Can an American get a Uk credit card?

jet01

I’ve tried it the other way round in the past and a lot of US merchants won’t let you use a card registered to a UK address to make online purchases to be delivered to a US address. Therefore, I suspect it will be the same the other way round as well. 

A_Lert

A first time customer giving a different shipping and billing address looks suspiciously like credit card fraud. Doubly so for addresses in different countries. That may be why they're getting rejected.

I think most if not all UK supermarkets don't accept Paypal.

The best immediate option I can think of is a virtual prepaid card. Put down your UK address, find a provider that either doesn't need proof or will accept something you already have such as a tenancy agreement and employment contract. Mastercard say their prepaid cards are accepted everywhere regular Mastercards are.

Long term I think your best option would be a UK bank account with your UK address, though a physical prepaid card might be an alternative.

Yahoo_Mail

jet01 said:

I’ve tried it the other way round in the past and a lot of US merchants won’t let you use a card registered to a UK address to make online purchases to be delivered to a US address. Therefore, I suspect it will be the same the other way round as well. 

Many (if not most) retailers won't ship to anything other than the billing address unless the alternate address is also registered with the card provider.

I just checked a few of my online groceries account.  Tesco ask for the billing address but don't allow you to specify a country and I suspect it will baulk at a US ZIP code being entered rather than a UK post code.  Morrisons don't ask for an address at all (presumably they'll use the address you have on file as the billing address so no good if your billing address is in the US.)  Asda, on the other hand, do allow you to select a different country for the billing address.  I can't see why they'd allow that unless they intend to alow non-UK cardholders to use the service?  Can't see them delivering a weekly shop to Antigua...

DCFC79

Would a Monzo or Starling account work OP ?

msallen

Are they self employed or being posted here by an employer? If the latter then surely the employer will be able to assist.

twopenny

I believe self employed so a short term arrangement of 6 months as she didn't mention an employer or I would have suggested that because there was something similar where a NZ vet was starting a job in rural Wales during lockdown. Then it was possible for the employer to make the first purchase as they were onsite until the Uk bank account kicked in. But 6mts is different.

The lady in question has promised to come back when she's worked it out or not.

I'll pass on the idea of ASDA and a pre paid card though that would take a while. I'll also go into Tescos and ask but not sure if they'll know about the online service.

I've not heard of Monzo or Starling

Thanks from her, for all the good ideas and thoughts.

rosiesposies

Confused by this as I have used my U.K. credit card loads for online groceries when travelling in the us and never had an issue! I also use my U.K. cards on amazon.ca/com, floral deliver and lots of other non U.K. sites 
and never have problems either. 

JES_F1

Could they buy an e-giftcard, sent to themselves, and then use that to pay for the online order?  At a quick look, e-giftcards are available from Tesco and Waitrose, maybe others too.

Another option is something like Snappy Shopper (available as an app as well as their website) which lets you order from local convenience stores - in my area, it uses the Co-op - and delivered within an hour.

adamp87

Yahoo_Mail said:

jet01 said:

I’ve tried it the other way round in the past and a lot of US merchants won’t let you use a card registered to a UK address to make online purchases to be delivered to a US address. Therefore, I suspect it will be the same the other way round as well. 

Many (if not most) retailers won't ship to anything other than the billing address unless the alternate address is also registered with the card provider.

I just checked a few of my online groceries account.  Tesco ask for the billing address but don't allow you to specify a country and I suspect it will baulk at a US ZIP code being entered rather than a UK post code.  Morrisons don't ask for an address at all (presumably they'll use the address you have on file as the billing address so no good if your billing address is in the US.)  Asda, on the other hand, do allow you to select a different country for the billing address.  I can't see why they'd allow that unless they intend to alow non-UK cardholders to use the service?  Can't see them delivering a weekly shop to Antigua...

Hogwash. I regularly shop online and have items sent to addresses outside my billing address such as work 

[Deleted User]

I wouldn’t think a US citizen coming to the uk for 6 months would be eligible for a uk bank account or a uk credit card. Does your friend’s card issuer in the US know that he’s trying to make transactions in the uk? Could they be the ones preventing the transactions? My cards are all registered to an overseas address, I am resident overseas, yet I can still buy things on uk websites and have them delivered to uk addresses.