Credit Card Eligibility Confusion...

JP_Esquire

Just tried to use this handy function on the MSE website in order take advantage of the Post Office balance transfer offer of 18 months with a 0.7% fee.

After entering all details* I was sadly told I wasnt eligible for this card.

However, I noticed a number of other cards showing probable success rates of 90% including two Barclaycard deals of over 30 months.

When clicking into them to bring up more info (still on the MSE site), part of the description for both Barclaycards was a section saying minimum income: £20,000.

Now, for the Post Office card, this said £8,000. The income I entered was between these two amounts. I appreciate that the Post Office may turn me down for other reasons then just income but why is the MSE eligibility tool indicating a very high acceptance chance when another section (the minimum income requirement) appears to suggest I have 0% chance of acceptance?

Is the eligibility tool having a crazy moment by seemingly to ignore this key requirement or does it have the ability to read between to the lines etc?

Id love to take advantage of one of these deals but dont necessarily need to. Therefore, I dont want needless searches on my credit file if I can help it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

* On a slight tangent, when entering my details it asked who I banked with. As I have several I simply chose First Direct. Any tips on this section for people in my situation?

AJG384521

Barclaycard offer a soft search(doesn't leave a search on credit file) facility on there website, that will tell you better than the search from this site.

JP_Esquire

AJG384521 wrote: »

Barclaycard offer a soft search(doesn't leave a search on credit file) facility on there website, that will tell you better than the search from this site.

Thanks for the reply.

I wasnt aware of that. However, unfortunately as I already have another Barclaycard already ('freedom rewards' card) that facility isnt open to me. It says I have to use the 'main credit card page.'

Frustratingly, once Im logged in, there doesnt appear to be anyway on the site to reach the eligibility facility, or even apply for any new cards! I have been told on the phone by them already that I am free to apply for other cards but this means I wont be able to use the eligibility checker first!!!

Crikey these firms are annoying!

AJG384521

Can you not just put you don't have a Barclaycard already then see what the eligibility checker says regarding income etc.


The eligibility checker is only for new customers.

JP_Esquire

AJG384521 wrote: »

Can you not just put you don't have a Barclaycard already then see what the eligibility checker says regarding income etc.


The eligibility checker is only for new customers.

Apart from the potentially grey area of fibbing, I assumed that by just checking my address info, Date of Birth etc, the system would say something along the lines of "unable to use this facility."

Looks like Im going to have to phone them again :mad:

Besides, this doesnt explain the confusion caused by MSE's checker. One section saying 90% likely success rate and an other saying a minimum income higher then the one I entered.

Thanks for your help all the same

guesswho2000

If you already have a well managed Barclaycard, you've got a fairly good chance at another, despite it not letting you use the checker as an existing cardholder, for whatever reason.

I have a Freedom Rewards card (which was originally an Initial, I've held it for 9 years or so now), and they instantly approved me for a Platinum BT card back in May.

I also have the Hilton card which, despite always being BC issued, didn't used to be part of their "main" package of cards (they kept their co-branded cards separate until last month) - this is now listed with the other two.