Bunq Ireland is an online bank that offers higher savings returns and better online service all for less money than traditional Irish banks. Find out more in our Bunq Ireland Ultimate Review 2024.
This is what you need to know:
Bunq is an online platform who aim to make banking easy for their customers, operating entirely online through it’s mobile app and website.
The one thing that sets it apart from other banks is it’s 3.36% interest on deposits. That’s one of the best deposit rates on overnight savings available, only beaten by Trade Republic. Where Bunq win out over Trade Republic though is you can upgrade to make it your bank account as well.
| Best Instant Saving Accounts | Bunq | Raisin | AIB | N26 | Trade Republic | Revolut |
| Savings Rate (AER) | 2.51% | 2.90% | 0.25% | 1.3% | 2.5% | 1.70% |
| Term | Instant | Instant | Instant | Instant | Instant | Instant |
| Conditions | upto €100,000 | upto €100,000 | no limit | no limit | upto €50,000 | upto €100,000 |
The comparison above is based on the free entry tiers for all banks so is directly comparable, paid tiers have higher rates of interest. These paid tier headline rates are often advertised by some of the banks, but can be misleading a due to the required subscription.
This deposit rate is available for free through Bunq’s Easy Savings plan, and that’s why we think if you’re looking for a bank with a great savings rate, Bunq is one of the best options out there for you.
In this Bunq Ireland Review, we look at who Bunq are, what they offer their customers, how to set up a Bunq Ireland account, the pro’s and con’s of setting up a Bunq Ireland account, and finally we round off this Bunq Ireland Review by looking at some of the alternatives to a Bunq account.
You can also check out our video of how Bunq’s Easy Savings Plan compares to other savings options here.
Who are Bunq?-Bunq Ireland Review 2024
Bunq, the “Bank of the Free”, are a European online banking platform licensed by the Dutch Central Bank. They offer a variety of banking services to their Irish customers, such as debit cards, current accounts, budgeting tools, and money transfers.
Bunq Ireland works through it’s online mobile banking app and website, allowing users to save, spend, budget, and invest all from their phone. This provides customers with a user-friendly interface and convenient access to banking services wherever and whenever they might need them.
What do they offer customers?- Bunq Ireland Review 2024
Bunq offer their customers the choice of a personal, joint, or business account. Once you’ve picked the account you want you’ll need to pick your plan.
There are 4 different Bunq Ireland plans for customers to choose from: The Easy Savings plan, The Easy Bank plan, The Easy Bank Pro, and The Easy Bank Pro XL (Green Account). Here’s a breakdown of the monthly and yearly cost of each plan:
| Cost | Easy Savings Personal Plan | Easy Bank Personal Plan | Easy Bank Pro | Easy Bank Pro XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly | €0 | €2.99 | €8.99 | €17.99 |
| Yearly | €0 | €35.88 | €107.88 | €215.88 |
Easy Savings Plan
For free, users can enjoy Bunq’s Easy Savings plan, which allows users to earn up to 3.36% interest on deposits up to €100,000, as well as withdraw any amount from their account up to two times a month in real-time. Not to mention deposits are 100% insured, with interest paid out to customers monthly.
The extra interest on your savings can really mount up compared to the poor savings rates available from the Irish retail banks.
| Instant Access | APR | Principal | Years | Cumulative | Cumulative Interest | Net of DIRT | Increase Over Irish Banks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average Rate Ireland | 0.11% | €10,000 | 3 | €10,033 | €33 | €10,022 | |
| Bunq | 3.36% | €10,000 | 3 | €11,059 | €1,059 | €10,710 | €687 |
| AIB (Best Ireland Rate) | 0.25% | €10,000 | 3 | €10,075 | €75 | €10,050 | |
| Bunq | 3.36% | €10,000 | 3 | €11,059 | €1,059 | €10,710 | €659 |
Users can also enable the Auto Save feature, which rounds users payments to the nearest € and sends the spare change to their Savings Account.
Easy Bank Plan
For €2.99 a month, users can enjoy the Easy Bank plan. The Easy Bank plan allows users to add IBAN’s from Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain, allowing users to continue loan repayments whilst abroad, send money, and receive payments from other EU countries with no added fees. This feature also allows users to spend and save in more than 15 foreign currencies.
Unlike the Easy Savings plan, the Easy Bank plan includes a physical card, instant payments, refund requests, in-store deposit from 10,000 stores across Europe, switching services, and projections of future account balances. The Easy Bank plan also allows users to create a joint account, allow shared access, and ‘Bunq’ with friends through opening a Bunq pack.
Easy Bank Pro
For an extra €6 a month, users can get the Easy Bank Pro, Bunq’s most popular plan. The Bank Pro plan allows users to budget with up to 25 sub-accounts, provide monthly spending insights, access IBAN’s for each sub-account, and automatically sort income into your budget. The Easy Bank pro account also allows you to save 3% automatically when you spend abroad with their Zero FX feature.
Unlike the Easy Savings and Easy Bank plan, the Easy Bank Pro plan gives customers access to 25 DigiCards, 3 physical cards, invoice scanning, an automatic payment sorter, a secondary PIN, and a metal card. On top of that, the Easy Bank Pro plan also allows users to invest their spare change in stock automatically, receive insights to track their spending, and receive Bunq deals.
