Compare credit cards for students in Ireland with introductory purchase rates, cashback and other perks.
The credit cards with the lowest typical APR (Annual Percentage Rate) are shown first
A student credit card can be a helpful way to budget for unplanned costs while you’re studying.
They are designed for students studying at university or college so are slightly different to a normal credit card. Here are some features you can expect to find with a student credit card:
There are three banks in Ireland that offer a student credit card:
To apply for a student credit card, you need to prove you are a current full-time student at a third level institution, such as a university, college or an institute of technology.
You also need to:
You will be required to have a student current account with the bank that issues your credit card.
Using a credit card is great if you can borrow responsibly, but, if you don’t use it sensibly or make your repayments on time, you could end up with debt and financial difficulty.
Here’s a summary of the pros and cons:
In Ireland, you pay a ‘Government Stamp Duty’ on your credit card account. The rate for credit cards is €30 per year per credit card account. Your card issuer will typically collect Stamp Duty on 1st April, in arrears.
Student credit cards are a type of payment card. You can use it to pay for goods and services on credit which you need to pay back within a specified time frame. Your card issuer will set a credit limit so you know the maximum you can spend.
Repayments can be made in monthly instalments to spread the cost or you can pay off the amount you owe in full at the end of each month. The card issuer will charge interest on the amount you owe but if you pay off your balance in full each month, you won’t pay any interest charges.
APR is used to help you understand the cost of borrowing. It’s the official rate used for comparing credit cards and unsecured loans, and is shown as a percentage of the amount you’ve borrowed.
The lower the APR, the cheaper the cost of borrowing should be.
It takes into account the interest rate and additional charges of a credit offer, but not penalties, like late payment fees.
Your credit limit is the maximum amount you can spend on your credit card. In effect, the amount the card issuer is prepared to lend you on the card. In the first year, it is normally around €500.
When you use a debit card, you are using money in your current account from earnings or student funding. Whether you’re getting cash from an ATM, spending in-store or shopping online - you can only spend what is in your bank account and agreed overdraft.
When you use a credit card, you are borrowing money from the credit card issuer. If you don’t repay that full amount within the specified time (typically 56 days), you will be charged interest on these purchases, unless you have a 0% introductory rate on purchases.
KBC is accepting new applications for credit cards until 15th July 2022. However, your credit card account may be transferred to the Bank of Ireland when KBC leaves the Irish market.
Find the top 0% purchase & balance transfer deals with our credit card comparison.