me. “Our customers were asking for flexibility and simplicity, and that’s exactly what we gave them.”

Engagement Before Acquisition

One of the questions I raised was whether Instant Savings is meant to attract new customers or deepen the engagement of existing ones.

In August, we asked the same question to Dirk Emminger, a Revolut user in Germany who had been using the product for some time. He believed it was more about strengthening relationships than acquiring new customers. Francesco’s answer was more pragmatic: both. “It encourages our current customers to do more with Revolut,” he said, “but we also see enthusiasm from new customers opening accounts because of the product.”

Nevertheless, I can’t help but think that the true brilliance lies in the engagement aspect. Belgian customers are savers by nature: disciplined, cautious, and often conservative. Revolut’s daily payouts don’t aim to alter that; they enhance it.

By rewarding saving behaviour every day, Revolut taps into an emotional satisfaction that traditional banks overlook. It turns passive saving into an active, instantly gratifying experience that makes people check their app not just to spend, but to see growth.

In an era where attention is the scarcest resource, that’s a detail that matters for customers with access to it. I’m not sure it will pull a lot of new customers for precisely that reason.

Belgian by Presence, Not Just by IBAN

One of the most interesting clarifications Francesco made during our talk was about Revolut’s local identity. Many people, myself included, referred to the introduction of “Belgian IBANs” as a milestone. Francesco corrected me immediately: “We don’t offer Belgian IBANs; we offer Belgian bank accounts.”

That distinction matters more than I thought. It’s the difference between a fintech operating under European passporting rules and a bank with local roots and accountability. Revolut now operates as a Belgian bank, catering to Belgian needs and serving a Belgian audience, which is a big deal in a market where trust and proximity are paramount.

The launch timing was no coincidence. Revolut rolled out its Belgian accounts alongside Instant Savings, making the product ecosystem both credible and complete. A local account number signals belonging. Pair that with a product that delivers immediate, tangible value, and you have the foundation for a genuine relationship.

Local Thinking, Global Backbone

Revolut’s success has always been built on scale: one platform, one design system, one global mindset. But in Belgium, the company is learning the power of localisation.

Integrating Wero, for example, wasn’t a technical necessity; it was a cultural one. Belgian customers expect to pay with QR codes, and Revolut made sure that wasn’t a blocker. Francesco described this as “enabling customers to use Revolut as a primary bank.”

That kind of sensitivity was often overlooked by Revolut and the likes in the past. This shift in vision and strategy shows an understanding that technology alone doesn’t make you relevant: empathy does.

Revolut’s ambitions in Belgium go well beyond payments and savings. Credit is the natural next step. Francesco didn’t give a timeline, but he did hint at what’s coming: “We’ll take the time to develop the right offering for the Belgian customer. We want to do it right.”

This message signals maturity. Revolut is no longer chasing disruption for the sake of disruption: it’s building an integrated financial services provider where local insight and digital excellence meet.

If there’s one takeaway from this story, it’s that transformation is not about how quickly you innovate, but how meaningfully you do it.

Final Thoughts

Revolut’s evolution in Belgium isn’t just another fintech success story. It’s a case study in relevance: how to take a global idea and make it feel local, trustworthy, and human.

Daily interest might seem like a small innovation, but the cumulative effect of adjustments tailored to the local market will make a difference, if not today, then certainly tomorrow. Revolut has outgrown the fintech phase that I found unconvincing, and in my view, they are now becoming a serious contender in the Belgian market.

As Revolut continues to expand, Belgian banks should observe closely. Not because Revolut will dominate the market overnight, but because it is redefining what customers now expect: clarity, immediacy, and a touch of humanity in their banking experience.

They are reinventing the art of the possible, and it is very unfortunate Francesco wasn’t available to join The Banking Scene Art Night this year to explain to us how to do that every single day, again and again.

There is only so much we can summarise in a short article, but you can watch the full interview below or listen on your favourite podcast platform here - and remember to subscribe while you are there!