Credit card applications

If you’re thinking of applying for a credit card, we have some helpful information below about eligibility, credit checks, and how long the application process will take.   

In this article

Eligibility for our Classic Credit Card

Eligibility for our Gold Credit Card

What you need to apply

How long applications will take

How the credit check works

What happens next

What to do if you've been refused

Track your application

Once you've completed your application, you can track its status 24/7

Eligibility for our Classic Credit Card

To apply (as the main cardholder) you need to be:

  • 18 or over.

  • UK resident.

  • Earning a minimum Gross Annual Income (GAI) of £10,000.

  • Not had any County Court Judgments (CCJs), entered into any Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) or Trust Deeds nor been declared bankrupt within the last 6 years.

  • Not in arrears or have not missed more than 2 payments on any credit agreement in the last six months.

  • Must be employed full time, part time, self-employed or retired.
  • Approval is subject to status and based on a credit check and assessment of your personal circumstances.
  • Additional cardholders can be unemployed as long as they’re 18 or over and a UK resident.

Eligibility for our Gold Credit Card

To apply (as the main cardholder) you need to be:

  • 18 or over.

  • UK resident.

  • Earning a minimum Gross Annual Income (GAI) of £10,000.

  • Not had any County Court Judgments (CCJs), entered into any Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) or Trust Deeds nor been declared bankrupt within the last 6 years.

  • Not in arrears or have not missed more than 2 payments on any credit agreement in the last six months.

  • Must be employed full time, part time, self-employed or retired.
  • Approval is subject to status and based on a credit check and assessment of your personal circumstances.

  • Additional cardholders can be unemployed as long as they’re 18 or over and a UK resident.

Terms explained

  • Gross Annual Income (GAI) is the amount you make each year, before tax.

  • County Court Judgments (CCJ) is a court order which may be registered against you if you don't repay any money you owe. Having a CCJ registered against you will impact on your credit score.

  • Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) is an agreement between you and your creditors to help you pay off all or part of the money you owe. You agree to make regular payments to an insolvency practitioner, who divides this money between your creditors.

  • Credit Check is where we check your credit history, which includes carrying out searches through a Credit Reference Agency.

What you need to apply

  • Information about your income and outgoings each month.
  • Your previous addresses from the last 3 years.
  • The account number and sort code of your main bank account.

How long applications will take

If you have all your information to hand, the application will take you about 10 minutes.

It will take us 5 days to let you know whether or not your application had been successful.

How the credit check works

We use a credit check to make sure you’re applying for the right card for you.

A credit reference agency produces a report on your credit history, and we use this information to decide if this product is suitable or not.

What happens next

We will be in touch within 5 working days with a decision about your credit card application.

What to do if you've been refused

Customers that are not approved will have a note placed on their account that an application has been submitted and declined.

Being refused for a credit card can have a negative effect on your credit rating. If this happens, you should avoid applying for the same card again. All applications, positive and negative, will show up on your credit file.

You can improve your credit score by being on the electoral register and cancelling old credit cards.

Want to see more of our credit cards?

Learn more about our features and rates.