AIB customers will soon be charged 1c cent for ‘tap’ payments.

From May 30, the bank is also introducing a quarterly maintenance fee of €4.50 for current accounts.

It is the third bank to charge for contactless payments, following Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank.

The fees could cost customers an extra €80 a year.

Darragh Cassidy from comparison website Bonkers.ie. believes Irish consumers already pay enough;

He said that the move will “annoy” consumers who may already be paying high mortgage rates.

“The banks are still making lots of money,” he pointed out.