Mecena - Servicios financieros para autónomos creadores

faq

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Where is Mecena available?

We are currently available in Spain 🇪🇸, and by 2026 we plan to be in more countries in Europe.

What are the requirements to open a Mecena account?

You must meet the following conditions:
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Be a resident in Spain or have a residence permit.
- Not be a U.S. citizen.
- Have a valid Model 036 (registered with the Treasury). If you don't have it, we can carry out this procedure during your registration.

Is Mecena a bank?

Mecena is a financial technology company, not a bank. We work together with Swan to offer payment services. Swan is a regulated electronic money institution authorized to provide payment services, with the number (CIB) 17328 of the French Autorité de Contrôle Prudentiel et de Résolution (ACPR) and with the number (code BE) 6724 of the Bank of Spain, and is subject to the supervision of these authorities.

If I am self-employed but not a content creator, can I open an account with Mecena?

At Mecena we are not going to limit you not to agree to create your account with us, but current services, such as those we have planned for the future, are made for self-employed people who want to generate income from their digital presence, either through collaborations such as brands, or through the sale of services, courses, digital products and endless ways to monetize your community.

My main activity as a freelancer is different, but I also generate income from my presence in networks, can I open an account with Mecena?

Of course, at Mecena we have many independent professionals who combine multiple activities. DJs and influencers, graphic designers/editors/webs and YouTubers, and any professional (more at the personal brand level), who monetize their courses, services or private communities through Mecena who works as an employee or as a freelancer.

The only thing, if you have more than one activity as a freelancer, you must at least choose our Pro Plan (you can see more information in our plans)

How do I open an account with Mecena?

You can access directly from the App Store and Google Store and start with your registration. If you have any questions, you can contact our support team at support@mecena.co.

How long does it take to open an account?

You can open an account in less than 6 minutes, although if we have to register with the Treasury and/or the RETA, it will take longer.

Our onboarding is divided into three main steps:
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- Personal and legal information: Personal data and about your career as a creator, as well as your registration with the Treasury (Model 036).
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- Protection of your account: You configure an access code and biometric authentication with your mobile phone.
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- Validation of your ID: You provide us with proof of identity, usually an official document to scan.

Are there any fees for using cards or purchases?

Yes, our banking partner Swan will charge additional fees for the following events:
- Cash withdrawals at cash machines in France and the SEPA area (Europe): 1,00€
- Cash withdrawals at cash machines outside the SEPA zone (Europe): 2% of the amount withdrawn
- Card payment for goods and services in stores or remotely outside the euro zone: 2% of the amount paid

The charges apply in accordance with Swan terms and conditions, which may be modified or updated at Swan's discretion.

Are there any fees for sending or receiving money through Mecena? What if it's in other currencies?

No, there is no commission for issuing or receiving transfers through Mecena, as long as we talk about Euros.

If you receive income in $USD or GBP (£), our banking partner Swan charges a fixed amount of 5€ +0.6% of the total amount of the transfer, thanks to the partnership with Wise.

The charges apply in accordance with Swan terms and conditions, which may be modified or updated at Swan's discretion.

What happens if I don't have funds for the Treasury to collect for my return?

We will always let you know about this, and if you wish, you can let the Treasury charge you to another account. However, if you don't have funds and the Treasury tried to charge your Mecena account, there is a cost of €10 per failed transfer that our banking provider Swan will charge you.

Can my 'cuota de autónomo ' be debited in Mecena?

For now, no.

Our banking provider Swan is in talks with Social Security to make them a bank admitted by it, by 2025. For now, either during your registration with Mecena or specifying your advisor, you will have to share the account where you want Social Security to direct the collection of your self-employed fee.

Is there a limit to the number of invoices I can send?

No, there is no limit.

To what extent are my invoices customizable?

At Mecena we make a standard invoice, currently we care more about their efficiency than customization. However, we do want to be able to release templates so that you can give it your touch as creators by the end of 2025.

