Best account for students? Considering Bunq – Thoughts?

[vikingss788]

Hey everyone,

I’m a student in Ireland trying to figure out which bank account would be the best fit for me. I’d love to hear your recommendations and experiences! There are so many options out there, and I’m hoping to find something that’s easy to use, low-cost (or free), and maybe even offers some perks like decent savings rates or budgeting tools.

I’m leaning towards Bunq because it’s free for students (stated on their website), has a modern app, and offers cool features that i'd like to experiment with + the savings interest rate is hard to beat. That said, I’ve never used an online-only bank before so I’m a bit curious about how it compares to traditional options like Bank of Ireland, AIB, or even other digital banks like Revolut (I found their UX quite overwhelming and deleted the app right after).

Have any of you tried Bunq as a student or do you recommend something else that’s worked well for you?

 

[peemac]

Been a Bunq account holder since Ulster bank left. No issues whatsoever.

The only drawback is you can't lodge cash or cheques if that is something you might need.

Otherwise it's a decent everyday banking offer.

 

[Freelance]

Among the online providers I have accounts with Revolut, N26 and BUNQ. If I had to shift my day to day banking to one of these it would probably be N26 - I've found them good to deal with and very fair and excellent when travelling. BUNQ support on the occasions I had to use it was rubbish and the app interface is all over the place. Reported an issue with their year end statement in January last and it still isn't fixed - gave up chasing them. Comparing BUNQ and N26 it's swings and roundabouts, however one difference to be aware of is that BUNQ do offer a credit card whereas N26 don't.

Dealing with online support can sometimes be very frustrating. The bricks and mortar banks have one advantage - if they screw up you can go to the counter and talk to them. I wrote a key post some years back when I moved from Ulster Bank comparing the online offerings from the three (AIB, BOI and PTSB) - in reality they are much of a much, I have accounts with all three and they all have their quirks, foibles and weaknesses.

All in all it's a personal decision and you just have to find what works for you. You can always move if you aren't satisfied.