Metro Bank's hard credit search despite no credit card or overdraft?

Jlawson118

I was travelling around Germany & Switzerland last month, and just before going I signed up for a Metro Bank account for their free European cash withdrawals. It's something I've been wanting to do for around a year now but I live quite far away from a branch, so I made it a day out with a friend travelling all the way to one :rotfl:

Anyway, when my Clearscore report updated, it is saying that Metro Bank performed a hard search on me, therefore knocking my score down. I know the number itself doesn't matter but I only opened a current account and savings account with them. I was asked in branch if I wanted an overdraft or credit card and I declined them because I didn't need them.

I've never known a hard search be completed for just a current account without these facilities. It does say next to the search that it was a 'Credit Application' when I haven't applied for any credit with them? Which is making me wonder if this is a mistake? Or was it simply just a check to make sure I was genuine?

DCFC79

Did the account come with an overdraft ?

SHill

its call checking your details so you are who you are.

Glad you checked your report so you know they have checked your details. It's a good way to ensure your details are not cloned or having fraudulent activity.

Banking organisations need to know that you are who you say you are.
Plus they may approach you with other relevant banking products you maybe interested in.

System

All major current accounts providers (including Metro) perform a full credit check - even for basic accounts.

Jlawson118

Heng_Leng wrote: »

All major current accounts providers (including Metro) perform a full credit check - even for basic accounts.

I've changed current accounts though over the last few years (for switch bonuses and things) and this is the first account that's ever ran a hard search on me.

The only other account that's ever run a hard credit search on my file would be NatWest for a student account last year, but I could understand that credit search because student accounts have overdraft facilities. They declined me anyway as I was quite late into university.

Metro Bank being the second one to do so

Jlawson118

DCFC79 wrote: »

Did the account come with an overdraft ?

It hasn't come with one, and I just double checked and it does say "£0.00 overdraft" so I'm not sure

Jlawson118

SHill wrote: »

its call checking your details so you are who you are.

Glad you checked your report so you know they have checked your details. It's a good way to ensure your details are not cloned or having fraudulent activity.

Banking organisations need to know that you are who you say you are.
Plus they may approach you with other relevant banking products you maybe interested in.

As long as it's not a mistake then I don't mind! It's just I've never known it for a current account before

binaryuniverse

Jlawson118 wrote: »

The only other account that's ever run a hard credit search on my file would be NatWest for a student account last year, but I could understand that credit search because student accounts have overdraft facilities.

Metro Bank being the second one to do so

Do you check both Equifax and Experian reports? Metro do a search on Equifax. Most banks do the search with Experian.

I've applied for accounts with Tesco, Co-Op, Nationwide, First Direct, Santander, Yorkshire and Metro, in the last year.

Only FD and Metro did an Equifax search. All the rest did a search on Experian.

Jlawson118

binaryuniverse wrote: »

Do you check both Equifax and Experian reports? Metro do a search on Equifax. Most banks do the search with Experian.

I've applied for accounts with Tesco, Co-Op, Nationwide, First Direct, Santander, Yorkshire and Metro, in the last year.

Only FD and Metro did an Equifax search. All the rest did a search on Experian.

Not Experian as such, but I do use the MSE Credit Club that uses that. Although you are right in saying that my hard searches have been performed on there, and upon closer inspection there's searches there even I'd forgotten about.

I opened my FD just short of three years ago so mine isn't there, but I opened a Halifax current account back up after closing it down and that search is there too.

My bad, I don't know why I thought all credit reference agencies worked together somehow :rotfl: