Ulster Bank offers a straightforward choice of credit cards designed to provide a competitive option whatever your financial circumstances. Rates starting from 12.9% to 24.9%.
To make comparing even easier we came up with the Finder Score. Costs, perks and suitability across 120+ cards are all weighted and scaled to produce a score out of 10. The higher the score the better the card – simple.
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
What is Ulster Bank?
Owned by The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Ulster Bank is one of the traditional “Big Four” Irish and Northern Irish banks. With 174 branches across Ireland and Northern Ireland, online account management and customer advisors on hand 24-hours a day, you can manage your money from anywhere at any time.
Ulster Bank credit cards are on the Mastercard network, so there’s no need to worry about card rejection – they can be used at more than 35 million merchants and ATMs worldwide.
What types of card does Ulster Bank offer?
Balance transfer cards. Balance transfer credit cards let you move a card balance from an existing card over to a new card, and then give you a certain period of time in which to repay the balance without being charged interest. Ulster Bank offers multiple balance transfer cards with different 0% periods. Learn more about low rate cards.
Student cards. The Ulster Bank Student credit card comes with a manageable credit limit to help you make the most of student life without building up extra debt. If you pay off your balance in full each month, you could build up a good credit rating. This card offers a longer than usual 0% rate on purchases. It also has no annual fee. Learn more about student credit cards.
What benefits can I get with an Ulster Bank credit card?
It’s accepted widely. Ulster Bank credit cards are issued by Mastercard, one of the biggest credit card providers in the world.
Online banking. Manage all of your money in one place, 24/7, using the Ulster Bank website or app. Advisors are also on hand around the clock to help you over the phone.
Additional cardholder. You can add your spouse, partner or close friend to your credit card through the internet banking service. Additional cardholders must be aged 18 or over.
Fraud protection. If there are any suspicious transactions on your card, Ulster Bank will call you to make sure everything is ok. If your card is lost or stolen, you won’t have to pay for any misuse, as long as you notify the bank as soon as possible.
Applying for an Ulster Bank credit card
It will take about 15 minutes to fill in the online application form. You will need to provide details about your address/addresses for the past 3 years, your bank account and any balance transfers you wish to make. Once submitted, it can take up to 3 weeks to process your application. If you are approved, your new credit card should be with you within 5-7 working days.
Eligibility requirements
To apply for the Ulster Bank credit card, you must:
Be aged 18 or over
Be a permanent UK resident
Have an Ulster Bank current account
Earn at least £10,000 a year
To apply for the Ulster Bank student credit card, you must:
Be aged 18 or over
Be a permanent UK resident
Have an Ulster Bank student account
Why might you not be approved?
Typically, you won’t be approved for a credit card if you’ve got a history of bad debt or don’t meet the above eligibility criteria. If you’ve got an outstanding county court judgement (CCJ) or are on an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) it is also likely you will not be approved. Equally, if you do not have a credit record at all, you may be turned down. It is advisable to go to Experian, or another credit rating agency, to ask for a credit report.
Cost of living support
Ulster are currently waiving late/missed payment fees, overlimit fees and returned payment fees to support customers through the cost of living. Fees will be waived until the end of 2023. However, it’s still important to keep payments on time and stay within your credit limit, or you risk harming your credit score. Learn more about how missed card payments can affect your credit score.
Ulster Bank customer reviews
Ulster Bank has received average reviews from customers, according to review platform Trustpilot. It has a rating of 1.6 out of 5, based on over 200 reviews (updated June 2023). Some customers criticised its poor customer service, and issues with their card being declined when making purchases.
Customer support
You can use the ‘Ask Cora’ chatbox through the Ulster app and is available to support you 24/7. Alternatively, you can phone Ulster’s customer support:
For Gold card holders, call 0345 300 4643 (available 24/7).
For international credit card holders, call 0044 126 850 8018 (available 24/7).
Overview of Ulster Bank credit cards
Representative APR
From 12.9% to 24.9%
0% balance transfer offer
Up to 29 months
0% purchases offer
Up to 20 months
0% money transfer offer
No money transfer offer available
Cashback with brand
Cashback not available
Cashback elsewhere
Cashback not available
Cash advance
From 26.9%
Introductory bonus offer
No introductory bonus offers available
Frequently asked questions
It normally takes about 15 minutes to complete an online application. To ensure you can complete the form accurately, you’ll need to know:
Your address details for the last three years
Your income and employment details
Your bank account number and sort code
You can request a balance transfer as part of your application. Alternatively, you can call the customer helpline once your application has been approved. You can make any number of balance transfers at any time as long as you do not exceed 95% of your available credit limit (you must transfer a minimum of £100).
It can take up to three weeks to process your application and for payment to reach your other accounts. Therefore, you should make payments to your other cards to keep them up to date and avoid any penalty fees.
You can do this through internet banking by selecting ‘Cards’ from the main menu. In the ‘Manage your personal credit card’ section select ‘Manage your credit card limit.’ Add your annual income, requested credit limit and the last 5 digits of your Ulster Bank credit card. Finally, select ‘submit.’ Alternatively, you can call a customer advisor.
Once your application has been approved, your new card should be with you in 5-7 working days.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Chris Lilly is Head of publishing at finder.com. He's a specialist in personal finance, from day-to-day banking to investing to borrowing, and is passionate about helping UK consumers make informed decisions about their money. In his spare time Chris likes forcing his kids to exercise more. See full bio
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Chris has written 602 Finder guides across topics including:
All you need to know about this straightforward and flexible credit card with no fees on overseas transactions.
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Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
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