Key Post Which is the best current account for a personal customer?
- Thread starter Brendan Burgess
- Start date
In the best buy for personal current accounts there are various ways of getting free fees, most of them are fairly niche or come with a lot of conditions/restrictions. For maybe a lot of people in my position (someone who has 2 current accounts, one with KBC, the other with Ulster) I would like to know who I can get the best value, full service current account. I guess once KBC/UB withdraw there will only be AIB, BOI and IP left. Which of these has the best online banking or offers the best value for money. Is it much of a muchness comparing BOI and AIB fees? I wonder will an Ulster Bank current account be offered a migration/transfer to BOI or will they just be closed?
RetirementPlan
Registered User
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Some credit unions also offer a full service current account - €4 per month;
currentaccount.ie
Welcome to Current Account from Your Credit Union | Current Account from Your Credit Union
Current Account from your Credit Union gives you everything you expect from a current account, with the friendliness of your credit union.
currentaccount.ie
Hi Rejoyce. Out of interest, do you exclude EBS just because theirs is a just basic offering or is there some other reason? I've noticed lots of people here don't seem to make much mention of them.
Thanks!
Niall-1980
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It was an offer that PTSB were running back then that if you opened a current account they were offering free banking for life.
Yeah, EBS very basic, I am looking for a service to replace my KBC/UB. Ulster banks online banking is the best in the market, followed by KBC in my opinion. The pillar banks are behind, AIB definitely being better than BOI.
Yeah, the product was called PTSB Switch Current Account and offered free banking for life. It was part of a big push by PTSB 20 years ago or so to get a bigger slice of the current account market. Anyone who still has a PTSB Switch Current Account would be insane to let it go.
EBS do not offer Google Pay, Apple Pay.
EBS do not offer online account set up. You have to book an appointment and it is a painful process.
EBS do not offer online direct debit set up.
EBS do not offer an app.
EBS online banking is not feature rich.
EBS have large FX fees like all Irish banks.
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Apparently you need to fill out a form and bring it into the branch to setup a new payee.
I stand to be corrected but that doesn't appear to be the case (i.e. it seems to be possible to do it online), according to the Online Banking-Transfers and Payments part here:
Support
www.ebs.ie
Also, in the current account best buys on AAM, one possibility given is combining EBS with say N26 or Revolut to get any missing features.
lledlledlled
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Online banking in Ireland has a long way to go if KBC is among the best in class. You can't even display your mortgage balance!
Not looking forward to switching to BOI if it's significantly worse.
My first mortgage was with EBS. When I requested why my annual statement was not sent out to me, they said it was because the address on file was not the same as the house (it was the flat we were renting prior to buying). I informed them we had stopped renting in order to buy the house which they had given us a (FTB) mortgage for! They said they would post me out the change of address form and asked me to come in to a branch with photo ID in order to change it. I LOL'd. This was 2018!
I also have a PTSB switch accounts, so I haven't paid fees in 20 years.
I agree with the points above. The features on the online banking are basic, but its easy to use and always reliable.
I know I'm lucky but in my case, there are very few fancy features worth €720 a year which would entice me to move
Any fresh thoughts on this thread since the last post in November?
Need a new joint account as we'll be leaving KBC. Want to keeps fees low but also want a decent online/app service.
EBS seems a non runner for this.
PTSB looks like a good option except for lack of Google Pay
Need a new joint account as we'll be leaving KBC. Want to keeps fees low but also want a decent online/app service.
EBS seems a non runner for this.
PTSB looks like a good option except for lack of Google Pay
I switched last year as soon as Ulster Bank announced they were leaving.
To KBC
So left it on the long finger till now to switch again. I found the Ulster Bank app / service great and wouldn't have moved if they weren't leaving. Then mostly happy with KBC, except lodging cash is a pain.
I went through the online process for AIB. Got all the way through and it had an error so it told me to visit the bank.
I just tried PTSB yesterday. Downloaded the app, spent the 10 mins answering the questions / taking photos. Today got the notification that my account is set up. Logged in and it all seems straightforward. I'm with SSE Airtricity so the cashback I receive from paying that bill should go mostly towards the monthly fee.
So far the app seems straightforward.
I need to set up an non EU payee and the online portal says I have to visit the branch for that. So that's some hassle. It wasn't a requirement with Ulster Bank. But hopefully I only have to visit the branch once to set up the payee and then can transfer from the app in the future.
To KBC
So left it on the long finger till now to switch again. I found the Ulster Bank app / service great and wouldn't have moved if they weren't leaving. Then mostly happy with KBC, except lodging cash is a pain.
I went through the online process for AIB. Got all the way through and it had an error so it told me to visit the bank.
I just tried PTSB yesterday. Downloaded the app, spent the 10 mins answering the questions / taking photos. Today got the notification that my account is set up. Logged in and it all seems straightforward. I'm with SSE Airtricity so the cashback I receive from paying that bill should go mostly towards the monthly fee.
So far the app seems straightforward.
I need to set up an non EU payee and the online portal says I have to visit the branch for that. So that's some hassle. It wasn't a requirement with Ulster Bank. But hopefully I only have to visit the branch once to set up the payee and then can transfer from the app in the future.
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PTSB have Google Pay now, as of last November.
Would be great to have a table compasison or something outlining what each bank does and doesn't have/charge . This thread seems heavily tilted on peoples individuals needs rather than a like for like of the banks. Unless you can identify with the person posting it's hard to judge the bank tbh. For some charges a main priority when switching form UB/KBC but it seems lower down for others. We just want a basic cheap account with a debit card and either an app/online.