Credit card missing from file - good or bad?

lanywender

Quick summary: An open credit card (with no current debt) is missing from my credit file. I want to apply for a different card soon, and am wondering "strategically" whether it's better for me to contact the credit agency and have the missing card added to the report or not?

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More details!

I've been having a look at my credit reports from the 3 different agencies and noticed that one of them (not Noddle) has no record of one of my current credit cards.

I've double-checked my report from last year (from the same agency), and the card WAS then listed but shown as "settled". It's now vanished entirely from the report.

I think I know why: a few years ago the card was expiring and my bank was intending not to issue me a new one. However I called them and they reversed the decision and later sent me a new one. But I don't think the credit agency is aware of this, as on last year's credit file it shows the whole account as being 'settled' around the date that the old card was due to expire. And as I say, the account is not present at all on my recent report.

Strategically speaking, as I'm planning to apply for a different credit card in a few months, what do you think I should do? Leave the file alone, or contact the credit agency and get the missing card added back into their system?

The card missing from the file has a £2200 limit and zero current debt. I have another credit card (which IS on the agency's file) with a £3500 limit and am using ~£3100 of that right now (from a 0% B/T deal). I also have a few financing loans on there, adding up to another couple of thousand. All my repayments are up to date.

So basically, right now my "credit utilisation" on this agency's file will look worse than it really is - as in reality I have £2200 more credit available to me than is shown on the report. So that's an argument for getting the card put back on my file. But then, right now it also looks like I have only one credit card - and might therefore be low risk for another. That's an argument for not bothering to update the file. (Also the new card provider might query why I need a third card when I'm not currently using my second one at all). I could repay some of the "visible" card's debt early if need be, so that's a third option as well.

I don't have a very high salary, but my repayments history is clear on all my accounts, so that hopefully that shouldn't be an issue. And I only want the new (third) card I'm applying for because of its foreign cash rate benefits, so I don't even care if the credit limit they give me is quite low; I just want to get approved for it to save myself some money on cash abroad.

So, do you think it would it be better for my application if my "missing" card were put back on the file? Would really appreciate any tips on this!

Tixy

Impossible to say really, some potential lenders may 'prefer' the look of your file as is, and some might have a preference for a customer with your file if the additional account was added.

And of course the potential lender may not even search this credit reference agency anyway.

If your existing debts are quite high compared to your salary then I would probably leave things as they are in your situation and make the application as is.