Digital bank Monzo has officially launched in Ireland.
From today the British-headquartered bank will offer current accounts and savings options to consumers and businesses here.
That comes after it secured a full banking licence from the Irish Central Bank.
Monzo says 100,000 Irish consumers had signed up to its wait-list ahead of today's launch.
"[We're] excited to bring all those services to customers that can sign up directly today," said Michael Carney, EU CEO of Monzo.
"We have free everyday banking for personal and business customers along with joint and kids accounts, and we're bringing a bank to Ireland that wants to make money work for everyone," he said.
Monzo first launched in the UK in 2017 and today has 15 million customers in that market. However it benefitted significantly from first-mover advantage - which it will not have in Ireland.
Michael Carney said there was clear demand for more banking competition here, and he believed Monzo's offer would attract customers.
"We're bringing a customer-centric approach to business, to both business and personal banking to Ireland and that's really resonating already," he said. "We're the number one digital bank in the UK and people say they love us and I think there's a real opportunity to bring a bank that people will love to Ireland," he stated.
"I don't think many people today say that they would love their banking experience and I think that's our difference," he added.
Monzo is not offering credit cards or loans to Irish customers at the moment - though these are products they offer in the UK.
The bank is also digital-first, meaning it will not have physical branches.
This has proven to be a stumbling block for other banks in the past - with Irish consumers prefering to have the option of a face-to-face option.
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At the same time, the growth of digital and AI-assisted fraud has presented a fresh challenge to digital-only businesses.
However Mr Carney believes Monzo has struck the right balance to garner consumer trust.
"We're Central Bank of Ireland regulated - that helps people feel like they can trust us," he said. "And then we've got industry first fraud features as well.
"We focus very heavily on support - you can call us on our support line or you can get in touch with by e-mail and chat. I think that is how people want to actually interact today," he said.
"And people just want that best in class app experience," he added.
Asked about the Government's plans for savings and investment accounts, Mr Carney said they were a "fantastic" idea and something that was needed in the Irish market.
