Credit Card Overview
Fact: there are more credit cards than people in Britain and the country's debt problems are amongst the worst in the world.
When choosing a card provider, its policies on responsible lending and debt advice provision are of key importance. The green and ethical concerns you bring to who you bank with, concerns about equal opportunities or the environment, are just as applicable to who you get your credit card from.
This section also looks at the green or ethical worth, as well as the practicalities of charity affinity cards.
Does your credit card provider treat its customers responsibly?
What are charity affinity cards and how do they work?
Does your credit card provider treat its customers responsibly?
Responsible lending
According to the British Banker's Association (BBA), responsible lending means 'providing credit, based on background checks and professional judgement, to people who can accommodate repayments without getting into financial difficulty'. As the sheer number of people in debt today shows, these principles are not always well applied by credit lending institutions. In 2008 our credit card debt hit £54.4bn and continues to rise.
Transparency is key - credit card customers should be presented with the terms and conditions attached to their card up front and in plain English. It is important to check whether your provider has a responsible lending policy in place, and how it is implemented if it does exist.
Debt management
Credit card debt is all too common in the UK. Some financial institutions offer basic in-house debt advice services, the scope of which can vary greatly. Often providers will refer customers to free advice services including the Consumer Credit Counselling Service, the Citizens Advice Bureau and others.
Use our search tool to find details of your provider's debt management services. Information on this subject can be found under 'Responsibility toward Customers'. Alternatively contact your provider directly for further information.
What are charity affinity cards and how do they work?
Affinity card providers make a small donation on behalf of the card holder to the charity it is associated with.
Such charity donations average around 25p per £100 spent. So, in order to donate £100 to your charity of choice you'd have to spend £40,000 with the card. Most providers also make a one-off donation of between £5 and £25 on each new card account.
In their analysis of charity affinity cards moneysavingexpert.com suggest that a more effective way to donate money is to use cash back cards. Cash back cards operate in much the same way as affinity cards except that instead of a charity, additional money goes to the card holder and this money is usually considerably more than a standard charity card donation. The cash back card holder can then donate the money they have earned to the charity of their choice and if eligible, Gift Aid it, so rather than £1 the charity will receive £1.28. Donations on affinity cards are not eligible for Gift Aid.
Your next steps
See our guide Next Steps - Credit Cards for more suggestions on how to find out about your credit card provider's green and ethical policies, how to contact them and how to find the right credit card for you.
Credit Card Search
| Please click on any of the credit card providers below to find out more |  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Credit Card Providers |
Criteria | |||||||||||||||
|
Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 | ||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
23 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16.7 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
31 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
20 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18.1 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33.3 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
40 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
18 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
30 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
33.3 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
14.3 | |||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16.7 | |||||||||
Credit Card Provider
Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct
Green/Ethical Products
AIBIM offers the following actively managed funds in a unit trust structure with a 'mix' of equities, bonds and cash held within the funds.
• AIB Select Ethical Balanced Growth Fund
• AIB Select Ethical Balanced Income Fund
The following 'specialist funds' are also available for investment.
• Allied Irish Charicash (Cash Deposits)
• Allied Irish Charibond (Irish and International Funds)
• Allied Irish Charifund (Irish Equities)
• AIB Chariethcial (International Equities)
AIBIM's ongoing investment policy for the Funds, will take account of the nature of the trading activities carried on by corporations and includes criteria aimed at determining their suitability from an ethical standpoint. Focus will be on excluding areas of common ethical concern including, but not necessarily restricted to, areas such as tobacco manufacturing, pornography, gambling, armaments, oppressive regimes, human rights abuses and environmental issues.
Offers ‘Green Line’ and ‘Green Fund’ products to consumers who undertake projects with a positive impact on the environment. (No evidence to indicate they are available in the UK).
Ethical Lending or Insurance
The bank will not lend money to companies involved in: Weapons, Gambling, Tobacco, animals used in experimental or scientific purposes, activities with a significant environmental impact.
