Why would my credit card application be turned down?

There are many reasons why your credit card application could be turned down, and these reasons vary between all credit card issuers.

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Where can I pay my balance?: You can pay your balance in a variety of ways, choose whichever best suits you:
How can I pay off my balance?: There are number of ways you can choose to pay off your credit card balance - either by Direct Debit, by Debit Card over the phone, by bank transfer from your bank or by cheque.
Will I get charged Late payment/Overlimit fees?: All credit cards charge you if your payment is overdue.
What is a Balance Transfer?: Transferring balances has become a popular and easy way to consolidate multiple card balances in one place, while simultaneously making significant savings on interest payments.
How can I protect my Card repayments?: When you apply for a credit card, you will be offer payment protection insurance to pay via your credit card bill.

The general rule is, if they think you are a bad risk for repaying your credit, your application will be rejected. A poor credit rating is the usual reason, caused by County Court Judgements, previously declined applications for credit, defaults on payments, mortgage arrears, repossession of property or if a credit card company has ever cancelled your credit card. Other potential reasons could be that you moved house a few times in the past few years, or someone else in your house had a problem with debt. You may also find it harder to get a credit card if you are self-employed or are on a short-term employment contract – as a regular, guaranteed income is an essential requirement for most credit card companies.

If your credit card application is rejected you will not normally be given a reason why – however if you want to make another application with another credit card company, it’s best to find out the exact reason why as you will be turned down again and again. This will further affect your credit rating. You can do this by contacting the credit reference agency in question to see a copy of your credit report.