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Credit Card FAQ's

We’ll answer all your Credit Card questions simply and clearly, so you stay in the know.

Credit Limit

What is a credit limit?

A credit limit is the maximum limit that you can spend on your card. It will vary based on your income and borrowing commitments. We’ll let you know what your limit is when we approve your application. We can also reassess your limit as time goes on.

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Is there a minimum credit limit?

The minimum Credit Card limit is €1,000.

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How do I apply for a PTSB Credit Card?

If you are registered for Open24 online banking, you can download the PTSB app and select “Credit Card Application” and follow the application steps. If you do not yet have any products with PTSB and are not registered for Open24 online banking, you can make a branch appointment to apply for a Credit Card. You will need to bring required documents with you so that we can complete your application.

You can contact us on 0818 50 24 24 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) 9am-5pm and 10am-2pm Saturday and Sunday to make an appointment.

Can I apply for an increase in my credit limit?

If you already have a Credit Card limit with PTSB, you can apply for an increase in your credit limit. The application for an increase will be subject to a credit assessment

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How can I apply for a credit limit increase/decrease?

To apply for a credit limit increase/decrease you can call us on 01 212 42 51 Monday to Friday 10am to 5pm or visit your local PTSB branch. You can make a branch appointment by contacting us on 0818 50 24 24, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) 9am-5pm and 10am-2pm Saturday and Sunday.

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Balance Transfer

How do I transfer my Credit Card balance?

If you have an outstanding balance with another Credit Card provider (within the Republic of Ireland) you can apply to transfer it to a PTSB Credit Card at a 0% (fixed) interest rate for up to 6 months. After 6 months, this defaults to the Annual Purchase Rate (APR).

What is APR?

Annual Purchase Rate (APR) is the yearly cost of your borrowing. It takes into account the interest rate charged and any other fees.

Read the details about Credit Cards and balance transfers here.

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How can I apply for a balance transfer?

You can apply in-app for a Credit Card if you are approved in-app. You can then call our Credit Card team and request a balance transfer. If your application is referred for review by our Credit Card team you can request a balance transfer when they call you back to discuss your application.

You can also make an appointment at a PTSB branch to apply for a Credit Card and complete a balance transfer form.

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Can I apply for a balance transfer if I already have a PTSB Credit Card?

You can apply to transfer your balance from a Credit Card with another provider in the Republic of Ireland to your existing PTSB Visa Credit Card and you'll get the 0% (fixed) interest rate for 6 months provided you have been approved for a sufficient limit on your PTSB Credit Card to cover the balance transfer amount.

What is APR?

Read the details about balance transfer here.

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I recently completed a balance transfer and switched my Credit card. Do I need to pay GSD on both cards?

If you change Credit Card providers mid-year, you’re only liable to pay one amount of GSD. When you close your card with your old provider, you pay GSD. Your old provider will then issue you with a letter confirming that you paid GSD. You must forward this into the PTSB Card Operations team to ensure that you are not charged again for the same period.

PTSB Card Operations,
Main St,
Dundrum,
Dublin 14

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Chip and Pin

What is Chip and PIN?

A PIN (Personal Identification Number) is a way to keep your Credit Card secure. You’ll have to enter your PIN when you use your Credit Card for some purchases and at an ATM. You’ll receive your PIN separate to your new Credit Card in the mail. Your PIN will arrive in 3-4 working days and your Credit Card in 5-7 working days.  

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How do I unblock my Credit Card?

As a security measure, if you enter your PIN incorrectly 3 times, the PIN will block and you won’t be able to use your card at ATM’s or at Chip and PIN terminals (where the PIN is required).

You can request for the PIN to be unblocked by calling us on 0818 50 24 24.

After we’ve unlocked the PIN number, you have to unblock the PIN at an ATM (where you can also change your PIN number if you want to change it to a number you will remember more easily).

Check out our Bank Cards Guide for more info about chip and pin.

