Before studying in Ireland, students will definitely consider getting a bank card to facilitate remittances, consumption, etc. But how much do you know about applying for bank cards? Next I will introduce the relevant situation of bank cards.

How to receive living expenses

There are generally three ways for international students to receive living expenses from home, namely remittance, carry-on, and credit card. The remittance is based on the fact that you already have an Irish bank card, so it may take two or three weeks. The amount you carry with you should not be too large. On the one hand, you are worried about safety, so you should open an account and save it as soon as possible after landing. On the other hand, if you exceed the amount through customs, you may be confiscated. Credit cards allow students to spend money abroad and parents pay bills at home, but changes in exchange rates must be taken into account. Travelers' checks have basically withdrawn from the stage of history. They must be exchanged into euros at a bank before they can be used. Moreover, banks have stopped issuing traveler's checks. Credit cards and cash are still the main way to go out.

Which bank to choose to open a card

Regarding opening an account, there are three main large banks in Ireland, namely AIB (/) and Ulster Bank (), which are roughly equivalent to Bank of China, ICBC and China Construction Bank. The status of a category in the lives of Chinese people.

The main advantage of the three major banks is that they have many business outlets. There is one in almost every community and school. Moreover, student accounts will have some discounts such as no annual fee and no handling fee for foreign currency exchange (such as AIB , there will be a large-scale publicity campaign at the beginning of the semester). Since Ireland has a very strict weekend break system, business hours on weekdays are pitifully short compared to those in China; even if you queue up, you will have to wait for hours due to the overly enthusiastic service, so in order to avoid going to the bank early before get out of class ends When the business is closed, it is still necessary to have a convenient business location nearby.

But although these three banks occupy an unshakable leadership position in Ireland, they have very few branches worldwide. So once you travel to Europe or other continents, you will find that there are restrictions everywhere, such as the ATM machine does not recognize it, or the handling fee is more than the money you withdraw.

Of course, you have other choices, such as HSBC and other global banks, or some small banks with more preferential policies. Their status is similar to that of domestic HSBC, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank, China Merchants Bank, etc. If you plan to go to the UK frequently, then having an HSBC card is the best choice, because HSBC has ATMs all over the streets in the UK and does not charge fees for withdrawals from other places; at the same time, as a global bank, Parents can also easily save or remit money in China. However, for daily use, the problem of few outlets is very obvious.

It should be reminded that when applying for visas for other countries in Ireland, you may need a certificate of deposit in the student’s own name and a certain amount, usually thousands of euros. So a local bank card is still very necessary.

Students also need to apply for a credit card

Credit cards are essential for international students, because whether you buy air tickets online or book a hotel, even some websites will require your credit card as a Identity credentials.

To apply for a credit card in Ireland, you may need to provide relevant proof of funds, proof of schooling, etc. In short, it proves that you have a good credit background, you are a student with a clean financial background, you also have the ability to repay, and you will not max out your debt. Then he fled. Although a credit card is not of much daily use, if you don't have it at critical moments, it will be very inconvenient to borrow it from friends, so you always have one.

The main credit cards are visa and master. Some bank cards in Ireland may only have maestro or bank-link, but this may not be accepted at all in the UK and other parts of the world, whether cash withdrawals or card payments. On the last day of my stay in London, the author visited three or four banks on Oxford Street before finally finding an ATM that could withdraw cash.

If you apply for a visa or master credit card at home and take it abroad, it is also a good choice. For details, you can consult large banks such as Bank of China, ICBC, and China Construction Bank. There are many primary and secondary cards, Euro cards, etc. to choose from. However, try not to withdraw cash in foreign countries with domestic cards in Ireland, because Chinese banks have almost no branches in Ireland, and the handling fees may be shocking.

After understanding these situations before studying abroad, I think everyone basically knows how to choose a bank card that suits you.