Aqua credit cards - avoid!!

Gromitt

Yes, Aqua have online card management, and you can have it all enabled within about 5 minutes. You can't setup a DD using it however, so you need to do that on your activation call.

crumpetman

Has anyone tried logging into or looking at the aqua credit card site today? It goes to marbles instead and my login details do not work. I haven't bothered to phone up the helpdesk yet, just wondered if anyone had a clue what is going on?

trikidy

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4055657

suiko

I also have perfect credit, and I got accepted. And to cap it all, they have point-blanked refused to increase my limit from £500 a month until at least a year has passed - so it hardly seems like they are encouraging people to spend recklessly!

DragonQ

I'm thinking of getting this card because of the cashback and lack of foreign currency exchange fees (better than paying PayPal 2.5% every time). Does anyone know if this lack of fees includes online payments?

Mr_K

I got approved, don't have anything adverse. In fact always pay credit cards off in full by DD every month, so never pay a penny interest on the things. Only interested in the cashback. The Credit Limit of £500 is disappointing (I have £8k limit on Capital One), but that seems to be standard. . Also you can only earn £100 cashback a year - so there are limits to how good it is, once they've signed up enough punters I expect the 3% to disappear/be reduced. However alongside my Halifax card which gives 2% unlimited on supermarket/petrol, it'll be a nice bonus.

Voyager2002

jooleeloo wrote: »

I applied for a credit card with Aqua, attracted by the 3% cash back. I received a letter this morning declining my application due to my credit history?!? I have a perfect credit history, and the irony is that this is supposed to be a card good for people with a poor credit history. The letter blamed information from Experian, so I phoned them in a panic that there was some fraud happening in my name. Experian confirmed 1) that there is absolutely nothing negative in my credit history, and 2) Aqua had not even performed a credit search.
I phoned Aqua to speak to them about it but after 20 min on hold and being passed around numerous different people, they suggested I purchase a copy of my credit report and post it to them for them to consider an appeal. As if I want to prove to them that I am worthy of their card with its appalling customer service - they can stick their card where the sun don't shine. I don't need their card to know that they should not be recommended to anyone!

What does a credit report cost? I think two pounds, which is almost certainly less than you have already spent on telephone calls.

Since Aqua have told you that they found something adverse in your credit record yet Experian say that they didn't even look, I suspect that somehow Aqua searched someone else's details by mistake. In which case you might as well do as they say and get the cashback.

Mr_K

It might not be be anything to do with Experian and they've just send a standard letter out. For whatever reason they don't want you. Maybe they've signed up enough or you don't fit their profile, although there doesn't seem to be any pattern to the people they are declining - might not be anything negative. Their criteria will no doubt be 'commercially confidential'. Wouldn't surprise me if they are overloaded and doing some sort of random selection.

Move on and forget it - the card looks horrid anyway, if it's a consolation....

BugsyBrowne

Stuart_W wrote: »

Well I've got an excellent credit history and just been accepted for the Aqua card. It does make perfect sense thank you, Bugsy.
The Amex card is no use for me as the majority of my shopping is done with retailers that do not accept it, the 5% cashback with capital one is infact just a promotion for the first 3 months and then reverts to 0.5% for the first £6,000 of spending. The Santander card would get me possibly somewhere between 0.5% and 1% cashback after taking into account the annual fee (I don't buy fuel or use department stores).

But by offering a pure 3% cashback rate on all spending (I'll stop using the card after spending £3,333 until year 2) they are making a loss with me but I will enjoy an easy £100 every year whilst it lasts.

Well it's upto to you but for me a Saturday night out cost me a £100 so saving this over 52 weeks wouldn't really be worth it from my point.

Ps I normally have a takeaway every week which around £15 so me not having that twice a month actually Saves me over £300 a year.

Gromitt

BugsyBrowne wrote: »

Well it's upto to you but for me a Saturday night out cost me a £100 so saving this over 52 weeks wouldn't really be worth it from my point.

To me, I would be thinking "Free night out!", but in reality, I'd never spend that much. A typical night out for me costs £20 - £40, depending on whether I have a meal or not.

So now I just think "Well, I'd be spending the money anyway, might as well get something back!".