Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Avant Money vs Santander UK
Avant Money
Higher score in this comparison
Santander UK
What sets them apart
| Compare | Avant MoneyReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Santander UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| APR | 6.1% to 19.9%Lower | 24.9% |
| Loan amount | €5,000 to €75,000 | £1,000 to £25,000 |
| Term | 12 to 120 monthsHigher | 12 to 60 months |
| Arrangement fee | 0 (no set up fee) | 0 GBP |
| Rate type | Fixed | Variable |
| Eligibility | Residents of the Republic of Ireland over the age of 18, subject to repayment capacity and financial status | Aged 21 or over, live permanently in the UK, regular yearly income of GBP 10,500+ for loans up to GBP 19,999 and GBP 20,000+ for loans up to GBP 25,000, good credit record |
| Credit needed | Excellent | Good |
| Funding time | Not confirmed | Within 2 working days of releasing funds |
| Representative example | Personal Loan: EUR 30,000 over 5 years at fixed 5.9% (6.1% APR), EUR 578.59 a month, total cost of credit EUR 4,715.41, total amount repayable EUR 34,715.41 | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Credit check (Hard), Lender type (Direct lender), Free early repayment (Yes), Origination fee (%) (0%), Loan types (Personal, Car, Debt consolidation), Use cases (Home improvement).
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Key differences
- Avant Money scores higher overall: 9.4 vs 9.2.
- Avant Money is licensed in 1 more country.
- Avant Money is available in 1 more country.
- APR is lower at Avant Money: 6.1% to 19.9% vs 24.9%.
- Term is higher at Avant Money: 12 to 120 months vs 12 to 60 months.
- Support channels: only Avant Money offers Email.
- Support channels: only Santander UK offers Chat.
- Pricing model: only Avant Money offers Fixed rate.
- Pricing model: only Santander UK offers No annual fee.
- Features: only Avant Money offers Rewards.
Our verdict on each
Avant Money
Avant Money suits Irish borrowers with an excellent credit record who want a fixed rate personal loan at 6.1% to 19.9% with no set up fee. The group also lends for cars, home works and debt consolidation, and takes fixed term deposits, so the offer runs past a single product.
Santander UK
Santander UK suits UK households wanting everyday banking, savings and borrowing from one Financial Conduct Authority regulated bank, with an easy-access saver paying 2% variable. The charges elsewhere, 2.95% for currency conversion and 24.9% on the credit card, are where the case weakens.
Score breakdown
| Area | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.3HigherCosts rest on interest rather than fees: APR of 6.1% to 19.9% on the personal loan, a mortgage product fee of €185. | 8.8Monthly fee £0 and annual fee £0 are low, but 2.95% on conversion and 24.9% on the card are not. |
| Offer | 9.5Higher | 9.4 |
| Trust | 9.4 | 9.4 |
The bill, worked out
Borrow a typical amount over a typical term (estimate at the stated APR)
Avant Money
968.22 to 3,360.55
968.22 to 3,360.55
Santander UK
4,294.5
4,294.5
Avant Money comes out 3,326.28 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Side by side, item by item
| Loan types | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Personal | Yes | Yes |
| Debt consolidation | Yes | Yes |
| Car | Yes | Yes |
| Use cases | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Home improvement | Yes | Yes |
A third option
Prestamiau ES has apr at 0% to 36%, against 6.1% to 19.9% for Avant Money and 24.9% for Santander UK.
Prestamiau ES reviewWhere these facts come from
Avant Money
- avantmoney.ie: 17 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- euclid.eba.europa.eu: 2 facts, checked September 26, 2026
Santander UK
- santander.co.uk: 19 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | 127 of 1492 | 313 of 1492 |
| Loans | 227 of 2043 | 469 of 2043 |
| Personal loans | 203 of 1317 | 418 of 1317 |
| Mortgages | 80 of 853 | 201 of 853 |
| Credit and debit cards | 156 of 1594 | 348 of 1594 |
| Balance transfer cards | 4 of 32 | 12 of 32 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Fixed rate | No annual fee |
| Features | Rewards | Same day funding |
| Legal entity | AVANTCARD DAC | Santander UK plc |
| Headquarters | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1988 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Help centre |
Credit cards
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | €0 | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | Not confirmed | 2.95% |
| Rewards type | Cashback | None |
| Rewards rate | 5% groceries and fuel first 12 months | Not confirmed |
| Balance transfer intro period | 6 months | 12 monthsHigher |
| Balance transfer fee | Not confirmed | 0% |
| Cashback rate | 5% | Not confirmed |
| Card kind | Credit | Credit |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Seniors |
Savings
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 2.72%Higher | 2% |
| Minimum deposit | €2,000 | £1 |
| Deposit protection | EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Access terms | One withdrawal of up to 25% of the balance after the first 8 weeks; no full withdrawal until maturity | Instant, penalty-free access; withdrawals by website, Mobile and Online Banking, in branch or over the phone |
| Monthly fee | €0 | £0 |
| Account kind | Fixed | Easy access |
Mortgages
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | 3.2%Lower | 4.28% |
| APRC | 3.62%Lower | 6.2% |
| Fixed period | 4 yearsHigher | 2 years |
| Maximum loan to value | 90% | 95%Higher |