Are there fees for invoices?

No, you will not be charged any fees for sending invoices.

What happens if I send the wrong invoice to a customer of mine?

No problem, from the application you can modify your customer and invoice details, and it will be automatically updated both in the invoice that your customer has received and in your accounting.

Are you aware of the new Verifactu law for issuing invoices starting in July 2025?

Yes, at Mecena we are prepared for the new law. The biggest change is that as of July 2025 you will not be able to make changes or edits to your bill, so we will improve the steps so that you make sure before sending the invoice it is completely correct, and thus avoid having to make corrective invoices.

What happens if I made transactions outside of my Mecena account? Do they count in my accounting?

Of course, there's no problem. Although we always recommend that you centralize your income in your Mecena account, we understand that you received a payment in another account because a customer was used to paying you in that same account, or you made a mistake with your personal bank card. You can always upload these invoices, from the External Invoices service so that your accounting is correctly recorded.

If you are looking for more information on how to do this, Here's the tutorial

What happens if I want to unsubscribe from my agency to join Mecena but I have already made expenses/revenues in the quarter?

It's totally understandable to have previous expenses before opening an account with us. As indicated in the previous question, there is no problem. You can upload the invoices to Mecena from the External Invoices service. If you are looking for more information on how to do this, here's the tutorial.

On the other hand, we strongly recommend that you ask your manager to share all the information (expense and income invoices for the quarter, as well as your registration with the Treasury, the RETA and the models of the returns filed in that fiscal year). He will be obliged to do so.

Can you bill with Mecena without being registered as a self-employed person?

The short answer is: yes, but with conditions.

‍In Spain, if you issue an invoice you must be registered with the Treasury. But that doesn't mean that you automatically have to pay the self-employed fee (RETA). For more information, we recommend that visit our Academy.

Can I invoice foreign companies with 0% VAT?

The short answer is: it depends.

‍If they are outside the European Union (EU), yes, up to an income limit; if they are from the European Union, no, because you will need your ROI registration.

The possibility that your ROI registration is not necessary with the new VAT directive is being explored, but this has not yet been implemented.

For more information, we recommend that visit our Academy.

Can I register with the Treasury and issue invoices if I am collecting unemployment withholding?

If you are receiving unemployment benefit and you want to issue an invoice without being self-employed, you must Notify the SEPE before doing so. There are several steps to take and they will have an impact on the benefit you receive. To learn more, we recommend that you visit our Academy.

Can I combine my freelance work and be self-employed as a content creator? What if I am a civil servant?

Yes, in Spain it is completely legal to combine an employment with an activity as a freelancer, as in the case of being a content creator. This is known as multiactivity and has some fiscal and Social Security implications that you should consider. For example, your number of freelancers will be reduced.

If you are a civil servant and want to combine your work with an activity as a freelancer (for example, being a content creator), you must take into account several legal and fiscal restrictions.

Officials are subject to Law 53/1984, on Incompatibilities of Personnel in the Service of Public Administrations. In general, you cannot carry out a second remunerated activity in the public or private sector, with authorized exceptions.

However, you may be able to request a compatibility if:
- Your private activity does not interfere with your position as an official.
- It does not imply a conflict of interest with the Administration.
- You don't use public resources for your private activity

What requirements and conditions apply to the payment advance?

We understand that there are multiple questions about the functionality of the advance payment, for which we have dedicated a complete article, with the requirements and conditions, you just have to visit our Academy.

If you have any other questions, you can ask our team at support@mecena.co

I issued an invoice to a customer who hasn't paid me yet, can I issue a new invoice to that same customer with the advance payment?

This will not be possible, as the customer will have to validate your invoice and you have already sent one with that amount previously to your customer. In addition, if you are an unreliable customer, you will not meet our requirements, and this will have a negative impact on the conditions you receive for your future payment advances.

Frequently Asked Questions

Making money with your content shouldn't be chaos.

Making money with your
content shouldn't be chaos.