Best Savings Account for Lump Sums in Ireland (Live Rates)

From SmartSaver.ie, Ireland's independent comparison site. Prices and rates in this guide are checked weekly.

Got €10,000, €50,000 or more sitting in savings? Here are the best instant access accounts that actually pay decent interest on lump sums.

By SmartSaver Team | Published 1 January 2026 | Updated 23 October 2026 | 7 min read

Topics: lump sum savings, instant access savings, bunq ireland, trade republic ireland

If you have a lump sum (€10,000, €50,000, €100,000 or more), you need an instant access account, not a regular saver. The rates are completely different.

The Problem: Misleading "Headline Rates"

When you see banks advertising "3% savings rate," that's almost never for lump sums:

| Bank | Advertised Rate | What It's For | Lump Sum Rate | |------|-----------------|---------------|---------------| | AIB | 3.00% | €1,000/month regular saver | 0.25% | | BOI | 3.00% | €2,500/month regular saver | 0.10% | | PTSB | 2.00% | €2,500/month regular saver | 0.01% |

If you have €50,000 sitting in AIB, you're earning 0.25%, not 3%.

---

Best Lump Sum Savings Accounts (Live Rates)

Prices and rates on this page update automatically from provider websites, checked weekly. Correct as of 2 November 2026.

These accounts pay the advertised rate on your entire balance:

Provider	Product	Rate	Min Deposit	Notice
Bunq	Savings Account	3.11% AER	€0	None
Raisin (Raisin Starter Account)	Demand Deposit	3.1% AER	€1	None
Trade Republic	Savings Account	3.04% AER	€1	None
Revolut	Instant Access Savings (Ultra)	2.75% AER	€0	None
Raisin (Nordax Bank)	Demand Deposit	2.52% AER	€1	None
Raisin (Banca CF+)	Demand Deposit	2.52% AER	€1	None
Raisin (BluOr Bank)	Demand Deposit	2.5% AER	€1	None
Revolut	Instant Access Savings (Standard)	2.5% AER	€0	None

Live data from SmartSaver.ie, checked weekly. Prices correct as of 2026-11-02. Full comparison: https://www.smartsaver.ie/savings

Remember DIRT: multiply any rate by 0.67 for your after-tax return. All accounts listed are covered by an EU deposit guarantee up to €100,000.

---

Top Pick: Bunq

The best instant-access rate right now is 3.11% AER (Bunq).

Rate: up to 3.11% (2.08% after DIRT); after your first threshold date, 1.61% on the first €10,000 and 1.51% above, up to your threshold Maximum: €100,000 Access: Instant, anytime

Why Bunq?

Highest free instant access rate in Ireland

No monthly fees on basic account

Dutch deposit guarantee (€100,000, same as Irish banks)

App-based: opens in 10 minutes

Multiple savings accounts for different goals

The Maths

| Amount (illustrative, at ~3% vs 0.25%) | Neobank rate | AIB | You're Missing | |--------|-----------------|----------------|----------------| | €10,000 | €300/year | €25/year | €275/year | | €25,000 | €750/year | €63/year | €687/year | | €50,000 | €1,500/year | €125/year | €1,375/year | | €100,000 | €3,000/year | €250/year | €2,750/year |

Figures are gross (before DIRT). After 33% DIRT, multiply by 0.67.

How to Open Bunq

Download Bunq app (iOS/Android)

Choose bunq Free (€0 a month) or a paid plan

Verify identity with photo ID + selfie

Transfer money from your Irish bank

Start earning 3.11% until your first threshold date

---

Runner-Up: Trade Republic

Rate: 3.04% AER for new customers (2.04% after DIRT) Headline rate up to: €50,000 Access: Instant

Why Trade Republic?

3.04% AER on uninvested cash for new customers, up to €50,000

Also an investment platform (if you want to invest later)

Partner bank deposit guarantee (€100,000)

Clean, minimal app

1% SaveBack on card spending (invested automatically)

Trade Republic vs Bunq

| Feature | Trade Republic | Bunq | |---------|----------------|------| | Rate | 3.04% AER (new customers) | Up to 3.11% | | Headline rate up to | €50,000 | €100,000 | | Free account | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | | Investment features | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | | Multiple savings pots | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |

Choose Trade Republic if: You might want to invest later Choose Bunq if: You want highest rate on larger sums

---

Alternative: Raisin Fixed Term

If you can lock money away for 1 year, Raisin offers higher rates:

Provider	Product	Rate	Min Deposit	Term
Raisin (BluOr Bank)	1 Year Fixed	3.2% AER	€1	12 months
Raisin (A&G Banco)	1 Year Fixed	3.17% AER	€20000	12 months
Raisin (Banca Profilo)	1 Year Fixed	3.15% AER	€20000	12 months

Live data from SmartSaver.ie, checked weekly. Prices correct as of 2026-11-02. Full comparison: https://www.smartsaver.ie/savings

Trade-off: Money is locked. Can't access until term ends. Choose Raisin if: You definitely won't need the money for 12+ months.