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I forgot my PIN. How do I get a PIN reminder?

You can request a PIN reminder by calling us on 0818 50 24 24 Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays) 9am – 5pm and 10am – 2pm Saturday and Sunday. We will issue the reminder to you in the post which should arrive in 3-4 working days.

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Paying my bill

When do I get my statements?

A statement date is the date your new billing period starts and previous billing period ends. There are 4 statement dates available in any given month:

  • 4th of the month
  • 11th of the month
  • 18th of the month
  • 25th of the month

If you receive postal statements, you can expect to receive them up to five workings days after your statement date.

If you receive eStatements, these will be available to view on Open 24 up to three working days after your statement date.

You will receive an SMS each month advising you that your Credit Card eStatement is available to view here. We will never include a link within the SMS for you to click.

You have 25 days from your statement date until your payment is due.

When you apply for a Credit Card, your statement date is automatically set based on the date in the month that you applied for your card. You can change your statement date by calling Open24 at 0818 50 24 24.

Once registered you can also access your eStatements anytime and anywhere online through Open24 or in-app on a registered device. With effect from 6 December 2021, all newly issued bank account eStatements on Open24 and in-app will be available for up to 2 years from the statement issue date for open accounts.

Bank account eStatements issued prior to 6th December 2021 will continue to be available for a maximum of 15 months from the statement issue date for open accounts. We recommend you download and save your eStatement to your password protected personal device to ensure future ease of access.

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How do I opt into eStatements?

If you are a new customer, when you apply for a Credit Card you are automatically opted in for eStatements. They will appear on your online banking on Open24 desktop each month as per your statement date.

If you are an existing customer currently receiving paper statements, you can register for eStatements

  1. In the PTSB banking app by following the instructions on how to register in our FAQ
  2. In Open24 Online Banking by following the instructions on how to register in our FAQ
How do I view eStatements in-app?
  1. On the app home page, click the main menu icon (three lines) in the top left hand corner of the home screen.
  2. Click on 'eStatements'.
  3. You will be required to log in using your Personal Access Number (PAN).
  4. You will then be presented with all eligible eStatement accounts.
  5. Click on the account you wish to view eStatements for.
  6. Select the eStatement you wish to view and it will download in pdf. format in the app.
  7. With effect from 6 December 2021, all newly issued bank account eStatements on Open24 or in-app will be available for up to 2 years from the statement issue date for open accounts. Bank account eStatements issued prior to 6th December 2021 will continue to be available for a maximum of 15 months from the statement issue date for open accounts.

Please note: You must be using version 8.2 on IOS or 8.1 on Android to view eStatements in-app.

How do I opt out of eStatements?

If you wish to receive postal statements instead of eStatements, please call us on 0818 502 424 or +353 1 212 4101; Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm (excluding bank holidays) or Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 2pm. Or you can drop into any PTSB branch.

Are there fees for postal statements?

There are no fees for initial postal statements, however, please be aware a duplicate statement fee is charged at €2.50 per page, capped at €20 per individual account request.

How can I pay my Credit Card bill?

There are a number of ways you can pay your bill:

a) Direct Debits:

You can set up to pay your account by Direct Debit. You have 7 options for how much of your bill you pay:

  1. 2.5%
  2. 10%
  3. 20%
  4. 25%
  5. 50%
  6. 75%
  7. 100% of the balance owing

Whilst we encourage you to set up a Direct Debit when you apply for a Credit Card as it ensures regular on time payments a Direct Debit can be set up at any time to pay your monthly Credit Card bill.

Customers can set up a Direct Debit when applying for a Visa Credit Card by completing this section on the application form either through our online application or in branch. Alternatively, existing customers can complete the Direct Debit Mandate form available here

Direct Debit mandates can be dropped into your local branch or posted to the following address PTSB Card Operations, 56-59 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2.

