Halifax One - Recently rejected, but told pre-approved?

firsttimestudent

Hi,

A few days ago I applied for a Halifax One credit card (online), an immediate decision was not provided but I was later declined.

Today, when I was in the branch, the customer services advisor told me I'm pre-approved on their system for a £1800 credit limit credit card, asked if I'd like to apply.

At that moment, I asked if she was sure, she said yes - told her about my recent rejection, she wasn't sure why, but said I could try again - she claimed it will not result in another search.

I decided to seek some advice here first before making any decision!

Will the pre-approval that the branch staff mentioned alter the outcome, if I were to reapply?

Thanks!

jimmylees

Id be sceptical about your credit score getting viewed again as that can effect your rating.

binaryuniverse

The card will be based on your internal score with Halifax so shouldn't have resulted in a search in the first place. Possibly you missed a step at your end?
If you go back in to your Halifax they will be be able to do it all there for you. Also, it might be worth asking if they'll remove the search on your file.

Moggles_2

From feedback here, bank customers' hopes are raised time and again by so-called pre-approved cc offers, only to be dashed when the computer says no.

Anecdotal evidence suggests credit cards with generous credit limits are sometimes bundled with new current accounts as a sweetener to attract new business, but you are an existing customer, so there are no guarantees.

An awful lot of forum users have reported failed applications in just these circumstances.

udydudy

Did you apply for the halifax card through online banking or directly through their website?? I would expect the latter and hence the rejection as they only access your credit report and no attention is paid to your good standing account with them!!.

Normally when you are preapproved through an existing relationship with the lender then it is as good as it says it is. So if you have a current or savings account with them and they have said it is preapproved then you can safely apply and AFAIK because it is on an internal scoring it does not result in a Credit Check unless you ask for a higher limit.

My OH got a credit card from halifax last year and it was preapproved and showed up on her online banking and when we took aout her credit report after 6 months there was no search on equifax nor experian.


I would say safely apply but do it at the branch and you should get the card without any hassle or credit check. This has been my experience previously with Barclays and recently with Halifax. The same applies when they offer a preaproved loan on the online banking.

firsttimestudent

Thanks for all your replies up there!

udydudy wrote: »

Did you apply for the halifax card through online banking or directly through their website?? I would expect the latter and hence the rejection as they only access your credit report and no attention is paid to your good standing account with them!!.

You're right, I actually accessed their website through TopCashBack..!

Seems like quite a decision to make! Pros & cons to both sides, though a interest free period of 9 months for purchases may be quite helpful!

firsttimestudent

One final question.

According to my Privacyguard data (Data from Experian, just suscribed on a trial basis), my Online Application was done on Wednesday 2 Dec, but the Credit Search was reported as 3 Dec.

On the credit card application, I was also asked about my current account and sort code number, which I entered my Halifax one.

Could this be the possibility: that it DID in fact gone through the normal internal scoring on Wednesday (no credit search), but as it didn't pass through successfully, the underwriters decided to look at it through an external search the next day?

Thanks!

stclair

Any pre approval offers from banks can still sometimes lead to an external credit score.

Just because internally there system suguests you can have a CC with 5000 limit dont mean you will actually get it !

Joeler

Go for it.

Worst case you get declined, they probably won't credit search you if you do it in branch - if they do you have a reasonable argument for them to remove the search as long as your clear with them from the outset that you have been declined online already.

Good luck, although you may not need it:)

firsttimestudent

Hi guys! Just an update.

Went to branch on Saturday, and the lady kindly showed me their screen which shows the credit limit guaranteed on my account. I went through the application with her - went for the Halifax Extras card (12 months purchases and 9 months BT as I have a Reward account), got quite a reasonable limit, but with a high APR though - 21.9%. Not that it matters as I will pay in full anyway when it's no longer in the promotional period!

Checked my Privacyguard Credit Report (Experian, on 1st month trial) - indeed there were no additional searches. I wasn't overly concerned about the credit search previously as not planning to make any applications in the short term.

So all in all, a happy ending! Thanks all for contributing to this thread!

binaryuniverse

Never let it be said we're not helpful.