Still unable to get accepted for the Halifax Clarity card?
Options
Comments
-
I had a Halifax MasterCard with a generous (£12k) limit and 15 months interest free on purchases that I used. Prior to the end of the promotion, I paid off the balance and as I travel abroad a lot, looked online at applying for the Clarity card and at the same time reducing the credit limit since I would be clearing the balance in full every month.
Their website couldn't handle the "card switch" and asked me to call them. After 30 mins online I was told that I'd need to visit a branch to be ID'd since rules had changed since my original MasterCard application. "No appointment needed", just turn up at any branch. This I did but was told by the branch I needed an appointment of which their next one was 10 days hence! (Cirencester branch). The member of staff there just told me to apply online for the Clarity and close the MasterCard myself after I received the new card.
This I tried and the application was declined. I don't have any marks on my credit rating and have never missed any payments on anything in over 20 years. I don't have any other debt other than a low LTV mortgage.
I rang to close the MasterCard and told them I wasn't happy. They tried to pacify me and quickly run through a Clarity application again, telling me my application failed as I'd moved house within the last year. It got to about another 20 mins on the phone and the member of staff said I'd have to go into a branch after all.
Despite having had the MasterCard for 18 months, an impeccable credit rating, Halifax can't easily approve me for a Clarity card without wasting time making appointments to visit a branch. I closed the MasterCard and Halifax sent me £10 for my trouble.
Maybe rules have changed, but Halifax don't make it easy. I'm sticking with my Nationwide Visa card which I believe is still fairly competitive with overseas purchases (I don't need ATM withdrawals).Signature on holiday for two weeks0 -
Mutton_Geoff wrote: »I had a Halifax MasterCard with a generous (£12k) limit and 15 months interest free on purchases that I used. Prior to the end of the promotion, I paid off the balance and as I travel abroad a lot, looked online at applying for the Clarity card and at the same time reducing the credit limit since I would be clearing the balance in full every month.
Their website couldn't handle the "card switch" and asked me to call them. After 30 mins online I was told that I'd need to visit a branch to be ID'd since rules had changed since my original MasterCard application. "No appointment needed", just turn up at any branch. This I did but was told by the branch I needed an appointment of which their next one was 10 days hence! (Cirencester branch). The member of staff there just told me to apply online for the Clarity and close the MasterCard myself after I received the new card.
This I tried and the application was declined. I don't have any marks on my credit rating and have never missed any payments on anything in over 20 years. I don't have any other debt other than a low LTV mortgage.
I rang to close the MasterCard and told them I wasn't happy. They tried to pacify me and quickly run through a Clarity application again, telling me my application failed as I'd moved house within the last year. It got to about another 20 mins on the phone and the member of staff said I'd have to go into a branch after all.
Despite having had the MasterCard for 18 months, an impeccable credit rating, Halifax can't easily approve me for a Clarity card without wasting time making appointments to visit a branch. I closed the MasterCard and Halifax sent me £10 for my trouble.
Maybe rules have changed, but Halifax don't make it easy. I'm sticking with my Nationwide Visa card which I believe is still fairly competitive with overseas purchases (I don't need ATM withdrawals).
Wow that's really bad service on their behalf! I'd have happily stuck with my Lloyds Avios account if it wasn't for the £24 yearly fee. But they wouldn't increase my credit limit, their cards never worked on Apple Pay, and their customer service when dealing with problems was absolutely shocking. Generally I know they're pretty much the same company but I wondered if Halifax would treat me better but perhaps not.
My girlfriend just tried to open an account with Halifax and they kept asking her to bring in ID to branch. She kept doing so, I think she'd brought this in branch around 3 or 4 times, and eventually they opened her account. She got her card and was about to switch her TSB account over to Halifax, when she got a letter through saying they would close her account down within 30 days if she doesn't bring ID into branch. In the end she stuck with TSB.
