Updated September 28, 2026 · SumCue Editorial Team
Bank of Ireland vs Santander UK
Bank of Ireland
Higher score in this comparison
Santander UK
Bank of Ireland vs Santander UK: the differences
| Compare | Bank of IrelandReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Santander UKReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | €30 | £0 |
| APR | 22.1%Lower | 24.9% |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.25%Lower | 2.95% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 7 months | 12 monthsHigher |
| Rewards type | Not confirmed | None |
| Balance transfer fee | Not confirmed | 0% |
| Credit needed | Not confirmed | Good |
Same on both: Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Founded is lower at Bank of Ireland: 1783 vs 1988.
- APR is lower at Bank of Ireland: 22.1% vs 24.9%.
- Currency conversion fee is lower at Bank of Ireland: 2.25% vs 2.95%.
- Balance transfer intro period is higher at Santander UK: 12 months vs 7 months.
- Support channels: only Santander UK offers Chat.
- Features: only Bank of Ireland offers Rewards.
- Features: only Santander UK offers Same day funding.
Our verdict on each
Bank of Ireland
Bank of Ireland suits residents of the Republic of Ireland who want savings, loans and a rewards card from a single long standing bank, with deposits covered by EU DGS up to EUR 100,000. The catch is holding the Classic credit card, at €30 a year and 22.1% APR.
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 | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.5Personal loans carry 0 EUR - no arrangement fee as the arrangement fee, while the card costs €30 a year. | 8.8HigherMonthly fee £0 and annual fee £0 are low, but 2.95% on conversion and 24.9% on the card are not. |
| Offer | 8.7The card lists rewards among its features, plus a 7 balance transfer offer, while SuperSaver pays 3%. | 9.4Higher |
| Trust | 10.0Higher | 9.4 |
Where these facts come from
Bank of Ireland
- personalbanking.bankofireland.com: 8 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- bankofireland.com: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- en.wikipedia.org: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
Santander UK
- santander.co.uk: 14 facts, checked September 26, 2026
- find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk: 1 fact, checked September 26, 2026
How they place
| Ranking | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Savings | 251 of 1492 | 313 of 1492 |
| Loans | 390 of 2043 | 469 of 2043 |
| Personal loans | 347 of 1317 | 418 of 1317 |
| Mortgages | 168 of 853 | 201 of 853 |
| Credit and debit cards | 288 of 1594 | 348 of 1594 |
| Credit cards | 96 of 421 | 111 of 421 |
| Balance transfer cards | 9 of 32 | 12 of 32 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No annual fee | No annual fee |
| Features | Rewards | Same day funding |
| Audience | Not confirmed | Seniors |
| Legal entity | The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland | Santander UK plc |
| Headquarters | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| Founded | 1783Lower | 1988 |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Chat, Phone, Help centreCovers more |
Loans
| Fact | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Loan amount | €2,000 to €75,000 | £1,000 to £25,000 |
| Term | 12 months | 12 to 60 monthsHigher |
| Arrangement fee | 0 EUR - no arrangement fee | 0 GBP |
| Credit check | Hard | Hard |
| Funding time | 24-48 hours after signed credit agreement | Within 2 working days of releasing funds |
| Representative example | Personal loan of EUR20,000 over 5 years at 6.9% variable, 7.1% APR, monthly repayment EUR394.71, cost of credit EUR3,682.60 | Not confirmed |
| Rate type | Fixed | Variable |
| Lender type | Direct lender | Direct lender |
| Free early repayment | Yes | Yes |
| Eligibility | 18 years of age or over, resident in the Republic of Ireland, and an existing Bank of Ireland current account customer registered for 365 online to apply online | 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 |
| Origination fee (%) | 0% | 0% |
| Loan types | Personal, Car, Student | Personal, Debt consolidation, Car |
| Use cases | Not confirmed | Home improvement |
Savings
| Fact | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Headline rate | 3%Higher | 2% |
| Minimum deposit | €5 | £1 |
| Deposit protection | EU DGS up to EUR 100,000 | FSCS up to GBP 85,000 |
| Access terms | Save monthly by Direct Debit only, minimum €5, maximum €2,500; lump sum lodgements are not allowed; after 12 months the account defaults to the Standard Regular Saving variable rate (currently 2% AER) | Instant, penalty-free access; withdrawals by website, Mobile and Online Banking, in branch or over the phone |
| Monthly fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Account kind | Fixed | Easy access |
Mortgages
| Fact | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Initial rate | 3.1%Lower | 4.28% |
| APRC | 3.8%Lower | 6.2% |
| Fixed period | 4 yearsHigher | 2 years |
| Maximum loan to value | 90% | 95%Higher |
| Product fee | €150 to €250 | £999 |
| Purpose | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer, Buy to let, Equity releaseCovers more | Purchase, Remortgage, First time buyer, Buy to let |
Personal insurance
| Fact | Bank of Ireland | 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 | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| APR | 22.1%highest quarter | 24.9%highest quarter | 11.635% |
| Currency conversion fee | 2.25%above the median | 2.95%highest quarter | 1% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 7 monthslowest quarter | 12 monthsat the median | 12 months |
| Balance transfer fee | Not confirmed | 0%lowest quarter | 3% |
Median across 486 listed providers.
Pros and cons
Bank of Ireland
Pros
- Deposits sit under the EU deposit guarantee scheme, EU DGS up to EUR 100,000
- Personal loans fund 24-48 hours after signed credit agreement, with free early repayment
- The SuperSaver account pays 3% at a fixed rate with a minimum deposit of €5
Cons
- The Classic credit card charges €30 a year on 22.1% APR
- Currency conversion on the card costs 2.25%
- The SuperSaver account takes savings by Direct Debit only, and after 12 it reverts to the standard regular saving variable rate
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
Bank of Ireland
Who it suits
- Residents of the Republic of Ireland who already hold a Bank of Ireland current account, since online applications need an existing account
- People who save a set amount each month by Direct Debit rather than in one go
- Borrowers who want a direct lender offering personal, car and student loans
Who should look elsewhere
- Card holders who want no annual fee, where bunq charges €0 a year
- People who need a secured card to start a credit file, where Varo Believe Secured Credit Card charges $0
- Card holders who want to avoid 2.25% on conversion, where Wise charges £0 a year
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
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 | Bank of Ireland | Santander UK |
|---|---|---|
| Ireland | Yes | No |
| United Kingdom | No | Yes |
Questions about each
Bank of Ireland
What rate does the SuperSaver account pay?+
SuperSaver pays 3% at a fixed rate, held for 12 from the day you open it. The minimum deposit is €5, and the rate is fixed for the whole term. Once that term ends the balance moves to the standard regular saving variable rate.
How do I pay into the SuperSaver account?+
Savings go in by Direct Debit only, starting from €5. The account is set up for a habit of regular monthly saving, and it defaults to the standard regular saving rate once 12 has passed.
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
Bank of Ireland
Santander UK