Nat West credit card application difficulties with HooYu identity check.

Belenus

Following last weeks weekly money tips email I applied for a Nat West credit card in order to access the 19 months 0% rate with no fees for balance transfers in the first 3 months.

I applied online on Wednesday morning and was immediately accepted subject to a HooYu identity check.

This involves a Liveness Check and a Photo ID check.

The Liveness Check, using my laptop webcam, took a few tries before it was accepted but I struggled with the Photo ID check.

I uploaded a photo of my passport which was rejected as being too blurry. It looked fine to my eyes but I took more photos but all were rejected. I then tried with photos of my driving license, again they were rejected as being too blurry. They were perfectly clear on my laptop screen.

I got frustrated and bored after about an hour of this so I left it till the following day when I tried again but still no success.

It wasn't until Monday that I tried again. This time I succeeded in getting yet another photo of my passport accepted and the following screen appeared.

However, within about ten minutes I receive an email from Nat West as follows.

Thanks for trying to set up a NWB Balance Transfer credit card. But we can't open it for you. Why not? We need to check your identity when you open a Credit Card. Unfortunately, we couldn't do this with the information you gave us. If you bank with us you will need to update your identity details with us. We're sorry it didn't work out this time. Thanks for your interest in the Credit Card and we hope it doesn't put you off using our other services.

Perhaps HooYu has not informed Nat West in time that I had finally passed the identity tests so I used Chat to raise the issue. I then spent a long time on Chat only to be eventually told that my application could not be reopened and that I would need to apply again.

I applied again the following day, Tuesday. Again I was immediately accepted. Again I had to do a HooYu identriy check but this time the Liveness worked first time and the passport photo was accepted first time. The same screen as above again appeared.

Since then I have heard nothing from Nat West. I would have expected at least an email or text to say my application was being processed and I would receive the credit card in due course. I have previously received various texts and emails from them so they have my correct details.

Is this typical of Nat West?

Are they inundated with applications (it is an attractive offer) and it may take a few days for me to hear anything.

I don't want my application to fall into a black hole and have to make a third attempt.

Thanks

Belenus

Perhaps Nat West have an IT problem as this thread has just been posted.

Brew55

Hi Belenus, I've just had the same issue - applied and all ok with identity checks but no confirmation afterwards. This was last night and still nothing.

Did you have to reapply in the end?

Belenus

Yes, I had to reapply, this time successfully. Like you I did not receive any confirmation but the card arrived about five days later.

A few weeks ago my wife applied for a card in her own name. She also had a lot of trouble with the HooYu identification but eventually received confirmation that the liveness and identification check was complete.

However, a few days later NatWest contacted her to say that her application had failed as she had not proved her identification. She hasn't bothered reapplying again as she doesn't need the card. It, like mine, was for balance transfer stoozing only. She may apply again soon.

What a shambles NatWest and HooYu have proved to be.

Good luck with your application.

Brew55

Thanks for your quick response. I will assume it has been successful and will see what happens! You'd expect a courtesy email to say your application is being considered. Certainly doesn't fill me with confidence but I literally just want to purchase a car with the card and then I won't touch it!

Thanks again.

Fingerbobs

Just to add to this thread, I know it's not the same issue, but HooYu are extremely fussy about the name on your ID document matching exactly with the name you put on the application form. If you use an abbreviated version of your name, or omit any middle names, on the application form, the ID Check will fail, and there's no way around this other than submitting a new application. 

Brew55

Thanks for the heads up Fingerbobs - we went double barrel when we got married but my driving license doesn't have this updated name. The immediate response from HooYu was that verification had been completed but judging from what Belenus said previously, it could be a few days before I am rejected! Do you expect this to be the case?

What a nightmare! May look elsewhere for a 0% deal but in limbo with Natwest right now!

Fingerbobs

Yes, my experience was that the document was "accepted" pretty-much straight away, but I received a text message the following day telling me they couldn't use that document and asking me to submit another. There was an option on the HooYu page to find out the rejection reason, and it said "name mismatch" or words to that effect. 
Customer Services were very sympathetic (and really nice), but could do nothing. I had to re-apply. 

Belenus

Fingerbobs said:

Just to add to this thread, I know it's not the same issue, but HooYu are extremely fussy about the name on your ID document matching exactly with the name you put on the application form. If you use an abbreviated version of your name, or omit any middle names, on the application form, the ID Check will fail, and there's no way around this other than submitting a new application. 

Interesting. Perhaps that is why my wife's application failed, although I am fairly sure that she used her middle name on the application form. 

Her name appears in full on both passport and driving licence.