If you have insufficient funds in your account, the Direct Debit will be returned unpaid and you will be charged an unpaid fee on your Visa Credit Card Account.

b) Through Open24 or telephone banking

You can transfer funds to your Visa Credit Card Account via Open24 (online or telephone banking). Payments from another Bank take up to 3 working days. Payments via Open24 will be processed by the next business day (if made before 5pm).

In order to pay online you need set up your Credit card account as a Payee, You can do this by calling 0818 50 24 24.You will need to have your 16 digit card number at hand in order to set up this payment.

c) Branch

You can lodge cash at any PTSB branch at a cash desk or at one of our Self Service Banking Machines using your Credit Card. You can also lodge a payment at another Bank using the GIRO at the bottom of the statement. Please ensure you print/write your 16 digit Credit Card number on the GIRO. Payments from another Bank can take up to 3 working days to be processed.

Payments made via a PTSB branch will be credited to your account 1 working day later. Our Find a Branch Locator helps you locate your local PTSB and the services offered.

d) Standing Order

You can set up a Standing Order to pay your Visa Credit Card Account -- you must use the following Account details:

BIC: IPBSIE2D
IBAN: IE55IPBS99073270000052
+ 16 digit card number (no spaces)

Please allow up to 3 working days for your payments to clear.

To set up a standing order from your PTSB account you can download the form by clicking here, use the details above to complete the form and your 16 digit card number as the reference.

Completed standing order forms can be dropped into your local branch or posted to the following address:

PTSB Card Operations,
56-59 St. Stephen’s Green,
Dublin 2.

What is the minimum payment I can make to my Credit Card?

The minimum payment due is 2.5% of the balance outstanding or €5.00, whichever is the greater.

Warning: If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears. This may affect your credit rating, which may limit your ability to access credit in the future.

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I paid my PTSB Visa Credit Card and my Direct Debit balance still debited my account, why?

If you wish to make a manual payment to your PTSB Visa Credit Card please ensure that the funds are lodged a minimum of 7 business days prior to your due date in order to avoid your Direct Debit also deducting funds from your account.

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How far in advance of the statement date must the Direct Debit be set up?

As a result of the SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) scheme PTSB requires the following actions from customers in regards to Direct Debit set up and ongoing payment of Direct Debits.

  1. When setting up a Direct Debit customers need to ensure that a new mandate is set up at least 7 business days before the statement due date.
  2. For the second and ongoing Direct Debit payments, customers need to ensure that any amendments to their existing Direct Debit be made at least 5 business days prior to the statement due date.

Please note: The above is applicable for each Direct Debit set up on an account.

You can set this up using our Visa Credit Card Direct Debit mandate form.

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I received a refund onto my card. Do I still need to make a payment?

Yes, if a refund has been received it will not be treated as a payment and therefore the minimum payment amount will still be due to your account.

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Interest Rates

How do interest rates work?

Interest is charged on a daily basis and applied to a Visa Credit Card Account monthly where applicable.

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How long do I have until interest is charged on my account?

You have a maximum of 56 days interest free. When you make a Visa Credit Card transaction on the first day of your new billing period, you’ll get an entire month before that transaction shows up on your statement. Then you have an additional 25 days to make a payment.

If you don’t pay your total balance shown on your statement each month, the interest will be charged to your next statement balance.

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What types of interest are there?

There are 3 main types of interest:

a) Purchase Interest

Purchase Interest is charged on any purchases made with your card.

If you pay your total balance in full and by your due date each month, you won’t be charged interest on purchases.

If you don’t clear your balance in full by your due date each month, you’ll be charged interest from your posting date.

If you make a partial payment you’ll be charged as below:

  1. Interest on the full owing balance from the transaction date to the date the payment is made plus
  2. Interest on the outstanding balance (full balance less any payments made) from the date you make your payment to the next statement date.

