Best bank for free banking and debit vs credit cards

podge3

I need to move from the EBS as they do not do a chip and pin laser card. They are still issuing the swipe kind that are often not accepted in shops any more. I have complained in my local EBS many times and to the EBS hotline but to no avail. The response of a girl in my local branch was to get the money from an ATM before I went shopping. Duh!

So anyhoo the time has come to move on, I think. I'm looking at Ulster Bank for the following reasons:

- they do free banking
- they are largely owned by the UK government so if this country goes belly up then my few coppers may still be safe.

But they do Laser cards - only Visa debit.

Is the Visa debit as widely accepted as the Visa credit card + Laser? Do Lidl + Aldi take it?

On a slightly different note, doesn't a credit card give the purchaser much more protection than a debit card? If I do move, I'm thinking of ditching the credit card.

JTMan

Visa debit is more widely accepted than Laser, especially online.

You have good protection with both credit and debit cards.

dotsman

All the banks offer free banking. Which one to you is a personal preference (There will be people here who have both good and bad things to say about all of them!). At a simple level, the only advice I would give you would be go for one with a branch close to your home/college/work etc. Likewise, I would look at their online banking offerings as that is how you will do most of your banking I assume.

As for debit vs credit. A credit card is much better for people who are financially responsible and are able to control their spending. If you feel you can't, then I would recommend a debit card. With regards laser vs visa debit. For the most part they are the same. From posts here, Laser will have better acceptance in bricks and mortar stores, visa debit in online ones (especially international ones). If you have a credit card, then using a debit card online is not necessary (credit card is better).

love porter

All the banks offer free banking. Which one to you is a personal preference (There will be people here who have both good and bad things to say about all of them!). At a simple level, the only advice I would give you would be go for one with a branch close to your home/college/work etc. Likewise, I would look at their online banking offerings as that is how you will do most of your banking I assume.



Only Ulster and PTSB offer free banking

Other banks require you to do certain things each month to get free banking i.e.
transfer money online
keep a balance above 1500 in your current account etc

dotsman

love porter wrote: »

Other banks require you to do certain things each month to get free banking i.e.
transfer money online

Once every three months with AIB, three times every three months with BOI. Basic things, if which you are not doing, then you don't really need a bank account.

love porter wrote: »

keep a balance above 1500 in your current account etc

Actually, that's just 500 with BOI, and it's only if you don't do three transactions per quarter (above)

In fact, I believe these conditions to be better than no conditions at all. The purpose of them is social engineering. The banks know full well that once a person sees how easy it is to bank online, then they will do it regularly. The problem is that there are still a lot of people out there who "haven't got around to it" or are "afraid of those computer-thing-a-ma-bobs". A little incentive for them to try it is all they need.

homer911

love porter wrote: »

Only Ulster and PTSB offer free banking

Try the NIB Personal Access Account - It IS Free

http://www.nationalirishbank.ie/en-ie/Personal/Day-to-day/Current-Accounts/products/Compare-accounts/Pages/Compare-accounts.aspx