Clarification on the MSE Eligibility Calculator

zsolmanz

Hi guys,

I was speculatively looking at the 0.5% MBNA money transfer card:
[MSE]/loans/cut-loan-overdraft-costs (borked link because I'm not allowed to post them).

But the eligibility calculator gives me 0% chance - 'you're not eligible', says it could be income or age or a few other things.

They state a minimum income of 20,000 as the only explicit criteria unless I'm missing something.
However, I get the same result whether I declare my income as 20,000 or 25,000 (my actual income is 19k rising to 25k in Q3).
Don't think it's age either, as mid-20s doesn't seem unreasonable to apply for my third credit card.

Anybody know how much detail the soft check pulls up, and which of these would be a deal-breaker?
My real income, for instance?
Number of recent hard checks?

Candyapple

I've found MBNA's eligibility results to be pretty spot on so if you are getting 0% you must have something wrong with your credit files. You can also try directly on their website if you don't trust the MSE one.

Have you had a previous relationship with MBNA in the past and defaulted?

Are you on the electoral roll?

Do you have a history of late payments, defaults. CCJs?

No-one will have any idea how depth MBNA's soft checks are because each lender is different, but would imagine definitely your real income and number of hard searches would play a big part.

zsolmanz

Candyapple wrote: »

Have you had a previous relationship with MBNA in the past and defaulted?

Are you on the electoral roll?

Do you have a history of late payments, defaults. CCJs?

No, yes, no to all counts.

I figure if it's specifically saying I'm ineligible, it must be excluding me based on their stated eligibility criteria rather than something they won't tell me?
Or can they have hidden eligibility criteria which outright exclude some people even prior to a credit check?
Also, I'm assuming it wants gross income - my post-tax income is significantly below 20k.

Candyapple

It will be your pre-tax annual income that you put down.

Have you tried their own eligibility checker on their website - what does it say?

Have you checked your credit files? The free versions to check your credit files are below:
Experian: https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/creditclub
Call Credit: https://www.noddle.co.uk
Equifax: https://www.clearscore.com

Do you have a lot of debt? Please list all credit card limits along with outstanding balances.

Do you have any other loans / overdraft / car finance etc?

You said you were on the electoral roll - but does it show on all 3 files?

Do you have many other 'credit' accounts showing on your files such as bank account / mobile phone etc.?

Have you made any credit applications in the last 12 months?

starM

My MSE eligibility calculator says Pre-approved for MBNA Cards. However when I went through the MSE link and inputted my details for eligibility check it said - we cannot match pre-approved offer on comparison site so full application has to be made with full credit check.

May this has happened because I am already an MBNA customer. Not sure.

redux

I've found MSE's eligibility test a bit changeable in the past, and still now, for instance the same card listed as 0% or 95% chance, depending on which heading you look under.