| Product fee | €185 | £999 |
| Purpose | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer, Buy to letCovers more |
Personal insurance
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Premium from | Not confirmed | £6 |
| Insurance types | Not confirmed | Auto, Home, Renters, Life, Travel, Landlord, Critical illness |
| Provider type | Not confirmed | Broker |
| Monthly payments | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Excess from | Not confirmed | £100 to £500 |
| Cover limit | Not confirmed | Contents sum insured up to GBP 50,000 (Classic), unlimited (Plus) |
| Claims channels | Not confirmed | Online, Phone |
| Age range | Not confirmed | 50 and over |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Avant Money | Santander UK | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 6.1% to 19.9%below the median | 24.9%highest quarter | 9.99 |
| Term | 12 to 120 monthshighest quarter | 12 to 60 monthsat the median | 60 |
| Origination fee (%) | 0%at the median | 0%at the median | 0% |
Median across 1096 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Avant Money
Pros
- No set up fee on the home improvement loan, at 0 (no set up fee)
- Personal loan APR of 6.1% to 19.9% on a fixed rate, against a group median of 14.43%
- Free early repayment on personal loans, so settling ahead of schedule costs nothing
Cons
- Credit checking is hard and the credit bar is excellent, a standard only 2.8% of lenders in the group ask for
- The top of the personal loan rate range is 6.1% to 19.9%, so what you pay depends on your own credit profile
- The deposit is fixed with a €2,000 minimum, and access before maturity is limited to a single partial withdrawal
Santander UK
Pros
- The easy-access saver pays 2% at a variable rate with instant, penalty-free access, and deposit protection is FSCS up to GBP 85,000.
- Personal loans of £1,000 to £25,000 over 12 to 60 carry an origination fee of 0 GBP, and early repayment is free.
- Regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority, with support on chat, phone and help centre.
Cons
- Currency conversion on the basic current account costs 2.95%, against 1% for a typical brand on the site.
- Credit card borrowing runs at 24.9%, well above the 15.5% typical across the site.
- Rewards on the everyday credit card are none.
Who each suits
Avant Money
Who it suits
- Adults living in Ireland who can show repayment capacity and financial status
- Borrowers consolidating existing debt, since personal, car and debt consolidation includes consolidation
- Home owners planning works, given the home improvement loan
Who should look elsewhere
- Cashspace, for borrowers outside Ireland, since it quotes PHP 12 to PHP 36 and Avant Money lends only to Irish residents
- Creduma ES, for a larger euro loan, since Creduma ES starts at from €12,000 against €5,000 to €75,000 here
- Sofkredit, for a Spanish lender, since Sofkredit quotes 10.74% to 18.06% under a Banco de España licence
Santander UK
Who it suits
- Households that want a current account paired with an easy-access saver.
- Borrowers consolidating debt or funding home improvement, given a good credit record and a hard credit check.
- Savers who want instant, penalty-free withdrawals by app, in branch or over the phone.
Who should look elsewhere
- Wise, for regular sending and converting abroad, where the conversion fee is 0.1%.
- bunq, whose plan is priced in euro with a monthly fee of €0, fits euro-based banking better.
- The Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, if a US dollar card with a monthly fee of $0 is the goal.
Current offers
Avant Money
Current offer
Bonus
1% cashback incentive on new or top-up One Mortgages (mortgage product): 1% cashback, e.g. borrow EUR 400,000 and receive EUR 4,000
Eligible new or top-up One Mortgages drawn down between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026; cashback paid within two months of drawdown; lending criteria, terms and conditions apply
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Santander UK
Current offer
Bonus
Get 240 GBP for switching to Everyday Current Account: 240 GBP
Switch to Everyday Current Account
Source, checked September 26, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Avant Money | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Yes | No |
| Spain | Yes | No |
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Avant Money
How much can I borrow from Avant Money and over what term?+
The personal loan runs from €5,000 to €75,000 over terms of 12 to 120. Avant Money lends direct rather than through a broker, and the rate is fixed, so the quoted figure holds for the life of the loan rather than moving with the market. Longer terms cut the monthly payment and raise the total repaid.
What APR do I pay on a personal loan?+
The personal loan is priced at 6.1% to 19.9% on a fixed rate. The personal loan median across the group is 14.43%, so the range opens below the middle of the market, and the point inside the range you are offered depends on your credit profile.
Santander UK
What does the everyday current account cost?+
The monthly fee is £0, and the everyday credit card carries an annual fee of £0. The charge to watch is currency conversion at 2.95% on the basic current account, and help is available on chat, phone and help centre.
Is my money protected?+
Deposits are covered by FSCS up to GBP 85,000, and the bank is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK. Savings pay 2% at a variable rate with instant, penalty-free access.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Avant Money
Santander UK