Rejected for Halifax Rewards Account

Sotonlu

If my oh (who has better credit) applies for a Halifax Rewards account can he later change it to a joint and include me? Or would that not work because of my credit rating?

planteria

i Think that if your other half was successful he would be able to add you later... but either way, if he opens one it's an easy £60/yr:)

Archi_Bald

Your partner's credit record will be affected by yours as soon as you make a joint application. Him adding you to one of his current accounts will count as an application, and Halifax would perform a credit check.

Sotonlu

Archi_Bald wrote: »

Your partner's credit record will be affected by yours as soon as you make a joint application. Him adding you to one of his current accounts will count as an application, and Halifax would perform a credit check.

Oh :O I didn't realise that his credit record would then be affected by mine. I guess I'll have to stick to my lloyds plus accounts and forget about opening a joint one of them too. pity because we lose out on two plus accounts and ironic considering I'm better with finances :S

Sotonlu

planteria wrote: »

i Think that if your other half was successful he would be able to add you later... but either way, if he opens one it's an easy £60/yr:)

It was the cashback that was tempting me, are they much good? Wouldn't be able to use it if it was his main account only though He'd need the card.

innovate

The Halifax and Lloyds cashback schemes aren't terribly exciting since you don't get cashback everywhere. The cashback is also offered to the card holder, not to the account. I.e. on a joint account, each of the account holders will almost certainly get different offers.

Cashback credit cards are preferable as you can get some that pay cashback on all your spending, and you can usually add a second card holder who will get the same cashback deal as the main account holder. Not sure whether there is a credit check involved but I think there might not be - you would need to confirm with the card provider.

Hominu

Sotonlu wrote: »

ironic considering I'm better with finances :S

Yet he's got the better credit report? Ok, now I'm confused.

Sotonlu

Hominu wrote: »

Yet he's got the better credit report? Ok, now I'm confused.

I've only been in the UK for 16 months, so I have no credit history here. They don't trust us shifty foreigners lol

Sanne

Sotonlu wrote: »

I've only been in the UK for 16 months, so I have no credit history here. They don't trust us shifty foreigners lol

Do you have a current account with an overdraft? If not, I'd try to get a (small) one set up to start off your credit history. Then after a couple of years in the UK (I did it after around 24 months) try to get a credit card with your bank, i.e. where your current account is. I got one without problems, though I did have an ISA with them with around £3k in at that time which may have helped (and a £100 overdraft from day one which I never used). Use it for your food shopping etc. and pay off in full each month. Six months later I got another credit card without any issues (went for Nationwide as you can do an online check to get an indication if you'd be accepted which doesn't leave a mark on your credit file) - again, paying this off every month. I also purchased a bed with an interest free credit and paid that off to have a "closed account" on my file, didn't have any issues getting that (after about four years here).

It's a pain initially but once you get going it's relatively easy to build up a sufficient credit history, assuming you don't miss any payments etc.