Feedback on eligiblity calculator

fun4everyone

I guess you guys hear this all the time, and I doubt MSE care very much but under "employment status" there is no option like "Independent Income" or "Unemployed with other income" or even "Unemployed but not claiming benefits".

I do not have a job but I have plenty of declarable income from other sources, such as interest payments and rental income.

That's quite significant for me and I am sure for other people. I had to put unemployed and the calculator told me 0% chance of any card except aqua which had a 10% chance. I doubt that is true.

Anyway hoping to get into cashback and stoozing. Had a credit card for years but from my main bank just for using abroad, never paid much attention to it.

Wish me luck just applied for Amex platinum everyday cashback and waiting on their decision. Screw you MSE calculator!

KingS6

Can you not put Homemaker/House person? I put this and got 95% for Amex (the one me and you are discussing in my thread) and 90% for the Sainsbury's one, a few other good 0% ones etc.

fun4everyone

KingS6 wrote: »

Can you not put Homemaker/House person? I put this and got 95% for Amex

I did consider this but I think it implies you look after the House for someone else who pays the bills. In the same way "unemployed" implies claiming benefits. I don't think it would be a misrepresentation to pick "Homemaker" for myself, but I don't think it would be the truest fit out of what is available either.

Amex themselves had the "Independent income" option which is the perfect fit and shows the flaw in the eligibility calculator. It is no biggy though, you cannot know for sure until you apply was just mentioning it incase anyone else in my situation is put off by the slew of 0% chance returns.

bigadaj

In the modern world then decisions are made by computers generally.

Options are limited by the likely numbers, so those not normally employed will be a limited number and not easily catered for.

It's often possible to appeal decisions to a human underwriter, but if you don't fit into an easily classifiable group then the simple answer is that you aren't a big enough group to make a decmet profit rom.

sjbrun

If you have income from rental properties wouldn't this make you self employed?

rtho782

Yeah, I'd say you are self employed. You make money for yourself.

fun4everyone

Been told quite specifically rental income doesn't count as being self employed, it is "investment income".

CKhalvashi

fun4everyone wrote: »

Been told quite specifically rental income doesn't count as being self employed, it is "investment income".

Who by?

IMO you own an asset and make money from that, in the same way as my company owns assets (well, leases, but for arguments sake) and makes money from them. This would, in absense of a limited company, make you self-employed.

fun4everyone

CKhalvashi wrote: »

Who by?

The company I use to do my tax return for me

CKhalvashi

fun4everyone wrote: »

The company I use to do my tax return for me

IIRC Amex requires an annual income of £20k. Assuming you have this and it can be demonstrated on tax returns, there should be no problem.

fun4everyone

CKhalvashi wrote: »

IIRC Amex requires an annual income of £20k. Assuming you have this and it can be demonstrated on tax returns, there should be no problem.

I checked the requirements carefully before applying and read all the documents. There was no minimum income specified. I do not have that level of income but my application was not immediately declined, it has been referred for further consideration so gl me I guess.