Post bankruptcy and getting a credit card

alfie74

When I went bankrupt in Oct 2003, I went to open a Co-op basic bank account. I was told it would take 4 weeks to open. In the end it took 9 weeks, but I did get a Visa Electron card. At first there were some places that didn't take it, but it is more widely accepted now. (Perhaps VISA started insisting on merchants to take all their cards?)

The first issue of card was sometimes usable online. It really depended on the retailer. The card did not at the time have a 3-digit CVN number on the signature strip, but triple zero (000) used to work at some places. At others selecting VISA or VISA DELTA was also useful for bypassing retailers that said they didn't take it, but really did.

The second issue on my request was for a replacement with a CVN, which helped with online shopping and more retailers that insisted on having a CVN for a transaction.

The third issue was the chip 'n' pin version which I've had very little problems with.

On going bankrupt I kept my Clydesdale Bank account going. After discussions with the OR and the bank, (I didn't owe them a penny and the account was good, if little used) they let me keep it open but required the chequebook to be returned. It was downgraded to a basic bank account with just a cashcard. Eventually late last year, the CB stopped issuing single use ATM cards and changed everyone with one over to a dual function ATM / Maestro chip 'n' pin card.

On those rare occasions I need to use a credit card. I usually arrange something with one of a couple of good friends who can help out.

99% of my transactions I can successfully complete with my debit card from paying for hotels and flights to hiring cars. Yes, you might have to leave some form of cash deposit, but it doesn't make it impossible to do.

HTH,
Alfie74

Bollinge

Visa Electron is only accepted at places where they have on-line real time authorisation (almost everywhere now), or where the terminal has been updated to accept Electron.

I tried my Electron card in my own terminal, having been refused a telephone transaction by a supplier.

To my surprise it was refused on my machine. I phoned Barclays and asked why I couldn't accept Electron.

"Do you want to take Electron? I'll send an update to the terminal"

Minutes later it worked, so I guess there must be thousands of merchants like me whose terminals have not been updated, and these are the places where you'll get knocked back.