For example: a customer has an owing balance of €100 of which they make a payment of €50. The customer will be charged in the following way:

  1. Interest on the full €100 from the transaction date until the payment date plus
  2. Interest of the €50 outstanding from the payment date until the next statement date

b) Balance Transfer Interest

Balance Transfer Interest is interest charged on the balance that you transferred from another provider. This is generally a lower rate of interest for a fixed duration, after which, it reverts to the then purchase interest rate / APR.

Please see here for details on PTSB’s Credit Card balance transfer  offer.

c) Cash Advance Interest

Interest charged on any cash withdrawals made with the card. If the balance is not cleared in full, the interest will be charged from the statement date.

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General

Can I open a joint Credit Card with PTSB?

No, PTSB do not offer joint Credit Cards, However you can add an “authorised” user to your Credit Card account.

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How do I add an authorised user?

You can nominate another person to be an authorised user on your Visa Credit Card account. They’ll get a card and will be able to use your account.

You’ll be referred to as the “Primary Cardholder” or “Principal Cardholder” with the authorised user referred to as the “Secondary Cardholder” or “Authorised User”

The authorised user shares the credit limit that you’ve been assigned. They are not given an additional limit.

We issue only one monthly statement per account – this will show both the name of the primary cardholder and the authorised user.

Authorised users have restricted access to the Visa Credit Card account – they can check the balance and transaction history, but cannot request any changes to the account, apart from card cancellation and replacement.

The principal cardholder must activate the authorised user's card. Principal cardholders can activate the card online on Open24.ie.

Please note: Activating the principal cardholder's card will automatically activate the authorised users card.

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What can an authorised user do?

You’ll be referred to as the “Primary Cardholder” or “Principal Cardholder” with the authorised user referred to as the “Secondary Cardholder” or “Authorised User”.

The authorised user will receive a secondary Credit Card and will be able to carry out transactions.

The authorised user shares the credit limit that you’ve been assigned. They are not given an additional limit.

We issue only one monthly statement per account – this will show both the name of the primary cardholder and the authorised user.

Authorised users have restricted access to the Visa Credit Card account – they can check the balance and transaction history when they call our Contact Centre, but they will not be able to view card limit or transactions on their Open24 online banking. They also cannot request any changes to the account, apart from card cancellation and replacement in the event of a lost, stolen or damaged card.

How do I replace my Credit Card as lost/stolen?

What happens when I receive my new card

Lost/stolen ATM, credit or debit cards, general Card Services (24 hours) call: 

1800 687 687 or +353 1 212 4290 (Free phone 24 hour line within Ireland)

+353 1 212 4290 (Free phone 24 hour line for rest of the EU)

+353 1 212 4290 (Rest of the world 24 hour line. Your call provider may charge you for this call.

Alternatively go to www.visaeurope.com/lost-your-card and find the free phone number for the country that you are in.)

What other charges are associated with a Credit Card?

We have broken down the different fees and charges which may impact you when you have a Credit Card. Please take some time to go through them. Details on the different fees and charges are contained within Visa Credit Card Terms and Conditions.

Government Stamp Duty (GSD)

Government Stamp Duty of €30 is applied to all Credit Cards annually. It is applied retrospectively, for the previous year. If you switch providers mid-year, you’re only liable to pay one amount of GSD. When you close your card with your old provider, you pay GSD. Your old provider will then issue you with a letter confirming that you paid GSD. You must forward this into our Card Operations Team to ensure that you are not charged again for the same period.

However, if you close your Visa Credit Card Account mid-year without switching to another provider, you are liable to pay the €30 Government Stamp Duty when requesting to close the Account.

Government Stamp Duty cannot be refunded or waived.

Over Limit Fee

When you go over your approved credit limit at any time during your payment cycle, we’ll charge an over limit fee. The charge will still apply if you make a payment before the statement date that brings the account back within the agreed credit limit.

Unpaid Payment Charge

If your payment is returned unpaid, i.e. a returned cheque payment or returned Direct Debit, we’ll charge you an unpaid charge.

Late Payment Fee

If you don’t pay at least the minimum payment by the due date, we charge a late payment fee.

