Credit card applications
On this page, you can learn about credit card applications, including what you need before you apply, and how credit checks work and could affect you.
How long will the application take?
How might an unsuccessful application affect me?
What can I do to avoid an unsuccessful application?
To apply, the main card holder must:
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Be 18 or over
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Be a UK resident
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Be in full-time or part-time employment, self-employed or retired
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Be earning a minimum gross annual income (GAI) of £10,000
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Not have had any Defaults, County Court Judgements (CCJs), entered into any Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) or Trust Deeds, nor been declared bankrupt within the last 6 years
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Not be in arrears and not have missed more than 2 payments on any credit agreement in the last 6 months
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Be a Co-operative Member, if applying for a Co-operative Members credit card.
Approval is subject to status and based on a credit check and an assessment of your personal circumstances.
How long applications take
The application form should take you about 10 minutes to complete if you have all your information to hand.
We’ll let you know the outcome of your application within 5 business days.
How you might be affected if your application isn't successful
Any credit card application you make, whether successful or not, will show up on your credit file. An application search can negatively affect your credit score, and making multiple applications in a short time can negatively impact it further. This could make it harder to get credit in the future.
What you can do to help avoid an unsuccessful application
Before you apply, you can check your credit score to get an idea of how likely you are to be successful.
Read about how to check and improve your credit score
What happens if your application isn’t successful
If your application isn’t successful, we’ll let you know why. It could be due to information we’ve received in the credit check, or information we already have about any of your existing accounts with us.
How the credit check works
A credit reference agency returns information relating to your credit history, and we use it when deciding whether to accept your application. When you apply this will generate a ‘hard search’, which will appear on your credit file.
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