Changing from Savings Account to Current Account

aaronjennings

Hello,

Long story short, my grandmother has a Savings Account, however she is unable to withdraw any money from her local branch, because they no longer deal in cash, besides with ATMs. She is also unable to use ATMs, because apparently the card that she was issued for her account was never activated, and can now no longer be activated or even replaced


The preson I spoke to in our local branch said the only way to withdraw money from the account would be to travel to another branch 15km away which, for a 94-year old, is incredibly inconvenient

The person I spoke to suggested that she open a new Current Account, and transfer the money from her Savings Account to it, meaning that she would be issued with a card that would now work properly, and allow her to withdraw her money more easily

I want to confirm whether this information is accurate, before I bring her to her local branch on a wild-goose chase

Thanks

Bank of Ireland: Richard F

Good Morning Aaronjennings,
 
Thanks for reaching out to us here today.
 
We’re sorry to hear that your Grandmother has been experiencing difficulty trying to withdraw cash from her account.
 
Certainly, if you opened a Personal Current Account, this would have a Visa Debit Card with the account that you would be able to withdraw cash at any ATM. It would also allow you to make purchases in shops and online.
 
These accounts can be opened online or in your local branch. You can find more information on these accounts using the below link:
https://personalbanking.bankofireland.com/bank/current-accounts/personal-current-account/features-and-benefits/
 
We hope this information helps. Please don’t hesitate to get back in touch if we can help any further.
 
Thanks,
Richard

aaronjennings

Thank you for your reply

Would she be able to transfer the money from her Saver Account into her Current Account in her local branch which doesn't deal with money, or would she have to withdraw the money from a branch that does deal with cash and then deposit it back into her Current Account?

Bank of Ireland: Richard F

Thanks for getting back to us,

If she opens the Current Account, she can submit an account closure form online to transfer the funds in the Savings Account into the Current Account. This can be done here.

If you would like to keep the savings account open, the best way to make this transfer would be by using www.365online.com, which can be set up in your local branch.

If the branch doesn't have a cashier service, they would not be able to make this transfer.

Thanks,
Richard

aaronjennings

HI there, thanks again for your reply

The link you provided there is only applicable for closing Current Accounts, but it is her Saver Account which she would be closing

Also we were told that her account is not eligible for 365 Banking, so transferring the funds online is not an option

Would this have an effect on whether she would have to go to a cash branch?

Bank of Ireland: Aisling

Thanks for getting back to us here Aaron.

Although the link mentions Current Account, you can also close Demand Deposit Accounts with this online close account form.

If this is not a demand deposit account, and therefore is unable to be set up for online banking then it would be necessary to visit a Cash Service Branch with photo ID and one of my colleagues will be able to transfer the funds to the newly opened Current Account. It may be best to ensure the Current Account has been opened successfully before visiting the branch as this may hinder the transfer and result in a return visit to the branch.

Once the current account has been opened, the branch can transfer the remaining balance from the Savings Account and subsequently close the Savings Account.

If this is a Demand Deposit Account, then the online form can be used to close the account. Upon closure, the form will ask if there is a remaining balance. If a Current Account has been opened before the closure request is made, you can input the new Current Account information in the close account form and the funds will be transferred when the Demand Deposit Account has been closed.

Our online Close Account form is attached here.

Our Current Account Application form is attached here.

I hope this information helps.

Thanks, Aisling.