Other fees that may be applicable to some providers

  1. Cash Advance Fee: Charge applied when cash is withdrawn from a Visa Credit Card Account.
  2. Duplicate Statement Fee: Charge applied on re-ordered copies of statements that have already been received.
  3. Non-Euro Transactions: Currency Conversion Fee when withdrawing cash or making any purchase with a Visa Credit Card outside of the Eurozone.

We have broken down the different fees and charges which may impact you when you have a Credit Card. Please take some time to go through them. Details on the different fees and charges are contained within Visa Credit Card Terms and Conditions.

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Can I set limits for my card online?

You can contact us to agree spending limits for using your Card online. These are subject to our daily transactions limits and sufficient cleared and available funds in your account. Our contact details are 0818 50 24 24.

What are unrecognized transactions?

If a you don’t recognise a certain transaction on your statement, you can have it investigated further. Please contact us on 0818 50 24 24.

Find out how we keep you secure

Find out more about ICE Credit Card Visa

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How do I activate my Contactless Visa Credit Card?

You will need to activate your Contactless Visa Credit Card before use

Registered customers of OPEN 24 can activate their card online at Open24.ie.

If you are not registered for Open24 you can do so by calling 0818 50 24 24.

Once you are registered you can log into www.open24.ie and activate your Credit Card.

When you are activating your card online you will be asked to complete additional security steps (i.e. you will receive SMS with one time password and you will need to enter 3 random digits from your 6 digit Personal Access Number (PAN)

If you need any help you can call our team on 0818 50 24 24 (or +353 1 212 4865 from abroad)

Contactless will be available once you perform a chip and pin transaction at an ATM or a retailer.

Please note: Activating the principal cardholder's card will automatically activate the authorised users card.

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What happens to my old Credit Card once I receive my renewal or replacement Credit Card?

Your old Credit Card will not be blocked until you use your new renewal or replacement Credit Card. Once you use your new Credit Card for purchases, you will no longer be able to use your old card to pay for purchases or withdraw cash from ATMs.

Important: Please ensure to dispose of your old card securely.

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How do I close my Credit Card Account?

All personal Credit Cards can be closed by the principal account holder in the following ways:

  • Remotely by phone by calling us on 0818 211 611OR +353 1 212 4865
  • By Post (along with a signed letter and a copy of acceptable ID)
  • By attending your local branch in person (you will need to bring along a form of acceptable ID*)

For full information on how to close your Credit Card account click here.

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Tips for managing your Credit Card

  • Check out your Credit card e-Statement regularly which can be done on the PTSB App or Open24. Here is a guide to help you understand your credit card statement.
  • Utilise your interest free period wisely: Know when your statement issue date is and plan your purchases around that to avail of up to 56 days interest free.
  • Create a budget: Try to stick to it, track your expenses and pay off the balance in full every month if possible, a useful budgeting tool provided by the CCPC can be found here.
  • Avoid late fees and negative impacts on your Credit Rating by paying on-time.
  • Whenever possible, pay off the balance in full each month to avoid accruing interest charges.
  • Set up a Direct Debit and pay back the highest percentage you can. Here is a link to outline the potential savings that can be achieved by increasing your d/d repayments (click ‘clearing your credit card tab’ within link).
  • Current Direct Debit repayment options available are available are 2.5%, 10%, 20%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%.
  • Avoid withdrawing cash with your credit card unless absolutely necessary. Cash advances have additional fees and a higher interest rate.
  • Protect your card information: Keep details secure and never share them. Ensure that websites are secure when purchasing online.
  • Avoid unnecessary debt, only use the Credit Card for purchases you can afford to pay off.
  • Understand the Credit Card. Familiarise yourself with T&C's and additional fees.
  • Contact us or any other independent financial support if you are facing financial difficulties.

Additional supports can be found within the links below:

Credit Card repayment difficulties  |  MABS  |  Consumer Rights & Personal Finance - CCPC

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