When I closed my Halifax account down a few months ago, it was a pain in the backside too. People wonder why I love First Direct and their customer service so much.. :rotfl: All I had to do was phone up and ask if I could borrow £1000 for a week back in August, they advised me on getting an overdraft and opened it with no problems whatsoever. Their customer service is outstanding and I've never found another bank like them0 -
If you don't like Halifax why are you applying for a card from themMortgage free wannabe
Actual mortgage stating amount £75,150
Overpayment start date 1/3/23.
Starting balance £66,565.45
Current balance £63,787.160 -
-
Mutton_Geoff wrote: »I had a Halifax MasterCard with a generous (£12k) limit and 15 months interest free on purchases that I used. Prior to the end of the promotion, I paid off the balance and as I travel abroad a lot, looked online at applying for the Clarity card and at the same time reducing the credit limit since I would be clearing the balance in full every month.
Their website couldn't handle the "card switch" and asked me to call them. After 30 mins online I was told that I'd need to visit a branch to be ID'd since rules had changed since my original MasterCard application. "No appointment needed", just turn up at any branch. This I did but was told by the branch I needed an appointment of which their next one was 10 days hence! (Cirencester branch). The member of staff there just told me to apply online for the Clarity and close the MasterCard myself after I received the new card.
This I tried and the application was declined. I don't have any marks on my credit rating and have never missed any payments on anything in over 20 years. I don't have any other debt other than a low LTV mortgage.
I rang to close the MasterCard and told them I wasn't happy. They tried to pacify me and quickly run through a Clarity application again, telling me my application failed as I'd moved house within the last year. It got to about another 20 mins on the phone and the member of staff said I'd have to go into a branch after all.
Despite having had the MasterCard for 18 months, an impeccable credit rating, Halifax can't easily approve me for a Clarity card without wasting time making appointments to visit a branch. I closed the MasterCard and Halifax sent me £10 for my trouble.
Maybe rules have changed, but Halifax don't make it easy. I'm sticking with my Nationwide Visa card which I believe is still fairly competitive with overseas purchases (I don't need ATM withdrawals).
This is shocking, but doesn't surprise me. When I opened my Reward current account in 2012, they sent me paperwork relating to someone else's application in the post, then when trying to sort it out in branch they said the £100 switching bonus couldn't be honoured! It was all sorted out via their complaints department very quickly, so fair enough for that, but the way they run things is a bit of a shambles.
As for the Clarity card, not sure what their issue is with you having moved within the past 12 months, they gave me one 2 months after I'd moved. Again, this was back in 2012, so maybe things have changed.
One issue I did have with the Clarity, after a particularly heavy month of foreign cash withdrawals, my limit was cut to £500 without warning. This happened a couple of days after arriving in the UK from Asia, so didn't cause me any grief (and I carry multiple cards anyway) but if this happens to someone while they were away it could cause a real issue. They wouldn't budge on reinstating the limit either.
If you do want another backup (I assume the Nationwide card you refer to is the Select), the Creation Everyday is basically the same as the Halifax Clarity. I've had no problems with it, though their anti fraud blocking system can be a bit trigger happy and they don't have 24/7 call centres, which can make unblocking it from Australia a bit of a challenge!0 -
guesswho2000 wrote: »I assume the Nationwide card you refer to is the Select
No, it's the old "Nationwide Gold" no longer available to new customers. There is no loading for European purchases, the transactions are at the pure Visa rate. Outside of Europe, there is a 1% "Payment Scheme Exchange Fee" loading on the Visa rate but no other fees (the Select card doesn't have any benefit outside Europe).
I never use it for cash withdrawals but if I did it would be the Visa rate plus £3 "non sterling cash fee" in Europe and outside Europe Visa rate loaded by 1% (as above) plus the £3 fee (which, again, the Select card doesn't offer). So in all, it's identical to the Select in Europe and 1% more outside of Europe. I think I'll hang onto it!
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/support/travel/fees-chargesSignature on holiday for two weeks0
6
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards