Credit card @ 18

Marchitiello

My experience is from many, many years ago (sigh) but I opened my first Barclaycard at 19, picking up one of those application they sent me via post (I had been a Barclays customer since I was 17, but was also added to the utility bills (tv, electricity, water), council tax and electoral roll within 6 months or turning 18. Started with a £400 limit and about 10 years later was just short of £20k (only reduced to £8k during covid as I do not really use that card much any longer). 

my suggestion is that you first try to get added to the utility bills and make sure you are also registered on your Council Tax bill (if still a full time student your family will actually get a discount on the total bill). 

Also, it is all good that you have bank account with the high street bank, but if they do not see it managed as a main account, you are unlikely to get offered other products like CC (I had this issue with Lloyds, that I opened just a year after my Barclays account but only used for spare money for specific purposes and they never accepted me for CC applications, until I started adding DD, and circulating my salary through them as well. 

MrFrugalFever

Oh how times have changed, at 18 NatWest was throwing money at me and soon barclaycard would wade in with their size 10’s and offer silly limits.

Steady employment income and credit building will help here, your credit reporting has only just begun so lenders don’t really have a good idea of the risk you pose. Suggestions made above are all good ideas.

sammyjammy

Marchitiello said:

My experience is from many, many years ago (sigh) but I opened my first Barclaycard at 19, picking up one of those application they sent me via post (I had been a Barclays customer since I was 17, but was also added to the utility bills (tv, electricity, water), council tax and electoral roll within 6 months or turning 18. Started with a £400 limit and about 10 years later was just short of £20k (only reduced to £8k during covid as I do not really use that card much any longer). 

my suggestion is that you first try to get added to the utility bills and make sure you are also registered on your Council Tax bill (if still a full time student your family will actually get a discount on the total bill). 

Also, it is all good that you have bank account with the high street bank, but if they do not see it managed as a main account, you are unlikely to get offered other products like CC (I had this issue with Lloyds, that I opened just a year after my Barclays account but only used for spare money for specific purposes and they never accepted me for CC applications, until I started adding DD, and circulating my salary through them as well. 

OP has told us he lives with parents so if two adults other than a student there will be no discount, also OP is still in secondary education so not applicable.

Marchitiello

sammyjammy said:

Marchitiello said:

My experience is from many, many years ago (sigh) but I opened my first Barclaycard at 19, picking up one of those application they sent me via post (I had been a Barclays customer since I was 17, but was also added to the utility bills (tv, electricity, water), council tax and electoral roll within 6 months or turning 18. Started with a £400 limit and about 10 years later was just short of £20k (only reduced to £8k during covid as I do not really use that card much any longer). 

my suggestion is that you first try to get added to the utility bills and make sure you are also registered on your Council Tax bill (if still a full time student your family will actually get a discount on the total bill). 

Also, it is all good that you have bank account with the high street bank, but if they do not see it managed as a main account, you are unlikely to get offered other products like CC (I had this issue with Lloyds, that I opened just a year after my Barclays account but only used for spare money for specific purposes and they never accepted me for CC applications, until I started adding DD, and circulating my salary through them as well. 

OP has told us he lives with parents so if two adults other than a student there will be no discount, also OP is still in secondary education so not applicable.

I added the “if” on the discount without going into details, but I would still add my name to the council tax bill and utility bills, that will make a huge difference.

I have opened bank accounts for my now 13yo first born as soon as he turned 11 with Barclays, RBS and HSBC, and a bit later with Santander (when he could do it himself online). We give him his weekly allowance and any money gift he gets (from friends and relatives) directly via bank transfer. The idea is that is learning to manage those accounts, which will then evolve in full bank accounts when he turns 18 and with a good management history which will allow his bank to offer him his first credit card. He may have a slightly advantage as for example for both HSBC and Santander, there is a link to my banking profile with those banks. 

[Deleted User]

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:
If you are 18 and a student, even at college, you might get a student account, be worth checking

This is definitely not correct, unless it's a university/UCAS listed course (i.e. a university course being offered via a college). 

It depends on the course being taught. 
Not the method of entry. 

Get an account with a real bank i.e. one that offers more than a brightly coloured debit card. I got my first credit card within a week of my 18th birthday with a free mobile phone (Philips Diga) from Barclays. 

