Intro Rate Cards

• Annual Fee of €76
• Intro Offer of 6m at 0%
• Balance Transfers at 0% for 7m (no fee)
• Free comprehensive multi-trip travel insurance

The premium card offering from the Bank of Ireland comes with an annual fee of €76.18 and you will need to have a good credit history and high income to qualify. You will usually get a sizable credit limit, although the amount will depend on your earnings and other credit that you hold. The interest rate on this card is fairly good and it comes with a good purchases and balance transfer deal. Bank of Ireland is the biggest account and credit card provider in the State.

• No Annual Fee
• Intro Offer of 6m at 0%
• No Balance Transfer Offer

The Bank of Ireland offer the lowest APR of all the student credit cards but the money transfer rate is a whopping 26%. Don’t use for this purpose unless absolutely necessary, as a student overdraft will be much cheaper. You do get 0% on purchases for 6 months, so if you are making any big one off purchases, it gives you some time to clear the balance at no cost. Bank of Ireland is the top of the pile in terms of customer base in the State, and with solid credit card offerings, it is easy to see why.

• No Annual Fee
• Intro Offer of 3m at 0%
• Balance Transfers at 3.9% for 1yr (no fee)

The Ulster Classic card has one of the highest interest rates of all mainstream credit cards in Ireland. The main reason for this is that Ulster are willing to take on higher risk applicants with this particular card, meaning that you could be accepted with little or poor credit history. You don’t get a bad deal either, with an interest free period of 3 months on all purchases and a low rate balance transfer offer which is better than most mainstream cards. This card is suitable for those who need to build their credit rating, or who may have had some issues repaying debts on time in the past.

• No Annual Fee
• Intro Offer of 1yr at 3.83%
• No Balance Transfer Offer

The AIB student card ranks in the middle of the student credit cards available in Ireland in terms of interest rate, but has a great introductory offer on purchases. You can make purchases and pay only 5.9% interest for the first 12 months, making this card cheaper than a personal loan. The main pull for this card is the technology of AIB, which is far better than its competitors, and you can do pretty much all of your banking online. If you are in third level education and have held a bank account for at least 6 months, you should be eligible for this card.

• No Annual Fee
• Intro Offer of 6m at 0%
• Balance Transfers at 0% for 7m (no fee)
• Exclusive offers and experiences

This is Bank of Ireland’s highest rate card, and comes with a less attractive balance transfer offer than their Platinum Advantage card. You do get travel insurance included however and it comes with a decent introductory offer of 6 months at 0%. As an ‘all rounder’ for those with an average credit rating, this is certainly not the worst option available. Bank of Ireland is one of the biggest credit card providers in the state and have different cards pitched at people with a range of credit ratings and income levels. They also rate fairly well in terms of customer service and have the largest branch network of any bank.