Barclays to offer Irish gold card

Barclays bank is set to offer a gold credit card in the Republic.

The company recently introduced a Manchester United branded credit card here, offering incentives to football fans.

A spokeswoman for the bank would not disclose exact details of the card but said it was likely to mirror the gold card already offered in the UK.

This card has a minimum credit limit of £2,500 (€3,600) and offers a standard interest rate (APR) starting at 11.9%.

The spokeswoman said that the bank had identified an opportunity for growth in the Irish market as the number of individuals with credit cards was likely to expand over the next five years.

Currently there are 1.8 million credit cards issued in Ireland.