WillPS

Deleted_User said:

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:
If you are 18 and a student, even at college, you might get a student account, be worth checking

This is definitely not correct, unless it's a university/UCAS listed course (i.e. a university course being offered via a college). 

It depends on the course being taught. 
Not the method of entry. 

Get an account with a real bank i.e. one that offers more than a brightly coloured debit card. I got my first credit card within a week of my 18th birthday with a free mobile phone (Philips Diga) from Barclays. 

I never said the method of entry mattered, merely that the course is listed on UCAS. This is on the terms for the TSB, HSBC, Nationwide accounts and I would guess others too.

Cien

alb4rtj said:

Hi,

First of all I am fully aware of the risks of having a credit card at a young age, however I have always been interested in managing money and feel responsible enough to build my credit score now for a head start. 

I turned 18 recently, and had always planned on getting a credit builder card. I've been trying to apply but none of them: Vanquis, Aqua, Capital, Tesco etc will offer one. 

My primary account is Monzo, and while I have high street bank accounts they don't accept me.

Does anybody know why this is or do they just not offer them to 18? I am on the electoral roll.

Bottom line you need an income. Students (universities) often get targeted because of their maintenance loans (classed as income) and part time jobs.
The max you'd need as a student I'd say is £500, manage that responsibly for a year and not pay interest and then you can dip your toes in further.
You can't repay what you're not earning, so secure that job 🙂

[Deleted User]

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:
If you are 18 and a student, even at college, you might get a student account, be worth checking

This is definitely not correct, unless it's a university/UCAS listed course (i.e. a university course being offered via a college). 

It depends on the course being taught. 
Not the method of entry. 

Get an account with a real bank i.e. one that offers more than a brightly coloured debit card. I got my first credit card within a week of my 18th birthday with a free mobile phone (Philips Diga) from Barclays. 

I never said the method of entry mattered, merely that the course is listed on UCAS. This is on the terms for the TSB, HSBC, Nationwide accounts and I would guess others too.

Strange, I've Just quickly checked TSB and HSBC.
TSB doesn't say anything about UCAS and with HSBC it's clearly optional...

TSB says: 

• be 17 or over

• have been a UK resident for at least three years

• be studying on a full time course that lasts for a minimum of two years or on a one year 

access course that leads to a full time degree

HSBC says:

• are 18 or over

• live in the UK and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the past 3 years

• have proof you've been accepted onto a qualifying course (eg your 16-digit UCAS code)

• don’t have another student account elsewhere

• have read the important account documents below

• If you're returning to do a postgraduate or secondary degree of 1 year or more at a UK university, you must have completed an undergraduate course in the last 3 years.

lr1277

You don't say whether you are a student or not, but looking at Ocean Finance, they do credit cards specifically for students. I don't know if you looked at them as part of your initial research, but if not, may be worth checking.

WillPS

Deleted_User said:

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:

WillPS said:

Deleted_User said:
If you are 18 and a student, even at college, you might get a student account, be worth checking

This is definitely not correct, unless it's a university/UCAS listed course (i.e. a university course being offered via a college). 

It depends on the course being taught. 
Not the method of entry. 

Get an account with a real bank i.e. one that offers more than a brightly coloured debit card. I got my first credit card within a week of my 18th birthday with a free mobile phone (Philips Diga) from Barclays. 

I never said the method of entry mattered, merely that the course is listed on UCAS. This is on the terms for the TSB, HSBC, Nationwide accounts and I would guess others too.

Strange, I've Just quickly checked TSB and HSBC.
TSB doesn't say anything about UCAS and with HSBC it's clearly optional...

TSB says: 

• be 17 or over

• have been a UK resident for at least three years

• be studying on a full time course that lasts for a minimum of two years or on a one year 

access course that leads to a full time degree

HSBC says:

• are 18 or over

• live in the UK and have lived in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for the past 3 years

• have proof you've been accepted onto a qualifying course (eg your 16-digit UCAS code)

• don’t have another student account elsewhere

• have read the important account documents below

• If you're returning to do a postgraduate or secondary degree of 1 year or more at a UK university, you must have completed an undergraduate course in the last 3 years.

Quite right, no idea why I thought it was on TSB's terms.

Either way, we can agree that applying through UCAS is not important, but having a course listed on there fulfills that prerequisite. Looking at it TSB's is actually probably the most lenient in terms of what is described, but how far you'd get on a non-university degree course (or course leading on to a university degree course) I really don't know.