Fee free CC with max starting credit (for rentals abroad)

LonelySatellite

Hi my dear MSE forum fellows, this is my first post so first of all greetings for all of you!

Please help me to choose the credit card which will likely to accept me with my bad to medium credit history and give the biggest starting credit enough for car rentals and fee free to use abroad on purchases (I don't care ATM, I have Starling and Revolut for that).

My Reasons:
- First reason: Car rentals in the UK and around the world (often they ask the deposit and all the fees from the same card).
- Second reason: maybe improve my bad credit history but this is only a secondary option really because I can use another credit card to improve my credit history but I can't rent a car with low credit on CC.
- I would like to pay off the balance in full every month.

My background:
- around 10 years with Natwest (£500 overdraft limit on the main account, often used and leaving the balance between £0-£500 randomly for random time);
- PayPal credit of £1000 (fresh);
- Natwest gave me a credit card with £500 years ago which I used randomly with random balance pay off or paying back by monthly minimums - then I stopped using it for months so they didn't send me a new one but converting to a dormant account they said years later - so I continue to pay off the balance with min. payments and then I will close it.
- Natwest said that I need to apply for a new credit account so I did it but they rejected me.
- My credit score around 550 (I learnt from here that this is mainly for me as a guide etc.)

MSE and some credit companies suggested the following credit cards some with high chance to accept me and others I don't know yet.
My main aim to get a credit card which gives me credit to cover a car rental deposit and a 1-3 days rental fees with zero access extra insurance cover fees from the car rental company or some from these amounts - as I learnt that some rental companies do not accept to pay only the deposit of the car rental from credit card and the rest from a debit card.

So which of these is likely to give me the highest starting credit (around £1000-£1500 I guess would be enough for car rental for me) of these travel-friendly credit cards with my not so good credit history?

- Tandem Journey
- Aqua Advance - pre-check accepted me
- Halifax Clarity
- Virgin Travel
- Santander Zero
- Halifax Clarity
- American Express Basic - I'm eligible after their online checker (no fee free but they might give a reasonable amount of starting credit)

Which one to try first?
Thanks for all your help.

[Deleted User]

No one can tell you your limits but the lenders when you apply.

Choose whichever one you think is most suited to you and then apply as appropriate.

Ben8282

If your sole current credit card is a years old dormant Natwest credit card with a £500 credit limitt which you are still paying off with minimum payments (Why?) then I would imagine you will not be particularly attractive to credit card lenders.
If you can afford to travel abroad and rent cars you can afford to repay the years old balance of a dormant credit card with a £500 credit limit.

LonelySatellite

I was thinking about some general conclusion from pragmatism like everybody agrees here that Aqua usually gives a very low amount of starting credit (usually £200-£300) so even if the pre-check says that the probability is 90% or 100% - I can expect a very low amount.

How about the others?
Who is the most generous regarding the starting credit for average people and who is more likely to be greedy or cheap-staker?

LonelySatellite

Ben8282 wrote: »

If your sole current credit card is a years-old dormant Natwest credit card with a £500 credit limitt which you are still paying off with minimum payments (Why?) then I would imagine you will not be particularly attractive to credit card lenders.
If you can afford to travel abroad and rent cars you can afford to repay the years old balance of a dormant credit card with a £500 credit limit.

You are right. I was just lazy and didn't care about. Thanks for your useful and eye-opener advice which I appreciate.
But then I still would like to know about which card I should start. I didn't care my credit history because I try to live without any debt or credit, just this damned car rental custom now is the obstacle. I hope the last.

Ben8282

As has already been st5ated it is impossible to say what your credit limit will be in advance.
But I would strongly suggest that no application are made until the Natwest card is repaid in full.

[Deleted User]

LonelySatellite wrote: »

I was thinking about some general conclusion from pragmatism like everybody agrees here that Aqua usually gives a very low amount of starting credit (usually £200-£300) so even if the pre-check says that the probability is 90% or 100% - I can expect a very low amount.

How about the others?
Who is the most generous regarding the starting credit for average people and who is more likely to be greedy or cheap-staker?

People have been given £1500 with Aqua as a starting limit.

Again, there’s no “average people” who can give you an answer.

You could have 2 identical people on the same jobs, salary, credit history etc. and I guarantee you they’ll be given different credit limits.

LonelySatellite

!!! wrote: »

People have been given £1500 with Aqua as a starting limit.

Again, there’s no “average people” who can give you an answer.

You could have 2 identical people on the same jobs, salary, credit history etc. and I guarantee you they’ll be given different credit limits.

I have studied this forum and I saw only low starting limit from Aqua, especially to people with poor credit history like me. I think the chance is extremely low to get from them £1500 as a starting limit. Miracle shappen but very unlikely - see how the Natwest rejected me as it was expectable.

So all the banks listed here are the same regarding the tendency to give a higher starting limit? That would be a miracle.

PRAISETHESUN

Unfortunately I'm not aware of any lenders who give an estimate of your expected limit before you apply. With limited/poor credit history you can most likely expect small starting limits (£200-500 or so, based on my own experience) which will grow over time as you can demonstrate managing credit responsibly. It might be worthwhile trying with your main bank, as they will have a better indication of your day to day spending habits and **MAY** be more likely to give you a card with a higher limit compared to someone who you have no previous relationship with, provided you've managed your account well!

LonelySatellite

Ben8282 wrote: »

As has already been st5ated it is impossible to say what your credit limit will be in advance.
But I would strongly suggest that no application are made until the Natwest card is repaid in full.

And how many days I should wait - after I paid it full - until I apply (from another credit card company)?

Ben8282

LonelySatellite wrote: »

And how many days I should wait - after I paid it full - until I apply (from another credit card company)?

Until your credit files have been updated to show the 0 balance.