Why was I turned down for Halifax credit card?

Q I recently had an application for a Halifax credit card declined. On 20 April 2002 in a response to JP of Ealing, you state that, according to Halifax, all mortgage borrowers qualify for a credit card automatically.- but I have a mortgage with Halifax! So why was I turned down?

PH

A The Halifax's current arrangement is to automatically provide a credit card to all new
Borrowers - in other words, if you apply and are accepted for a Halifax mortgage, you also qualify for a credit card.

The idea behind this is simple lending logic: if the bank thinks you are creditworthy enough for a mortgage, it will use the same criteria in assessing your eligibility for a credit card. Qualify for one and you will qualify for both.

I'm assuming that you are an existing mortgage borrower who applied for your credit card sometime after your mortgage was granted. This means Halifax would have to run a new credit search on you and use the results to decide whether or not to grant you a card.

As Halifax turned you down, you should check whether it consulted a credit reference agency
(CRA) about you - it is obliged to tell you if it did, and also tell you which agency it consulted.

If Halifax did use a CRA, you need to check your credit records with Experian and Equifax.

If there is an error, you have the right to have it amended.