Ulster Bank to offer €150 to switch your current account

DrMoriarty was it a joint account by any chance, (will my wife have to come in with me?)

Did you need to bring ID and bills etc. with you or were the old bank statements enough?
 
Hi plaudit,

No, just an account in my own name — my wife is in 'unpaid employment'. But as far as I can see, the partner in a joint account application wouldn't have to be physically present, once they'd signed the application form (available in branch) and provided proof of identity and of address — see [broken link removed]. If you ring your [broken link removed] they should be able to clarify whether they'd need bank statements in both names.
 
I just went to my local Ulster Bank and did the switch. There is a raft of forms to be signed and it took about half an hour. The biggest issue is trying to coordinate so that about 10 standing orders / direct debits get switched over immediately after my first salary goes into the account.
 
DrM - did you actually "switch" the old account to UB - i.e. did you transfer any DD payments over and/or have to close the old account? I'd like to open a UB account and just have salary paid in, not get an ATM/Laser card, keep my existing PTSB account and leave all DDs paying off it and still collect the €150 but I doubt that this would be possible? I suppose I can try...
 
What interest rate does AIB give on amounts over €1500? I presume it's something miniscule? If so I think I'll just put €1500 into AIB and €1500 into PTSB and just transfer €1500 from each to the other once a month and transfer the interest into my rabodirect account.
 
:confused: I think you're in the wrong thread, Joe Nonety..?

@ClubMan: No, that's exactly what I did — opened a new a/c and arranged to have my salary paid into it. I didn't have to close the old BoI a/c or switch the DDs to the new UB one. I must check at the end of the month and make sure I get my €150 as promised!
 
Thanks DrM. All the bumpf seems geared towards actually switching lock, stock and barrel and the "get out clause" in the Ts&Cs seems designed to root out the likes of you (and me!). Did they not hesitate at all when you told them that you didn't actually want to switch/close the other account?
 
Nope. Admittedly I didn't 'put it that way'; I just said I wanted to open a new account and that I understood I'd get €150 if I had my salary paid into it. Now, if I turn around after my March pay 'lands' and set up a monthly SO to transfer my entire salary –€1 into another a/c, and use the UB a/c for nothing else, then I could kinda understand them invoking that clause about breaching the 'spirit' of the offer.

We'll see...:D
 
DrMoriarty said:
Just a quick update, as promised. I called to my local branch this morning and opened an account, and I didn't have to order a Laser/ATM card, nor even a chequebook (although obviously I have the option there for the future, if I ever want it). So the account should cost me zilch and, once I mandate my salary to it, earn me €150. Needless to say, I ticked the relevant boxes indicating that neither UB nor any approved third parties were to contact me to offer other products or services.

The whole process, including form-filling, took less than 10 minutes — pleasantly smooth and efficient. They didn't offer me a cup of coffee, though — stingy, or what!? ;)
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Gave it a go this myself this morning on the last day of the offer (I think). Filled in the account application form, skipped the bank card application form and didn't see the switcher form at all. If I can get the €150 at the end of April for just opening the account, switching my salary to it and operating it via phone/internet then I'll be happy.
 
I was told on the phone yesterday when I called to enquire about it that the offer has been extended to end April.
 
Yeah - I see that now [broken link removed]. Up to last night the website said that the offer closed end of March.
 
Called to my local branch today and was told that opening a new account and mandating my salary wouldn't qualify me for the €150, I'd also need to switch my existing account.
 
I opened an account on the 31st March but heard nothing since. I just called the branch and they told me that the letter was sent out but I never received it. They confirmed that the account had been opened and they gave me the sort code/account number. I had also declined to fill in the Laser/ATM card application form but one was issued but not "activated" anyway! They have now cancelled this and told me that there should not be any SD hit (I think Laser/ATM cards have to be used before SD becomes due?). The security checks involved them telling me my address and date of birth and asking if they were correct! I forgot to ask if I was entitled to the €150 (once I mandate my salary into the account) and how to get online access to the account.
 
Friday March 30th. My mistake. Sincere apologies for all the confusion that this mistake will have caused.
 
Standard I think. Whatever one this €150 offer applied to and the box was pre-ticked on the form.
 
ClubMan said:
The security checks involved them telling me my address and date of birth and asking if they were correct!
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:eek:​
ClubMan said:
I forgot to ask if I was entitled to the €150 (once I mandate my salary into the account) and how to get online access to the account.
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I'm a couple of steps ahead of you in the process, ClubMan, so if I may..?

To access the a/c online you have to first [broken link removed], providing various personal details (nothing heavy). They'll then post you out a letter with a blacked-out security tab concealing your activation code. However, contrary to what the wording of the letter implies, you seem (like me) not to have been issued at the time of opening the account with a Customer ID no. which includes your d.o.b. So you'll ring their help desk (1850 300 365) and identify yourself — hopefully with some more stringent security checks! Now, if you'd a Laser/ATM card, they'd be able to give you your Customer ID no. over the 'phone. But because (like me) you don't, they'll insist on posting it out to you instead.

All a bit laborious, admittedly, but mine was posted out the day before yesterday (from Belfast, I guess), so I'm hoping it'll be in Monday's post and I'll be up and running...

Oh, and the terms of the offer state that your €150 will be credited to your account 'on or before 30 April'. :)


[Edit: just an afterthought — I seem to remember reading an article once in which a bank spokesperson railed about the stupidity (he may have used a milder word...) of the vast numbers of customers who persist in using their d.o.b. for their PIN or online password. Yet here we have UB issuing customer ID numbers based on the customer's d.o.b. 'and a few letters' (the words of the help desk lady I spoke to)...? :rolleyes:]
 
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