Best bank for a new international student?

rorschachman

Hi guys,
I'm British, and starting at TCD this September (:D). I'd like to set up an Irish bank account as soon as I arrive.

Which would be the best one to go for? I'm thinking of interest rates, number of branches etc. I saw that Bank of Ireland have a branch on campus, which is clearly a bonus.

Also, in Ireland do you pay charges to withraw money from another bank's ATMs? Also (final one, I promise!) do you pay monthly fees for a current account?

Thanks, and sorry to bother you,
rman

gearoidof

rorschachman wrote: »

Which would be the best one to go for? I'm thinking of interest rates, number of branches etc. I saw that Bank of Ireland have a branch on campus, which is clearly a bonus.

I haven't done research on it, but I think there are 3 main options.
Last year, here's what they used to lure students in:
1) AIB - New students going into 1st year of their undergrad get €50
2) BOI - a free flight to somewhere not of your choosing on a random date
3) Ulster bank - €100 to anyone

BOI has 2 branches on campus, but AIB and Ulster bank have branches right outside front arch.
Interest rates in current accounts are negligible for all of them.

rorschachman wrote: »

Also, in Ireland do you pay charges to withraw money from another bank's ATMs?

Student accounts generally don't have any bank fees associated, I've never paid to use a different bank's ATM

rorschachman wrote: »

Also (final one, I promise!) do you pay monthly fees for a current account?

If you're opening a student account, no

chave

Anglo Irish Bank for all your lending needs is a winner.

rorschachman

Hi gearoidof,
Thanks for the info - that's exactly the kind of response I was hoping for. I'm inclined towards AIB - lots of branches, no fees for things I'm likely to use ( lost cards, stop payment orders etc.), an interest free overdraft up to €1500, and a free "student travelcard". Plus, I'd rather have €50 than a flight on some random date (plus I just read the small print and the flight's administered by "Scream Limited". No jokes!

Sorry to sound like a spokesperson for AIB

For anyone else in a similar situation, I just found this website, which has some relevant info:
http://www.itsyourmoney.ie/costcomparisons/cs_tab_student_current_account.htm

chave wrote: »

Anglo Irish Bank for all your lending needs is a winner.

Am I missing a joke here?

Thanks again,
rman

mardybumbum

I would be inclined to go with AIB also.
Just noticed that they set up a new website recently.

stuff4students.ie

fonpokno

Yeah I'd go with AIB. The free travelcard is really handy and their internet banking is streets ahead of Bank of Ireland.

BlueCam

Actually, since you're British, I'd strongly advise you open an account with Ulster Bank. Two reasons:

- They offer completely free sterling withdrawals from Ulster Bank/Natwest ATMs in the UK, i.e. no commission and no withdrawal charge. (They also offer no commission on currency exchange at any of their branches here, but with a withdrawal charge.) Therefore it would be by far the cheapest way if you need to take sterling out of your account once you're back home.

- They offer Visa Debit cards, unlike the rest of the banks here which offer in cartel-esque manner "Laser" cards. Laser cards, though branded with Mastercard's "Maestro" are highly restricted versions - they don't work anywhere on the internet except on certain Irish websites (even Ryanair only started accepting them a few months ago), while when abroad, they don't work at Point-of-Sale anywhere, even in the eurozone (ATM withdrawals only).

(Also FYI, both AIB and Ulster Bank offer free student overdrafts (no interest rates), AIB's is €1,500 and Ulster Bank's is €750 I believe. However, in AIB's case I would be of the opinion that this is simply misleading advertising: though I was a customer for five years, though I had a part-time job which was paying about €100 into my account every week, I applied for an overdraft and only got €300. It was then that I said fúck this and opened an account with Ulster Bank.)

gearoidof

Open an ulster bank account too, if just for the free €100.

El Siglo

Hey BlueCam, I'm moving to Belfast in September, if I open an Ulster Bank account in say Dublin, would that mean that I could avail of all of those perks you just mentioned?

El Siglo

rorschachman wrote: »

Am I missing a joke here?

Thanks again,
rman

Here's the joke, it's nothing got to do with Irish - British relations, just how this one bank has decimated the economy.

BlueCam

El Siglo wrote: »

Hey BlueCam, I'm moving to Belfast in September, if I open an Ulster Bank account in say Dublin, would that mean that I could avail of all of those perks you just mentioned?

Assuming you still have an address in the Republic, then yeah I don't see why not. The free currency exchange is only available with student accounts though, with normal accounts I believe you still get free commission via Ulster Bank ATM's up north, but you have to pay a withdrawal/transaction fee.

Don't know what the story is with Ulster Bank UK accounts, they could offer free euro withdrawals down here perhaps.

El Siglo

BlueCam wrote: »

Assuming you still have an address in the Republic, then yeah I don't see why not. The free currency exchange is only available with student accounts though, with normal accounts I believe you still get free commission via Ulster Bank ATM's up north, but you have to pay a withdrawal/transaction fee.

Don't know what the story is with Ulster Bank UK accounts, they could offer free euro withdrawals down here perhaps.

I'm going to Queen's after Trinity, I just didn't want to go through a load of hassle of proving I'm going to be living up there and all that racket.

Cheers anyway!