Getting a credit card when I've recently been living abroad

red_head_123

Hi everyone, I'm keen to get a credit card to build up my credit history. I used the soft checker on here and got '100% pre approval' on an M&S purchase plus credit card. However I had the same result with a different card a few months ago, but when I went to apply they said I wasn't eligible due to not having 3 years of UK addresses (I've been in the UK for the last 13 months, and before that 2 years in New Zealand. Before moving to NZ I've been in the UK my whole life). Luckily this came up on their soft checker before I actually applied, but it's made me wary.

I'm worried about the effect that getting rejected could have on my credit score. I called M&S bank and they weren't able to give any information about whether living abroad impacts eligibility. Does anyone have any experience of this? Is 1 year in the UK sufficient or am I likely to be rejected?

Isthisforreal99

There is only one way to find out and thats apply but I would try one of the credit builder cards first. As long as you are clearing your balance in full every month the higher APR should not be an issue.

red_head_123

Isthisforreal99 said:

There is only one way to find out and thats apply but I would try one of the credit builder cards first. As long as you are clearing your balance in full every month the higher APR should not be an issue.

Do you have a credit builder card you would recommend? I landed on the M&S one by looking for credit builder cards on MSE. Thank you!!

CliveOfIndia

red_head_123 said:

I'm worried about the effect that getting rejected could have on my credit score.

Your score is meaningless, so you've no need to worry about that.

And whether an application is accepted or rejected is not recorded.  However, each application (rather than eligibility check) will leave a hard search on your file, which is visible to other lenders.  More than a couple of hard searches in a short space of time can start to ring alarm bells for most lenders.

Having 3 years of UK address history is a fairly common requirement for most lenders.  It might possibly be worth approaching the bank you used when you were previously a UK resident - they will at least have some information on you in their own records (perhaps phone them rather than apply online?).  But other than that, you may be better off leaving it until you've got 3 years of documented address history.

MyRealNameToo

red_head_123 said:

I went to apply they said I wasn't eligible due to not having 3 years of UK addresses (I've been in the UK for the last 13 months, and before that 2 years in New Zealand. Before moving to NZ I've been in the UK my whole life).

Who did you have a card with in NZ? Any of them aimed at the more affluent that you held? 

Certainly some multi-national credit card firms (eg AmEx, Citi) allow customers of good standing in one country to open an account in another country if they emigrate there based on the standing of their overseas account. 

MEM62

red_head_123 said:

I'm worried about the effect that getting rejected could have on my credit score. 

That point, at least, is easy to address - you don't have a credit score.  Also, rejections are not recorded on your credit history.  

Given the previous refusal it might be prudent to look at one of the "credit builder" cards for a while, then apply for a mainstream card once you have built some recent history.  

Isthisforreal99

red_head_123 said:

Isthisforreal99 said:

There is only one way to find out and thats apply but I would try one of the credit builder cards first. As long as you are clearing your balance in full every month the higher APR should not be an issue.

Do you have a credit builder card you would recommend? I landed on the M&S one by looking for credit builder cards on MSE. Thank you!!

Not recommendation as such, but Capital One, Vanquis, Ocean spring to mind.

born_again

Just remember that mobile contracts & any DD's for utilities are building your credit history.