HSBC Gold visa card

FW1000

Hi

Just wondered if anyone knows what the eligiblity criteria are for a HSBC gold visa credit card? The reason I ask (I'll try and keep this short!) is that me & my partner opened a joint current and joint savings account with HSBC last August. In the last month my partner recieved a mailing from HSBC inviting him to apply for a gold visa (it was one of those forms where you only need to sign it, you don't need to provide any additional information such as income etc), he has now received his card.

I have since rang HSBC to apply for a gold visa card for myself, they asked for some details over the phone and the application came back as conditional and they will ring me to confirm whether they will give me a card or not.

Does anyone know why my partner would be eligible and I wouldn't? The only accounts he has with HSBC are the joint accounts which I put more money into than him, whereas I've been with them since 1985 and also have my own current and savings account with them.

When I mentioned to the lady I spoke to that my partner had received a letter inviting him to apply for a card she seemed surprised that I hadn't been written to. One reason she gave for my application being returned as conditional is that as I've already got a HSBC credit card they might want to split the credit limit accross the cards.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

Fiona

svmitche

You didn't specify, so perhaps your salary is not sufficient to qualify for a Gold card? AFAIK, you need to be earning £20,000 pa to qualify.

FW1000

I'm earning £20000 PA in my main job, plus about 3K PA in self employment, so I would have thought I would be eligible. My partner earns about 20K pa, if not a bit less.

Also, they asked me what the joint household income is, does this matter? I thought they looked at your salary?

Any other thoughts?

Galstonian

If you are financially linked with your partner they may take into account their salary during the application (and vice versa). It may just be there as a catch-all to include non-salary items such as pensions, investment interest, dividend income etc.. It could be that they might consider you are overextending yourselves with another card, they may suggest simply becoming a 2nd cardholder. It might be that they think you are trying to play the system for 2 introductory offers and they feel only 1 should be given.

Best to wait and see what they say I think.

FW1000

They said they would get back to me within 24 - 48 hours, I spoke to them Saturday morning and haven't heard anything yet, so I'll give them a ring this evening and see if they've got any updates.

FW1000

I've not heard from HSBC yet and didn't get chance to phone last night.

Do companies have to give you a reason for being declined a credit card?

Just wondered as if they decline it I want to know why.