This comes under the Banks conditions for loans to SME’s under the EIB loan scheme and may not apply across the Bank.
http://business.aib.ie/site-files/docs/products/finance-and-loans/TCs.pdf (pg. 10).
No evidence of an ethical lending policy found for Allied Irish Bank (GB). There is no specific reference to who the bank will and will not lend to in their Code of Business Ethics.
However, Allied Irish Bank applies ethical screening criteria in investments and project finance, including, but not necessarily restricted to areas such as: tobacco manufacturing, pornography, gambling, armaments, oppressive regimes, human rights abuses and environmental issues.
Human Rights
No policy was found to indicate that Allied Irish Bank UK avoids lending to or insuring companies that directly contribute to human rights violations.
However, the bank indicates it applies ethical screening criteria for its investments through Allied Irish Investment Managers, including areas such as armaments, oppressive regimes and human rights abuses, amongst others.
Financial Exclusion
- Basic Bank Accounts. (Link Here)
- Internet Banking.
No evidence that the company provides direct financial support to or engages in partnerships with Credit Unions and CDFIs (Community Development Finance Institutions).
- Have a standard that all websites should comply with WA1 accessibility standards (level 2AA) as provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
- AIB will on request provide Braille, or large print statements and correspondence.
- AIB has piloted lower level counters in branches and we are constantly reviewing accessibility to our buildings, taking account of planning issues. 69% of our branches are accessible with 44 ramps/platform lifts having been installed in the last number of years. Entrance doors to branches are also being automated facilitating accessibility.
Has an on-going AIB Microfinance Fund target for 2012. No further information on whether available in the UK or the extent to which it is available.
The bank reports that since 2006, it has been contributing to the Social Finance Foundation (an organisation which makes loan finance available at affordable interest rates to community based projects and micro enterprises, which yield a social and financial return). At the end of 2010 the bank reports that €15 million of these approved loans have been drawn down. The bank initially provided €6.27 million to the foundation and since 2009 has also provided an annual payment of €1.5 million, which will continue to 2021.
Environment
Allied Irish Bank (UK) parent company Allied Irish Banks Plc. environmental policy covers the key areas of climate change, energy efficiency and waste management but not water usage.
Bank appears to be committed to continuing improvement of its policies.
Introduced an Environmental Management System (EMS) at their head office complex at Bankcentre in Dublin. These procedures will enable hm to control and record environmental impacts in the areas of waste generation, electricity and heating fuel consumption, water consumption and wastewater generation.
Carbon Neutral
No commitment to become fully carbon neutral was found.
However the parent company have set challenging energy targets in Ireland - a 20% reduction in AIB's energy consumption and 30% reduction in AIB's carbon footprint by 2014.
Equal Opportunities
AIB’s Groups diversity statement covers the areas of gender, race, age and disability but not sexuality.
Allied Irish Bank (UK)’s parent company Allied Irish Banks has a diversity policy which takes into consideration the key equality issues of race, gender, sexuality and disability.
Women on the Board
10% of board members were women according to figures reported in 2009.
Voluntary Standards & Initiatives
No membership of any relevant charters or initiatives found.
Historically the bank has participated in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) - In 2010 the parent company Allied Irish Banks participated in the report on Ireland by CDP.
Charitable Giving
In 2010 AIB gave €1.82m through 182 local branches to be shared among 546 local deserving children's projects
With regards to community investment and development programmes, Allied Irish Bank reports that it invests in the community through corporate giving programmes and community sponsorship. Its major initiative is the Better Ireland programme, which provides funding to groups working with disadvantaged children.
The Allied Irish Banks Better Ireland programme is currently under review.
Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct
- Current Accounts
- Savings
- Credit cards
- Loans
- Mortgages
- Investments
- Insurance (Only in Ireland)
- Student Finance (Only in Ireland)
Allied Irish Bank (GB) and Allied Irish Bank (GB) Savings Direct
Allied Irish Group (UK) plc.
Registered Office:
4 Queens Square,
Belfast,
BT1 3DJ.
