Standard vs non-standard PRSAs
Updated 12 June 2026
Every PRSA product approved by the Pensions Authority is either standard or non-standard. You can tell which from its approval code: codes ending /S are standard, /NS are non-standard — visible on every product in our comparison table.
Standard PRSAs: capped charges, pooled funds
A standard PRSA has legally capped charges:
- contribution charge: maximum 5% of each contribution;
- annual management charge: maximum 1% of the fund per year;
- no other charges are permitted.
Investments are limited to pooled funds, which spreads risk and keeps the product simple. Across the current register, all 63 approved standard products sit within these caps — many below them.
Non-standard PRSAs: no caps, wider choice
Non-standard PRSAs have no charge caps and can offer a wider investment range — more specialised funds, self-directed options, or, in self-invested products, direct holdings of shares and property. The published charging structures are correspondingly more complex: tiered by fund size, split across distribution channels, or layered with underlying investment costs. This is why many non-standard products appear in our table as a charge range with notes.
In the current register, non-standard charges run from below the standard caps (some execution-style products publish AMCs around 0.5%) to well above them (contribution charges up to 15% on some legacy products, and fund charges above 2%).
Points of comparison
| Standard | Non-standard | |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution charge | Capped at 5% | Uncapped |
| Annual management charge | Capped at 1% | Uncapped |
| Investments | Pooled funds only | Wider, incl. self-directed |
| Charging structure | Simple | Often tiered/conditional |
Neither category is better in the abstract: a low-cost non-standard product can undercut the standard caps, and a complex one can far exceed them. The product that suits an individual depends on what they need from it — a judgement for the individual and their regulated advisor.
This guide is general information, not financial advice or a product recommendation. ComparePensions is not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Consult a regulated financial advisor before making pension decisions.