Which is the best bank in Ireland : AIB/Bank of Ireland/Permanent TSB

TestLink

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I am a BOI customer and also have a gold advantage credit card with 3000 Euro credit limit. As I am not satisfied with the level of service they offer and is now thinking of switching to some other bank (prefer AIB) now.

Reasons:
1. I cannot use the BOI ATM card for payment in shops since it it not a laser card like the AIB one
2. I cannot use it for topup or payment of bills online like the AIB internet banking.
3. I am not offered a Credit card protection service like the one offered by AIB (https://www.securesuite.co.uk/aib/re...rtner=aib.visa)
4. I have to set up a separate payment option like direct debit/ 365 online service to pay my credit card bills. I assume that it is taken automatically from the current account in the case of AIB.

Before switching I like to get some feed back and advice from members to know whether that is advisible?

Any reason to stick with BOI?

Both AIB & BOI have branches in Lucan? Which would be close to Adamstown?

Thanks in advance
ITGuru
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DublinWriter

ITguru wrote:

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I am a BOI customer and also have a gold advantage credit card with 3000 Euro credit limit. As I am not satisfied with the level of service they offer and is now thinking of switching to some other bank (prefer AIB) now.

I'm thinking of switching from an MBNA Platinum Visa Card to a Tesco Visa card, primarily because you get .5 Clubcard points for every €1 you spend on the card, and 1 Clubcard point for every €1 you spend in Tescos.

I use NIB/Danske Freebank for my personal a/c as I think it's the best freebanking service around, and you can use their ATM as a Lazer. I find them pretty good.

ircoha

ITguru wrote:

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I am a BOI customer <what account type do u have ?> and also have a gold advantage credit card with 3000 Euro credit limit. As I am not satisfied with the level of service they offer and is now thinking of switching to some other bank (prefer AIB) now.

Reasons:
1. I cannot use the BOI ATM card for payment in shops since it it not a laser card like the AIB one <why not get an Laser card from BOI. Yes 2 cards 2 Govt fees same as AIB: 1 card 2 functions 2 govt fees!!>
2. I cannot use it for topup or payment of bills online like the AIB internet banking. < get the AIB internet then and just keep enough funds there>
3. I am not offered a Credit card protection service like the one offered by AIB (https://www.securesuite.co.uk/aib/re...rtner=aib.visa)
4. I have to set up a separate payment option like direct debit/ 365 online service to pay my credit card bills. I assume that it is taken automatically from the current account in the case of AIB. <No, u can set up a variable DD to cater for that but not generally advisable as u may not have the funds to meet the CC and u will OD the CA and get referral charges and all that nice stuff>

Before switching I like to get some feed back and advice from members to know whether that is advisible?

Any reason to stick with BOI? <you have not really made the case to leave>

Both AIB & BOI have branches in Lucan? Which would be close to Adamstown?
< I have not been in my actual branch for 20 years, why would u need physical access>
<Please clarify ur thinking and I will be glad to help more as this is an area I know a bit about. PM me if u like>

Thanks in advance
ITGuru
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<see in line above>

Idleater

ITguru wrote:

Both AIB & BOI have branches in Lucan? Which would be close to Adamstown?

Closest to Adamstown...

1) AIB
2) PTSB (extra ~20m on foot)
3) BOI (extra (~100m on foot)

Unless any of them open some new branch in Adamstown when it opens...

Of the three, I recommend PTSB. The AIB "free" banking has crappy (but easily dealt with) catches like the BOI one.

L.

TestLink

Is there any practical difference between a AIB VISA laser card and a BOI CIRUS/MAESTRO laser card?

ircoha: why not get an Laser card from BOI. Yes 2 cards 2 Govt fees same as AIB: 1 card 2 functions 2 govt fees!!
Can i return my old ATM card so that I only have to pay charge for only the laser card?

Idleater

ITguru wrote:

Is there any practical difference between a AIB VISA laser card and a BOI CIRUS/MAESTRO laser card?

erm,

I don't think there is such a thing as an AIB VISA Laser card.

There is a visa card (€40 per anum), a Laser/banklink card (€20 per anum) and a Banklink only (€10 per anum).

As far as I know it is the same with all the banks.

In order to get free banking (with AIB and BOI) you need to get the Laser/banklink combo card and make one transaction per quarter.
The PTSB gives you the same card but no limitations so you get "free" banking regardless of how you use the cards/services.

After that, if you want a visa/master card you apply for that seperately.

You can even keep your current visa/master card and still switch banks. The payment will go out via DD (if you set it up that way) from whatever your new bank account is.

L.

