If you wish to remain with AIB the cheapest way to have full service bricks and mortar banking at minimum cost is as follows:
Other thoughts:
Anyway it’s all academic now since I very recently acquired free banking…….
- Open an AIB current account, with a debit card. Don’t use the account and put the debit card in a drawer.
- Open an AIB Demand Deposit Account. Use this for wages/pension, miscellaneous income (e.g. rent) and all DD and SO. No fees.
- Open an AIB Credit card account. Register the CC in ApplePay. Use your phone/watch for all CC transactions. Pay your CC using a DD against your Demand Deposit Account.
- If you need ATM access you have two options (1) If it’s very occasional use, use your AIB Debit Card (2) If it’s more frequent open a standard N26 account
- If you travel abroad open a standard N26 account and use that Debit Card rather than your AIB CC
Other thoughts:
- Variations of the above are possible using debit cards from N26 or Revolut to avoid having a credit card. (but bear in mind the general advice re keeping balances above a few hundred euro with Revolut)
- I have an AIB Online Saver a/c into which I weekly transfer any “largish” balances (more than I will be spending in the next week) to avail of the 3% rate, transferring money back as required. Gets me about €100 per annum.
- AIB App/WEB are middle of the road offerings, in the halfpenny place compared to Ulster, marginally better than BOI, PTSB and light years ahead of EBS
- I also have current accounts with BOI (for largish Debit Card transactions on account of AIB’s transaction/daily limits being rubbish), N26 for overseas use and CA Britline for elevated deposit interest. Useful to have backup.
- Someone on here was told recently that they couldn’t have wages paid to an AIB Deposit account – that nonsense. I have multiple private and state pensions paid to my AIB Demand Deposit Account and have never had an issue.
Anyway it’s all academic now since I very recently acquired free banking…….