Prepaid Debit and Credit Cards in Ireland


Prepaid  Debit and Credit cards can be used for spending at online shops and high street stores – in the same way as normal Debit and Credit Cards.

A prepaid card is a payment card that can be loaded with money by you or someone else. You can then use the card to pay bills and make purchases at shops, in person, by phone or over the internet.

If you can’t get a “normal” bank account or a credit card  – these prepaid cards can be useful for situations where cash is not an option – such as online shopping.


Comparison of Prepaid Cards in Ireland



Revolut card.

Revolut no longer issues prepaid cards. The Revolut debit card comes with an excellent banking app and funds are now covered by a €100,000 bank guarantee (Lithuanian) . 

  • You can spend in other currencies or exchange up to €1,000 in total every month without any fees . (a 0.5% fee applies after this).
  • On foreign spending, Revolut uses the interbank rate on weekdays and adds 1% on weekends.

More details on Revolut Card in Ireland Here

You Can Apply For a Revolut Card Here


Wise

Wise (Formerly Transferwise) is a lot more than a simple prepaid debit card. With a Wise account you get a “Multi-Currency Account ” that comes with a UK account and sort code plus a Euro account with an IBAN and a USD account. (8 other account currencies are also available). So you can get paid in 10 currencies with your own account details.
Freeze and unfreeze your card whenever you like and get instant transaction notifications on the Wise app.The Wise Multi-Currency Account also comes with an optional debit card. Free to use when spending in Euros and low fees when spending in different currencies. (€7 delivery charge).
You get the interbank rate on spending in currencies you don’t hold on your account. There is a conversion fee that will depend on the currency. For example: –
EUR to GBP or USD or AUD was 0.41% when we checked.
ATM withdrawals are free for the first 2 a month if you withdraw less than €200. After €200 in a month, it’s a 1.75% fee. After 2 withdrawals in a month its a 50p per withdrawal. (Just use ATMs rarely).
More Here on Wise


Bunq

The Dutch bank bunq has the bunq Easy Bank Card which is a prepaid Mastercard credit card.

With the bunq Easy Bank Card , unlike a real credit card,- you can’t spend more than your balance. Every payment will be immediately deducted from your balance. But the card will be accepted like a credit card for car hire and all hotel reservations, unlike prepaid debit cards such as Revolut.
There is a €2.99 a month fee on this card.

The Irish government stamp duty of €30 is NOT charged on the bunq card and no credit checks are required with bunq. Bunq is covered by the Dutch bank deposit guarantee.

ATM fees with bunq are 99c each for the first 5 a month – after the first 5 it’s €2.99 – but with a large maximum daily withdrawal limit of €500 you won’t need to use it very often.


Other prepaid Debit Cards in Ireland

Skrill prepaid Mastercard

(Not recommended due to high fees – but it could be useful for someone who wants to load a card using cash at a shop)

  • €10 annual fee
  • Non Euro spend  = 3.99% charge
  • Usage Fees – Shopping in Euro – No charge
  • ATM 1.75% charge
  • TopUp charges: – Free if done by bank transfer But a 1.9% fee for top-ups from debit cards or credit cards.
  • No inactivity charges

Swirl Prepaid Mastercard


(Not recommended due to high fees – but it allows cash top-ups in stores which might suit some people.)

  • Registration Fee: – Free online or €3.95  over the phone
  • Loading fees: In stores, the fee is €2.99 for top-ups under €350   and €3.99 for top-ups over €350.  Loading by Bank Transfer is  Free.
  • Usage charges
    • when purchasing in Euros online or in shops = 2.95% (min 75c,  Max €2.95)
    • ATM = €1.50
    • – Non-Euro Spending = 5% conversion charge
  • Inactivity Fee = €3.50 a month after 2 months of no usage.

An Alternative Low-Cost Debit Card  from  N26 Bank

An alternative to these “prepaid” debit cards is to use an online  bank account from N26.  It is free to join  – and comes with a “proper” Mastercard debit card – not prepaid.
N26 has no fees when using the debit card to make purchases in Euros or any other currencies. N26 just use the standard Mastercard exchange rates. See more at the N26 Website.

n26

N26 Charges :

  • Loading is free by bank transfer (only method available).
  • Non-Euro ATM cash – 1.7% admin fee.
  • Non-Euro Spending – No Fees
  • First 3 ATM withdrawals in Ireland per month are free.
  • N26 is a fully licenced EU bank – all funds are covered up to 100,00 Euro

See : Revolut and N26 Compared


Mainstream Banks:


See this article for more details about Current Account Charges in Ireland


Debit Card Consumer Protection:

It is useful to know also that  Irish residents have the same protection when buying with a prepaid debit card as with a normal debit or credit card.
If goods don’t turn up you can get Visa or Mastercard to do a chargeback to the retailer’s bank and get a refund.
Credit cards in Ireland have no more protection than debit cards (unlike the UK)


Visa Exchange Rates