Two weeks ago i opened a nationwide current account – the flex ones.

Received my card yesterday – a CASH card… Those cards you get that allow you to take money out of a cash machine only. Very handy when your in your 20’s and need a Debit card…

So a call to the head office and it transpires that im not “allowed” a debit card because i dont have anything on my credit report. IE – i dont owe anyone money, nor have i ever owed money.

So a quick 10 mins on the net and i get my credit report, showing my bank accounts and bills etc all showing i have paid them on time, owe no money etc etc.

Nationwide still refuse to give me a card due to not having any credit. So basically because im good with my money and not a **** spending money i dont have im not allowed one – yet someone who can owe thousands of pounds is!?!?

Has anyone else had this ? Can i expect this from other banks now ?

Thanks.

Lenders like to see a client ‘managing’ debt before they expose themselves to any risk and more so in the current economic climate. They don’t know you from Adam and if they can’t see any history on your credit file will be very reluctant to take any (as they would see it) chances. 🙄

Yep unfortunately you need to build up a track record. Probably shouldn’t take you too long to get a debit card – particularly if you are having your pay paid into your account.

the point is you have no history of paying it back that is what they want to kno/see. I had to get a credit card to get a mortgage -bonkers system. Now I have and I am skint I could get thousands as I have a good score. Can’t think where the system went wrong?

You don’t have to have a credit card and owe loads of money. I use my credit card for just about everything and pay it off every month so I have a very good credit rating.

But i have a debit card with HBOS – and have had so for 6 years or so. It’s got loads of direct debits set up on it etc.

Why should i need to prove paying money back when all it is, is a debit card so I can pay for stuff with MY money ?

why would you want a debit card? cash is king!

so i can buy online, use the card in store etc etc.

I NEVER apart from at the pub carry cash.

Is your card not some sort of Solo or whatever it’s called? I opened an account with Nat West, and for the first year or so, I only had a Solo card. Then, they upgraded it to a Maestro, which is more powerful.

I think banks do this with new customers as standard. I bet, if you applied for a credit card, you’d get a Debit Card upgrade.

Ask Aleigh on here, actually. She owns Nationwide, and the Woods Behind Nationwide in Swindon.

get a credit card. you don’t want to use a debit card for shopping online anyway – little or no protection.
oh – i feel your pain BTW. banks will fall over themselves to lend money to those who already have it, but are only too happy to shaft those who don’t. as a student i had two direct debits bounced by my bank, as to pay them would have put me overdrawn, and the punitive charges, err, put me overdrawn…

No its a full on Visa Card.

I’ve got plenty of money in a savings account with them that i opened. If they dont give me a debit card it’ll be going back to my old account.

Thanks **** i kept the other account open.

Why should i need to prove paying money back when all it is, is a debit card so I can pay for stuff with MY money ?

Because the debit card also acts as a cheque guarantee card?

I use my credit card for just about everything and pay it off every month so I have a very good credit rating.

You probably don’t. Credit ratings aren’t about how safe you are, it’s about how much money they can make from you. So if like me you keep a debt on there for ages and pay tons of interest, you get brilliant ratings. I’ve got almost £25k of credit card limits on two cards, despite having had all kinds of run-ins in the past.

There was a bigish story about EGG customers last year getting told they were getting their cards cancelled because of the way they were handling their account!
I dont think EGG ever said why, but every person that got interviewed, was shocked because they have never been in debt and always pay the balance of in full.
I can see why the banks do it, because they are a business and if they dont make any money out of you, then it does them no good in having you as a customer!
Unfortunately for me im their perfect customer, as i have lots of debt and never pay of the balance, unless im transferring from one credit card to another!!