cheque book - how to get one with a poor credit history/record

wullieonline

Is there a way that a cheque book can be obtained when the credit score is off the board?
Easy enough to set up an account and obtain a debit/atm card but what about cheques?

bengal-stripe

Cheque books are only available with full (not ‘basic’) accounts; those are always credit-checked.

If your credit is too ‘off the boards’, the bank will not give you a full account.

jonesMUFCforever

Even full accounts are not guaranteed cheque books these days so if your credit history is as bad as you think then it will be a no no.

Have you considered opening an account with a building society that gives free cheques?
The only downside to this is that yoiu will have to have cleared funds in your account before they will give you the cheque.

JuicyJesus

Is there a reason you need cheques at all? Not want, but need? There are very few reasons that people genuinely need them these days, especially with telephone and Internet banking.

wullieonline

sadly there are still some seriously antiquated bodies that still have not moved into the 21st century and have not updated procedures so that transactions can be carried out in any other way other than via cheques in the post with a completed application form, the worst are local councils

trust me I have tried every way, they have no facility, nor will they find one in the short term

some transactions still require cheques

Dr_Cuckoo3

try thinking outside the box :idea:

Dr_Cuckoo3 wrote: »

If all you want is a chequebook then you could apply for a Bank of Baroda "savings account" http://www.bankofbarodauk.com/retail-banking/deposit-products/savings-accounts/


Which comes with a cheque book and debit card (cards are on hold while they change from Electron )

£100 minimum balance - No Account Maintenance/ Transaction charges (they may charge £1 for standing orders)

Pay in at Nat West branches or BACS

Drawbacks - internet banking is "view only"

The bank does not perform a credit reference check to open an account , they use GB Group to perform an ID search using Call Credit http://www.gb.co.uk/gbgroup/what-we-do/verify-your-customer

I have an account with this bank

It is certainly possible to obtain a bank account with a cheque book without a credit reference search

Also Wesleyan ,if they still offer the account to new customers

wullieonline

now I have something to investigate I can get weaving
many thanks for the very constructive response

will test the water and let you know how I get on as well

dzug1

There are things called postal orders - effectively cheques you buy in advance. Complete with sort code, etc, so noone can say they are no good because they are not a cheque

wullieonline

yes, certainly an alternative but a little bit of a pain if you need to raise 4 or 5 a day
but appreciate the suggestion

the cheques are certainly an easier alternative but at least I have this as a fall-back
thanks indeed for the suggestion

JuicyJesus

wullieonline wrote: »

yes, certainly an alternative but a little bit of a pain if you need to raise 4 or 5 a day
but appreciate the suggestion

the cheques are certainly an easier alternative but at least I have this as a fall-back
thanks indeed for the suggestion

Are you running a business, by any chance?

wullieonline

I was indeed reviewing the possibility of a secondary income and was looking at what would be required

My present position is fine for running general day to day household and was investigating what would be required with regard to those contacts I would need to start dealing with and how they operate. This is when I found that some of them only operate on a basis of cheque with order.
It did come as something of a surprise as I thought banks were phasing cheques out.