Credit card for building credit history when you have no credit history

rupusp

I am quite new in UK and I would like to start building my credit history just in case. I think the best way to to that is to get a credit card and start spending and repaying. I doubt I could get one from high street bank as I have no credit history at all, except for two credit checks when opening my current bank account.



My situation:

I moved to UK on February and got opened a current account at Halifax but got it closed right after getting my debit card. Stated reason - I didn't pass a credit check. On March I changed my address and got a current account with a debit card at NatWest and got a full time job with a salary of about 1000 GBP per month. Salary paid in cash and deposited to my current account by myself. On May I deposited my savings (about 7k GBP) to this current account. In the middle of May I quit my job, transfered most of my cash to savings account in another bank and moved once more. In the middle of June I got a full time agency job and I'm getting my wage paid to my bank account every week. I also got enlisted in the voters list.



I found some bad credit history cards at badcredit-creditcards.co.uk but maybe you can suggest something, or at leas recommend a best of the worst cards

Simon7685

I don't think you will find it easy to get any credit card at the present time, I would advise waiting until you have been resident in the UK for at least 12 months and preferably living at the same address and on the electoral role.

In the meantime you could consider getting a prepaid credit card, there are one or two out there that can help you build a credit history but it does cost you a monthly fee which I think is around £7. It's not ideal but due to your circumstances it might be a way to think about.

jonesMUFCforever

I agree with previous poster the only cards you are likely to get accepted for are the ones with humongous interest rates or the ones where you have to pay a deposit for.
Have a look at the top of the board for the credit card sticky.

rupusp

Well basically I don't pretty much care about huge interest as I am going to repay in full every month so I'm not paying interest anyway. By doing so I don't loose on interest and get a credit history. Or am I wrong?

Simon7685

No you are not wrong, if you pay in full every month it doesn't matter waht the APR is. However you have only just moved to the UK in the last 4 months and have just registered on the electoral roll in June according to your post.

You have already been refused a bank account due to not passing a credit check, so I would be extremely surprised if a lender would be prepared to give you a credit card. If you are determined to try then your best bet is probably Vanquis but to be honest I just can't imagine you being accepted and it will be another search on your credit report.

At the end of the day it is your decision to make but try and look at things realistically. Your credit report currently has no history on it and it is unlikely it will reflect you being on the electoral role yet and you have only been a UK resident for 4 months. It is not about you personally as far as a lender is concerned it is about your history of paying back credit and meeting your other financial commitments and without that you are very very unlikely to be given credit.

Take a look at https://www.mycashplus.co.uk something like this for 6 to 12 months will help you as much as getting a credit card and paying it in full each month. After getting 6 to 12 months history behind you there may be a chance of you qualifying for a card.