Easy Bank Pro XL (Green Account)
Finally, for €17.99 a month users can access the Easy Bank Pro XL. The Easy Bank Pro XL plan focuses on sustainability, with an aim to help the planet become CO2-free within 2 years. With the Easy Bank Pro XL plan, for every you €100 spend, Bunq will plant a tree in one of their reforestation projects. Unlike the other Bunq plans, which will plant a tree for every €1,000 spent. The Easy Bank Pro XL plan is also the only plan to offer purchase protection on metal card purchases. Aswell as the only Bunq plan to include cashback benefits.
Bunq plans Round Up-Bunq Ireland Review 2024
In short, whilst these 4 plans all vary in price, features and services that they offer, all Bunq Ireland plans offer customers with freedom of choice regarding where their money will be invested, a savings account, 24/7 online support, deposit protection, parent access, a travel assistant, instant notifications when money is moved, face and fingerprint ID to keep their account secure, and group expenses.
Bunq also offers a 30-day free trial of all plans, and have made it easy to switch or cancel a plan at anytime.
How do I set up an account?-Bunq Ireland Review 2024
Signing up for any of the four plans Bunq Ireland offer is really simple and straightforward. As part of this Bunq Ireland Review, we went through the Bunq sign up process to see what it entails.
First, select which account you wish to set up. You have the option to set up rather a personal, business, or joint account. Then you need to fill in your personal details. This includes your name, date of birth, email address, home address, and phone number.
Once these details are filled in, you’re given access to a Bunq demo account where you can start using Bunq instantly as part of your 30 day free trial. You can then sign up to access the rest of Bunq’s Ireland’s features.
To sign up, you simply need to confirm your phone number so Bunq can send you a security code to set up your account. Next you’ll need to upload some proof of ID, then once you’re account is verified through an online video call you’re all good to go.
Who can set up an account?
Anyone living within the European Economic Area, as well as those who have recently become refugees due to the war in Ukraine are eligible to set up a Bunq account.
If you are under the age of 18 you will need parental or guardian approval. Keep in mind your parent or guardian must also have a Bunq account.
Pros and Cons to opening a Bunq account – Bunq Ireland Review 2024
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Allows users to choose how their money is invested | Free deposit account, but no free current account options available |
| High interest rates on deposits up to €100,000 | Additional fees with each account |
| Deposits are 100% insured | Fairly expensive premium tiers |
| Offers 24/7 online support | Only available in a limited number of countries |
| Offers a 30 day free trial for all their plans | Some customers report account verification delays |
| Easy to switch or cancel plans | |
| Offer a user friendly interface and easy access to banking services | |
| Has advanced security measures |
What are the alternatives to Bunq?-Bunq Ireland Review 2024
Revolut
Another well known online banking platform used by over two million people in Ireland is Revolut. So what’s the difference between these two online banks? For this Bunq Ireland Review, we’re going to compare the Bunq Easy Bank Plan with the Revolut Standard account, and look at both in terms of their price, their fees, and the features that they offer.
Bunq vs Revolut: Accounts
| Entry Level Current Accounts | Cost per month | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Revolut Standard Account | Free | – Easy money transfers to 2 million Irish customers – Irish IBAN |
| Bunq Easy Bank Plan | €2.99 (30 day free trial) | – Overnight savings rate of 3.36% – Irish IBAN |
Bunq vs Revolut: Features
| Features Offered | Revolut | Bunq |
|---|---|---|
| Cryptocurrency Trading | Yes | No |
| Currencies offered | 28 | 15 |
| Irish IBAN offered | Yes | Yes |
| Account for under 18’s | Yes | Yes |
Bunq vs Revolut: Fees
| Revolut Standard | Bunq Easy Bank | |
|---|---|---|
| ATM Withdrawals Fee | Up to €200- No charge After €200- 2% charge | First 5 withdrawals are €0.99, withdrawals after that are €2.99. |
| Transfer Fee | Free when transferring money to other Revolut accounts. 0.7% fee on what you are sending when transferring money to non-Revolut accounts within Europe. 2.3% fee on what you’re sending when transferring money to non-Revolut accounts outside of Europe (€0.46 minimum fee). | Free to send/receive money. |
| Top-up Fee | Free for EEA Cards Small fee for Non-EEA Cards | 0.5% for EEA Cards 2.5% for non-EEA Cards (first €500 free per month). |
This data was gathered from the CCPC and other sources [1].
Bunq in a nutshell: Is it worth it?-Bunq Ireland Review 2024
To conclude our Bunq Ireland Review, whilst a Bunq account is more expensive than it’s alternatives, this online banking platform offers some amazing features that aren’t being offered by other banks.
If you are looking to save, we believe Bunq are your best option with their 3.36% interest on deposits up to €100,000. We also believe if you are someone who travels often, Bunq’s multiple local IBAN’s are a great way for you to spend abroad without facing any additional fees.
However, if you wish to open a current account with less of a focus on saving or spending abroad, we we believe Revolut may be the better option, as unlike Bunq, Revolut make it easy to send and receive money instantly to other Revolut users at no cost. You can check out our in depth Revolut review here.
You can sign up online to Bunq here.
What’s the Best Online Account for Deposits?
What are the requirements for setting up a Bunq Savings Account?
When is the interest that I’ve earned sent to my Savings Account?
How does Bunq calculate my interest?
On the first of each month, Bunq will then add everything together and pay it to your savings account.