Santander want a phone number...

Joe7894

Hi all,

I'm applying for my 1st credit card & liked the sound of cashback from the 123 Santander because I'd make a fair bit of cashback from petrol purchases alone.

The application asks me about my employer & they want a business/company number. Is this the number for HR at the company? Or my own phone number at my desk?

Thanks in advance,

gunsandbanjos

Give them your desk number.

vikingaero

Desk number. Normally so they can verify you, call you for anti-fraud measures and get a debt collection agency to harass you if you miss a payment or default.

planteria

yes, just give them your desk number. i guess they won't call it though..

redux

I'd give a mobile number.

[Deleted User]

I usually put my desk number or the main switchboard.

Surely it's a myth that credit card and loan providers call up HR departments to check on employment. To my knowledge this has never happened to me. I doubt a HR department would be allowed to give out employee details to a random person who calls them up.

vikingaero

Most of the time they want your number so they can verify transactions. If I go mad on eBay/PayPal I get a call to check on suspicious transactions.

andyfromotley

Remember which one you give them and use it for all of your credit applications as many different numbers can be a red flag.

reclusive46

[Deleted User] wrote:

I usually put my desk number or the main switchboard.

Surely it's a myth that credit card and loan providers call up HR departments to check on employment. To my knowledge this has never happened to me. I doubt a HR department would be allowed to give out employee details to a random person who calls them up.

Amex occasionally do this if some fraud checks come back with mismatching employment information (I.e different salary in a very short period of time between applications)

Joe7894

Thanks all. The site accepted my desk number & now I'm waiting to see if I'm approved. Fingers crossed! :-)

GingerBob_3

reclusive46 wrote: »

Amex occasionally do this if some fraud checks come back with mismatching employment information (I.e different salary in a very short period of time between applications)

No proper HR department would ever divulge ANY personal information without explicit agreement from the employee, suspected card fraud or not.

It's right though. I remember maybe 12 years or more ago, when I first applied for an AMEX card they asked "who is the contact at your employer?" Cheeky sods! I answered "I am the contact at my employer"; I got the card. Are they still asking for this outrageous piece of information?