Turned down for nationwide switch card

redrabbit29

gt94sss2 wrote: »

Do you not have/get a debit card with your HSBC account and/or else consider getting a credit card (paying it off in full each month)?

Regards
Sunil

I have a switch card with HSBC.

The issue is My nationwide account I use for my "spending money". E.g. salary goes into HSBC, then I transfer £xxx per month into my spending account and use that for all my non-essential stuff, like beer, maybe a takeaway or something, etc...

I've never had a credit card.

gt94sss2 wrote: »

Yes, though they may carry out a credit search even though you are an existing customer. I have at least 4 current accounts including Halifax/Nationwide and HSBC..

Could you expand... would it look bad on a credit scoring card if I had 3 current accounts? Obviously assuming they accepted my application.

baileysbattlebus

The Nationwide seem to pretty peculiar when it comes to either opening a new account without salary being paid or upgrading an existing account.
I have banked with the Nationwide for about 20 or so years and was automaitically upgraded to the visa debit card when it was introduced. However my daughter aged 27 who is with the Nationwide and has salary etc paid in plus e savings account, has been with them since she was 16, wanted her account upgrading from the one where you have a cashcard !!! cheque guarantee card to a flex account was refused 3 times for a visa debit card. The last time was about 6 months ago, the girl in the branch couldn't understand it, she even has a Nationwide mortgage and a good credit record. She decided to change banks and went to Barlclays and got everything she wanted from them. Strangely the Nationwide upgraded her account out of the blue the month she changed banks. She kept the Nationwide account open but has moved to Barclays.
My husband and I who have separate current accounts have a joint account with the Abbey with a visa debit, we pay money into this for holidays etc, he decided 2 or 3 years ago he wanted an extra current account of his own. He earns £60k+ a year, banks with the Clydesdale on the type of account where you have a personal banker (very handy for loans etc) has an excellent credit record. He filled in the application and left a cheque for £500 to open the account and then heard nothing at all. After about 3 weeks he rang them up to find out what was happening, they said his application for a flex account had been turned down and all they could offer him was a basic bank account, which he declined. He was quite upset about the whole thing especially as he was going to have to wait to have his £500 returned. I guessed it was because he wasn't going to have his salary paid in. Their loss.

gt94sss2

redrabbit29 wrote: »

Could you expand... would it look bad on a credit scoring card if I had 3 current accounts? Obviously assuming they accepted my application.

No - many people have multiple current accounts - HSBC would probably also give you a 2nd one if you asked to open one..

Just don't have too many credit searches in a short period..

Regards
Sunil

silver-birch

My partner was refused a debit card on a nationwide account as he had an IVA in the past (all paid off over 3 years ago). No adverse credit since then but still only a Cash card for this account. Wouldn,t mind but there is at least £1200 a month going through this account and its not as if we are asking for credit, just a card that allows us to spend OUR money!!!!

Wendy

MABLE

silver-birch wrote: »

My partner was refused a debit card on a nationwide account as he had an IVA in the past (all paid off over 3 years ago). No adverse credit since then but still only a Cash card for this account. Wouldn,t mind but there is at least £1200 a month going through this account and its not as if we are asking for credit, just a card that allows us to spend OUR money!!!!

Wendy

Very true but you have been a given a cheque book with this account and you could write out cheques backed by the visa card up to the limit they guarantee.

You have been less than perfect in the past so you can surely understand Nationwides reluctance.

Also because £1200 goes into the account means nothing if they have no trust in you.

Paul_Varjak

I have the opposite problem with Nationwide!

Being an existing Nationwide customer with a debit card I wanted another current account with just a cashcard.

But, Nationwide procedures are such that if you quailfy for a debit card account that is what you get even if you want just a cashcard account! Once the debit card is account is obtained you can then apply for a cashcard!

There is simply no way around this ridiculos procedure!

So, I think gt94sss2's suggestion of applying for a new Nationwide current account may well work and you will get the debit card account you desire!

And, don't forget, a Nationwide debit card (or cashcard for that matter) is the best way to spend overseas or to get overseas currency.

malky39

I am 23 and have been with the nationwide for 4 years, when i applied for a flex account i was given a visa debit card and cheque book first time. At this point i was a student and was not paying my small monthly salary into this account but into an IF account which i still do. Seems like Nationwide have just toughened up the procedures for issuing visa debit cards.
By all means try applying for another account with them but they may realise what you are doing and refuse again, remember every time you apply a crdit search will be done and this may well affect you credit rating.

redrabbit29

I applied for a halifax current account with visa debit card and was accepted.

I already had a savings account and and ISA with them, and used the online application. 5 minutes later I had a sort code and account number.

I chose not to ask for a cheque book or overdraft facility as it's for spending money only.

Wahoo!

simax

Why are Nationwide so picky about Visa Debit cards?

I've had my FlexAccount since 1999 and it had a cashcard (£50 Cheque guarantee) with a chequebook. Paid salary in (sometimes up to £3k a month).

Only 18 months ago did they finally back down and upgrade my account to a Visa Debit card. (I didn't want to apply for a new account - seemed stupid - and the waste of a CRA search), and I had to bloody fight for it!

When I called them up one day to set up a standing order (My PC was broken at the time) - I asked for the unpteenth time for them to upgrade my account as more and more shops were not accepting cheques (and £50 limit for the weekly shop was getting a little tight, as compared to 1999's prices!). The lady agreed and said that there was nothing on my file or records to say that I couldn't have one, and she'd get it ordered for me. Great I thought...

3 days later - a letter from Nationwide telling me that I'd been declined for the debit card I was approved for. I went mad. Went into my local office who, admittedly were little diamonds (I knew them all quite well as I only worked next door and they used to help us out with change if we needed it).

Got a hand delivered letter of apology to my work, and the card arrived 3 days later.

Happy days!

If it's that difficult to get a debit card from them, just how hard would an existing customer have to ask for a credit card or an overdraft?!?!? :rolleyes: