Non UK credit card advice. MODS PLS LEAVE

Non UK credit card advice. MODS PLS LEAVE

Author
Discussion

Eggle

Original Poster:

3,589 posts

244 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Mods, please leave this for a wider audience for the time being.

I have a good friend living in the UK who is Dutch. She has a new job and although it is good, she has to fund her Expenses and is paid back. She has no real money behind her and really could do with a credit card, to be paid off in full every month.
Any ideas?

Furyous

24,184 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Can she not get a visa/mastercard from home country ?

Mattt

16,663 posts

226 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Furyous said:
Can she not get a visa/mastercard from home country ?
You'd get caned on trans fees, unless she can claim those too.

Eggle

Original Poster:

3,589 posts

244 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
That is the trouble. It needs to be a UK card.

Furyous

24,184 posts

229 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Has she actually applied for a card and been declined ?

turbobloke

107,951 posts

268 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Does she have a UK bank account? Could she not get one as an EU citizen?

Then a Debit card would seem almost automatic, though the money obviously goes out quicker than the end of the month, and it might get her access to a Credit card too.

Silent1

19,761 posts

243 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Open a barlcyas/hsbc account and then use it as an expenses account, she dumps £1000(0?) in and uses that over the month and then her work refunds her.

Silent1

19,761 posts

243 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Furyous said:
Has she actually applied for a card and been declined ?
If she's got no credit history over here she hasn't got a chance, except for one of those £250 First premier Bank Gold MasterCards

Eggle

Original Poster:

3,589 posts

244 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
She has been to the high street and they have all said no. It is the case that she is almost living hand to mouth as she can't build up money as she is spending out for work all the time. She hasn't got the £1000 to play with

Silent1

19,761 posts

243 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
Can she not explain this to her employers, or perhaps her parents could help?

nlldavies

270 posts

239 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
I don't have a credit card anymore and do not wish to have one, but I also wanted to seperate my business expenses from my normal Visa debit card so got a pay as you go Mastercard from Cashplus.

How about asking employer to load it with a nominal amount to begin with which in my opinion is quite fair. Use it for expenses and then keep topping up after each time she claims.

Downside is that it costs £4.95 a month, still cheaper than a normal CC. Also, Cashplus offer a scheme where they put some credit on the card, about £35 I think and you pay it back with your monthly fee, they then record this on your credit file helping to build credit status.

Forgot to add, no credit checks. I just had to turn up to the post office with my passport when I first loaded it and everything was sorted.



Edited by nlldavies on Monday 13th April 12:52

Eggle

Original Poster:

3,589 posts

244 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
I had hoped for an answer, but with all my googling I can't seem to get what I am looking for.
Basically, she is barely living as all her wages she holds and spends for business use. At the end of the month, she gets paid the expenses. But, she can't seem to build up the buffer. She is thinking of moving out of the small flat in with some friends to ease the situation.
In a good year, I would have a grand to loan, but not at the moment. She can't dictate too much, as jobs are scarce and she would have difficulty getting another job

audidoody

8,597 posts

264 months

Monday 13th April 2009
quotequote all
She gets a pre-pay debit card. Employer puts a float of £500 on it.

Problem solved - surely?

Bec

194 posts

206 months

Monday 13th April 2009
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I think there is little chance of getting a normal credit card with no UK credit history - it's hard enough getting a standard bank account (with no overdraft etc). Both my brothers, despite being British citizens struggled to get an account (and that was 4-5 years ago before the credit crunch)

Sorry I don't have any magic answers, hope your mate finds a solution

chris.mapey

4,778 posts

275 months

Tuesday 14th April 2009
quotequote all
I'd have a look at Vanquis card

http://www.vanquis.co.uk/home/home.aspx

Part of Provident Financial, seems to have relaxed criteria compared to other lenders - just watch out for the APR!!!

Broken Hero

1,197 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th April 2009
quotequote all
Eggle said:
She has been to the high street and they have all said no. It is the case that she is almost living hand to mouth as she can't build up money as she is spending out for work all the time. She hasn't got the £1000 to play with
Why have they said no?

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-account...

What about one of these? She pays six pounds a month and then gets a visa/debit card. All she needs is proof of her dutch address and passport

Broken Hero

1,197 posts

205 months

Tuesday 14th April 2009
quotequote all
Also I love how you have put MODS PLS LEAVE in the title and they havent

Silent1

19,761 posts

243 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Broken Hero said:
Also I love how you have put MODS PLS LEAVE in the title and they havent
Why should they, if it's in the wrong section they move it.

Eggle

Original Poster:

3,589 posts

244 months

Wednesday 15th April 2009
quotequote all
Broken Hero said:
Eggle said:
She has been to the high street and they have all said no. It is the case that she is almost living hand to mouth as she can't build up money as she is spending out for work all the time. She hasn't got the £1000 to play with
Why have they said no?

http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/current-account...

What about one of these? She pays six pounds a month and then gets a visa/debit card. All she needs is proof of her dutch address and passport
Broken Hero said:
Also I love how you have put MODS PLS LEAVE in the title and they havent
HSBC thing looks good, but doesn't give her the credit card.

I wanted more exposure than just the finance section, and they did leave it there a while longer than I thought.
I haven't even got finance in my favorites, so I would have missed it...