ROVER

ITguru wrote:

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I am a BOI customer and also have a gold advantage credit card with 3000 Euro credit limit. As I am not satisfied with the level of service they offer and is now thinking of switching to some other bank (prefer AIB) now.

Reasons:
1. I cannot use the BOI ATM card for payment in shops since it it not a laser card like the AIB one
2. I cannot use it for topup or payment of bills online like the AIB internet banking.
3. I am not offered a Credit card protection service like the one offered by AIB (https://www.securesuite.co.uk/aib/re...rtner=aib.visa)
4. I have to set up a separate payment option like direct debit/ 365 online service to pay my credit card bills. I assume that it is taken automatically from the current account in the case of AIB.

Before switching I like to get some feed back and advice from members to know whether that is advisible?

Any reason to stick with BOI?

Both AIB & BOI have branches in Lucan? Which would be close to Adamstown?

Thanks in advance
ITGuru
...

I think you only have to change your account to a current a/c and not move banks. I bank with BOI and I can do everything you mention above (except point 3).

PRman

Bank of Ireland are muppets. AIB are the most efficient, best service. BOI are absolute jokers. Used to have my business A/C with them but I'll never deal with them again

DublinWriter

PRman wrote:

Bank of Ireland are muppets. AIB are the most efficient, best service. BOI are absolute jokers. Used to have my business A/C with them but I'll never deal with them again

Again, it's all down to the branch.

I had my business account with BOI Malahide and they were A1, I couldn't fault them.

I only switched to Bank of Scotland on the business side as they were offering free banking plus free online banking.

Idleater

PRman wrote:

...AIB are the most efficient, best service...

LOL

Oh wait, that's your experience sorry.

I beg to differ.

L.

r3nu4l

I moved from Ireland two years ago but I banked with both AIB and BOI for 18 years each before I moved. I have to say that from child to teenager-to student and then fully contributing taxpayer AIB always treated me with respect whether I was lodging or withdrawing£1 or €6000. I used branches in Lucan, Maynooth and NUI Maynooth and found them to be friendly and efficient.

BOI was a different matter, the cashiers always treated me as inferior from child to student and were never interested in helping me or advising me when I had very little in my account. The 'attitude' improved when I began saving seriously with them (once I was earning) but my gf got treated very badly (she was still a student) so we closed our accounts and gave all our business to AIB. We couldn't fault AIB to be honest and although there 'free' banking does have catches they are not difficult to adhere to to receive no fees banking.

When (not if) I return to Ireland, whoever I bank with it will not be BOI.

I imagine that either AIB or BOI will open a branch in Adamstown but with good telephone and internet banking these days I rarely have to visit a branch of any bank (UK or Ireland)!

vector

r3nu4l wrote:

...BOI was a different matter, the cashiers always treated me as inferior from child to student and were never interested in helping me or advising me when I had very little in my account. The 'attitude' improved when I began saving seriously with them (once I was earning) but my gf got treated very badly (she was still a student) so we closed our accounts and gave all our business to AIB. We couldn't fault AIB to be honest and although there 'free' banking does have catches they are not difficult to adhere to to receive no fees banking...

me too, I buy alot of bank drafts in sterling, maybe 12 a week, because I buy (and sell) alot of items stuff on ebay (not everyone has paypal, and a credit transfer in GBP is a ripoff). I've noticed that the cashier seems to take longer to write the draft when my balance is low (200) say 8 minutes, then when its high (5000) say 3 minutes. This sounds silly, but 8 mintes waiting at a counter is an age. and in case any is wondering all these drafts are under EUR 500, and do not need the managers signature.

myhandle

vector wrote:

I buy alot of bank drafts in sterling, maybe 12 a week......

LOL, what a pain, you should buy a pile of sterling cash instead from the bank, then you'd even save on the commission fees for each draft

ircoha

DublinWriter wrote:

Again, it's all down to the branch.

I had my business account with BOI Malahide and they were A1, I couldn't fault them.

I only switched to Bank of Scotland on the business side as they were offering free banking plus free online banking.

It is only free if u meet the turnover requiremnt of 500,000 pa through the bank or 42k a month.
typical of the bloody banks and it just shows BOSI are into the small print stuff also. thats me done with those m/fs

DublinWriter

ircoha wrote:

It is only free if u meet the turnover requiremnt of 500,000 pa through the bank or 42k a month.
typical of the bloody banks and it just shows BOSI are into the small print stuff also. thats me done with those m/fs

IRCOHA, we've had a bit of a PM about this, and I really would like to see the email you said where you're getting that info from.

BOS clearly states that Business Banking is free with them. I've been banking with them on the business side for over a year and I've had no bank charges, and their web site clearly states this is the case.