What have I done wrong?

Just_Me_9

Hi all, I just want to pick your brains for a minute...

I'm a student, just starting my third year at uni, and I figured it was about time I got a credit card so that I could try my hand at stoozing (getting married next year, so any extra cash would be nice). The problem is, despite having a well-paying job this year (£800 per month), and never having incurred any bank charges, nobody anywhere will give me a credit card.

What am I doing wrong? I have friends in uni who have already maxed out their 0% interest student overdrafts and their 17% interest credit cards. Me, all I want to do is park some more money in a nice high interest account for a year

pixiedust_2

Haven't a clue... I've been working, and had a stable income for the past 3 years, and applied for a credit card a couple of months ago, and got refused. Never have worked out why!

melancholly

getting your first card can be difficult - and things will be harder right now than they have been for a few years. do you have a student account? often they have linked credit cards which offer poor interest rates, but once you've had one of them for a few months, you should be able to get other cards much more easily - and then go for a 0% one

Just_Me_9

Thanks melancholly, I do have a sudent account, and every time I walk into the branch they offer me a credit card! I've always turned them down because it's such a poor deal, and I've never needed/wanted one before. Next time they offer, I'll take it!

Gingernutmeg

Maybe you could check your credit score? Perhaps there's something on there you don't know about or something that's gone on there by mistake ... It only costs a couple of pounds and it might give you a clue.

I don't know many students who've been able to get credit cards that haven't been linked to their student bank accounts though.

Just_Me_9

I know many! One friend of mine has three of the evil things, and, at the tender age of 20 is already £15,000 in debt, with another two years of uni ahead of him.

pixiedust_2

Maybe you could check your credit score? Perhaps there's something on there you don't know about or something that's gone on there by mistake ... It only costs a couple of pounds and it might give you a clue.

Looked at doing this - what's the preferred method of payment for the service? Credit Card!!

smallvillex

Who do you currently bank with? As they should be able to tell you...

My student account is with HSBC...and they were able to tell me...

pavlovs_dog

im a student due to go into the final year of my degree, and i've found that having no credit rating was as bad if not worse than having a bad credit rating.

i've taken the student CC that comes with my student card, i've got a storecard, and ive got another credit card with a good reward system that i use constantly. i treat all of them as debit cards, and always clear my balances in full.

another thing that can help is making sure you are on the electoral register.

i had to appeal to get my store and second credit card, but by sending proof of my income and all my savings they relented and set me up an account. keep badgering them, you'll get there in the end

Savvy_Sue

And DS1 wonders why I keep telling him to get a credit card ...

kr15snw

I have 4 credit cards at the age of 20, but have always just got another when the interest free period runs out. I have about £400 tops on mine at the moment, which will be cleared soon

My first was with Tescos, but I found once you have one the others seem to ease up.

But why not try Barclays as they do a student card. I believe you only have to be in full time education for one of those