---

Alternative: State Savings (Tax-Free)

State Savings don't have the highest headline rates, but they're DIRT-free:

| Product | Rate | Term | Tax-Equivalent | |---------|------|------|----------------| | 10-Year Bond | 2.66% | 10 years | 3.97% | | 5-Year Certificate | 2.29% | 5 years | 3.42% |

The maths:

Bunq up to 3.11% after DIRT = 2.08% (its 1.61% base rate = 1.08%)
State Savings 5-Year = 2.29% (no DIRT)

State Savings wins if you can lock away for 5+ years.

---

What About Irish Banks?

AIB Lump Sum Options

| Account | Rate | Notes | |---------|------|-------| | Demand Deposit | 0.25% | Instant access | | 1-Year Fixed | 2.00% | Min €15,000, locked | | 2-Year Fixed | 2.26% | Min €15,000, locked |

AIB's fixed rates are competitive, but require €15,000 minimum and lock-in.

Bank of Ireland Lump Sum Options

| Account | Rate | Notes | |---------|------|-------| | On Demand | 0.10% | Instant access | | 1-Year Fixed | 1.75% | Min €5,000, locked | | 2-Year Fixed | 1.95% | Min €5,000, locked |

BOI's rates are lower than AIB and much lower than neobanks.

PTSB Lump Sum Options

| Account | Rate | Notes | |---------|------|-------| | Demand Deposit | 0.01% | Essentially zero | | 1-Year Fixed | 2.00% | Min €5,000, locked |

PTSB demand deposit is essentially 0%. Fixed term is competitive.

Verdict on Irish Banks

For instant access: Neobanks win (around 3% vs 0.10-0.25%) For fixed term: AIB/PTSB competitive, but Raisin often beats them

---

Safety: Are Neobanks Safe for Large Sums?

Common worry: "I have €80,000. Is it safe in Bunq?"

Yes. Here's why:

Deposit Guarantee Comparison

| Provider | Country | Guarantee | Protected Amount | |----------|---------|-----------|------------------| | AIB | Ireland | Irish DGS | €100,000 | | BOI | Ireland | Irish DGS | €100,000 | | Bunq | Netherlands | Dutch DGS | €100,000 | | Trade Republic | Varies by partner bank | Partner banks' DGS | €100,000 |

The EU Deposit Guarantee Directive ensures all EU countries provide equivalent €100,000 protection. Dutch and German guarantees are legally equivalent to Irish.

What If the Bank Fails?

The guarantee means you get your money back (up to €100,000) within 7 working days, regardless of which EU country the bank is in.

Strategy for €100,000+: Split across multiple providers to stay under €100,000 at each.

---

Step-by-Step: Moving Your Lump Sum

From AIB to Bunq

Open Bunq (10 mins)

- Download app - Verify identity - Get your new IBAN

Transfer from AIB

- Log into AIB - Add Bunq as payee (use your new IBAN) - Transfer desired amount - No fees for SEPA transfers

Start earning

- Money arrives same day or next day - Interest calculated daily - Paid monthly Total time: 15-20 minutes

Keep Some in AIB?

You might want to keep:

Emergency buffer for direct debits
Amount you need for daily spending
Float for unexpected bills

Common approach: Keep €2,000-5,000 in AIB for daily use, move the rest to higher-rate account.

---

Tax Considerations

DIRT on Neobank Interest

Revolut does deduct DIRT if you're Irish tax resident. No action needed. Bunq, Trade Republic and N26 don't deduct it, so declare that interest on your tax return.

DIRT on Raisin

Raisin does not deduct DIRT at source. You must declare interest on your tax return.

State Savings

No DIRT. Nothing to declare.

---

Summary: Best Lump Sum Account

| Your Situation | Best Choice | Rate | |----------------|-------------|------| | Want instant access | Bunq | Up to 3.11% | | Might invest later | Trade Republic | 3.04% AER (new customers, up to €50,000) | | Can lock for 1 year | Raisin | 3.20% | | Can lock for 5 years | State Savings Cert | 2.29% tax-free | | Over €100k | Split across providers | - |

Bottom line: Don't leave lump sums in AIB/BOI instant access accounts earning 0.10-0.25%. Move to Bunq or Trade Republic and earn around 3%.

---

Last updated: January 2026

---