card for full time student; we cannot confirm or deny if you can or cannot hav a card

Lilly125

So credit card providers are really annoying me. They all tell me "we cannot confirm or deny if you can or cannot have a credit card, the only way to find out is to make an application".

I've told them i'm a full time student with 4000 in my bank account and I just want a card for supermarket shopping to build a score, and even banks that will obviously reject me tell me to make an application (which I have not done because I don't want to ruin my score).

I have no credit history because I've been out of the country since I was 10, and I've just returned 15 years later.

I have had a building society account with 100 pounds in it since I was 4, I don't know if I can use this thing to improve my score, because I saw one credit card application asking how long you have had a bank account or a building society account. It's been untouched for 18 years

I don't want to risk applying and getting rejected, are any of these options completely safe?
aqua cashback 0.5%
luma cashback (coming back later this year)
aqua classic

I like the idea of getting money back, but I don't want to risk making an application on those cards if there is no way I can have one. Aqua customer support refused to tell me if you can get a cashback card without a job as a full time student.

I don't care about interest rates because I intend to pay them off 2 minutes after I make the purchase with internet banking (can I do that?)

CLAPTON

Lilly125 wrote: »

So credit card providers are really annoying me. They all tell me "we cannot confirm or deny if you can or cannot have a credit card, the only way to find out is to make an application".

I've told them i'm a full time student with 4000 in my bank account and I just want a card for supermarket shopping to build a score, and even banks that will obviously reject me tell me to make an application (which I have not done because I don't want to ruin my score).

I have no credit history because I've been out of the country since I was 10, and I've just returned 15 years later.

I have had a building society account with 100 pounds in it since I was 4, I don't know if I can use this thing to improve my score, because I saw one credit card application asking how long you have had a bank account or a building society account. It's been untouched for 18 years

I don't want to risk applying and getting rejected, are any of these options completely safe?
aqua cashback 0.5%
luma cashback (coming back later this year)
aqua classic

I like the idea of getting money back, but I don't want to risk making an application on those cards if there is no way I can have one. Aqua customer support refused to tell me if you can get a cashback card without a job as a full time student.

I don't care about interest rates because I intend to pay them off 2 minutes after I make the purchase with internet banking (can I do that?)

do you have a student bank a/c?
have you asked your bank


one or two credit applications won't do you any harm - searches become irrelevant after a year

Lilly125

I went through the terms and conditions for every student bank account in the area, and they all say you need to have been a resident for the past 3 years. Problem is, I've been away from the country for 15 years.

Unfortunately I am studying a level 3 qualification, which doesn't qualify for student bank account anywhere. I am studying an access to medicine course (level 3 course). I guess I can have a student bank account in 3 years once I start my medicine course if any university accepts me.

Until those 3 years are up though, I'd prefer to build a history.

[Deleted User]

Give aqua a go, or perhaps Vanquis.

But if you get one and you want to build a history, then don't pay off your purchases 2 minutes after you make them. Wait for the statement.

thebritishbloke

Check your credit reports first, make sure you're on the electoral roll for the correct address. If all is in order, just try and apply for a Vanquis or Aqua card. The interest rates are ridiculous, but if you're paying in full it doesn't matter.

Herbalus

I had an Aqua Reward card as a student with no employment, although this was my third card after a student bank CC and a House of Fraser CC, so maybe this helped.

Aqua customer support are notorious for infuriating customers (there were huge threads on here about it a while ago), and different advisors will say different things.

I'd ask your bank, and then apply for one of the cards you mentioned. When I did it, I told them I was a full time student with an income of £10k or so (the value of my student loans plus bursaries etc), because if you put an income of £0 you almost certainly won't get one.

P.S. Luma cashback has been "coming back later this year" since Christmas so don't hold your breath.

meer53

How can you expect anyone to give you an answer if they don't have all the information ? Make an application. Thats the only way you'll find out

KxMx

It's unlikely in my view that you'd get a rewards card straight away in your circumstances.
Aqua basic or Vanquis would be the people to try first. Then after a year or two with them, keeping your account in good order, try for something better.
You have to be realistic about the best you can get though. Myself I just got accepted for a Debenhams card after several years with Vanquis. With my income I think Debenhams is going to be the best form of rewards card I will get.

SuperHan

If they could tell you the answer, then they wouldn't need to bother with the check - they would already have the answer. I had a Natwest student CC and your Santander 123 as a student with a part time job.

Medstudent

The reason they can't tell you is it varies student to student.

Personally I have had an aqua rewards card (when it was 3%) as a student but I had held one with my bank and barclaycard prior to that.

The only one I have been annoyed at was when I applied to amazon and got declined, ask and it was because 'we don't accept students at all' despite it not being in the T&C...

None of them will be completely risk free but you can check using the MSE eligibility checker for the AQUA card, obviously this is not a complete guarantee but if it is showing 90% might be worth taking the risk.

Herbalus

Medstudent wrote: »

The only one I have been annoyed at was when I applied to amazon and got declined, ask and it was because 'we don't accept students at all' despite it not being in the T&C...

It irks me when banks do that. Halifax have the same policy on their Clarity card. Santander had it on their 123 account at one point if you tried to apply a certain way (I think it was online, but I can't remember). I was on my Year Abroad at that point so I classified myself as employed, which I suppose I was technically - I had a contract with the Spanish Ministry of Sport, Education and Culture if anyone asked for it.