Apply for a credit card
- A great way to build your credit score with responsible use
- Credit limit increases available (subject to eligibility)
- Check if you’re eligible today with no impact on your credit score
Representative 37.9% APR (variable)
Choosing a credit card can be difficult, especially when you’re not sure what to look for. And it often comes with the added stress of going through spending rules, interest rates and terms and conditions.
Our cards clearly and consistently show their benefits and are a great way to build your credit score. Here’s our credit card application guide to help you apply.
Why get a credit card?
Before you choose a Vanquis Credit Card, it’s a good idea to understand what you want from it. There are many reasons you might need a card. For example:
- Transferring a balance to another card — People with particularly high interest rates may want to move their current balance over to cards with lower interest rates and charges. Find out more about our Balance Transfer Credit Card.
- Making important purchases — Unexpected financial expenses can be a problem for many. But credit cards can act as an extra reserve in case of emergencies (as long as you pay your credit card bill on time). Find out more about our Purchase Credit Card.
- Protecting yourself against fraud — Payments made from your credit card rather than your current account often have more safeguards in place. Potentially fraudulent activity can be flagged quickly, keeping you safer. This extra protection falls under what’s known as Section 75. It’s in place to protect credit card customers and the transactions they make.
- Spending money abroad — Some credit cards are built for overseas use, automatically handling currency conversions and helping you avoid certain foreign transaction fees when spending abroad.
- Showing lenders how you manage your credit — Your credit card spending and how much you repay each month can show lenders how well you manage money. Responsible use can help build trust with future credit providers. If you frequently spend on your credit card and stay on top of your repayments, you may demonstrate you’re more reliable and you could be seen as less risky.
It can be challenging choosing a card if you have a poor credit score or no score at all. Luckily, we offer cards that specifically help you build your credit score.
What do you need to apply for a credit card?
When you apply for a Vanquis Credit Card, you’ll need to provide the following details:
Personal info — Your name and date of birth to confirm you’re aged 18 or above and your contact details.
Address — We’ll need your current address and any previous addresses if you’ve moved in the last 3 years.
Income & outgoings — You’ll need to provide evidence of employment status, income and outgoings to let us know what payments you can afford.
Things to consider before applying for a credit card
Once you understand your financial needs, the next thing is to choose a credit card. When you’re applying for a card, there are a few things to consider:
APR
The APR (Annual Percentage Rate) is the yearly cost of borrowing on your credit card, including interest and any standard fees. Looking at the APR is a good way to compare different cards. We offer cards with 0% interest within a fixed term to help you build your credit score more easily. For more details, see our Balance Transfer and Purchase Cards.
Minimum payments
Credit cards usually have a minimum payment that you must pay every month unless your balance is zero. If you can’t afford the full balance in one payment, you can make at least your minimum payment. We’ll let you know about any changes to your minimum payment so you’re always in the know.
Credit limit
The credit limit is the maximum amount available to you on a credit card. We offer you a credit limit based on your credit profile so you don't end up borrowing more than you can afford.
Other charges
We might charge you a fee if you’re late making a payment, miss one altogether or go over your credit limit. You’ll need to know about the other fees or charges you might have to pay. But we’ll always give you a full breakdown of fees, so you’ll know exactly how much you’ll have to repay and when.
Check your eligibility
Our quick and simple 4-step eligibility checker can help you find out if a Vanquis card is right for you.
Representative 37.9% APR (variable)
Based on what you’ve told us, we’ll give you an idea of your possible APR and credit limit. Just so you know, our eligibility checks don’t affect your credit rating.
If you have an excellent credit rating, you’ll often be accepted with no further checks. If you need help boosting your credit rating, don’t worry – our team can help you get started with a card that could help build it over time.
Some things to consider when checking eligibility:
- Other lenders also give you the option of an initial eligibility check. This helps you work out if you’re likely to be accepted without a credit search being left on your credit file. But please make sure it’s not a ‘hard credit search’ - too many of these can hurt your credit score. If you complete an eligibility check with us, it won’t impact your credit rating.
- Eligibility checks give you an idea of whether you’re likely to be accepted for credit - but it’s not guaranteed.
- We may carry out additional fraud, identity and affordability checks. This means cross-checking info in your application against your credit report.
- If you decide to carry on with the full application, we’ll do a full credit check that will be noted on your credit file. Make sure you’re happy with the proposed APR rate and credit limits before progressing with the full application.
Improve your credit rating with Vanquis
Using our credit cards responsibly can help those with bad or no credit build their credit rating. Better still, our cards often help people tackle their credit rating simply and safely in ways that suit them.
Don’t forget, to build your credit rating and be considered for credit limit increases, please use your card sensibly. This means staying within your credit limit and paying at least your monthly minimum payment on time.
If you don’t do these important things, it could harm your credit rating and make it more difficult to get credit in the future.
How to apply for a Vanquis Credit Card
Our online application process couldn’t be simpler or more secure.
To apply, follow these quick and easy steps:
- Check your eligibility: Our eligibility ‘soft check’ (also known as a ‘soft credit check’) gives you an initial breakdown without impacting your credit score.
- Double-check the terms and conditions: If your background check is successful, we’ll send you an initial proposal with the terms and conditions of your credit card. Make sure you give them a good read before going ahead.
- Complete and submit your application: It won’t take long and you’ll get a full breakdown of costs when you apply.
- Get your new credit card and PIN in the post: Once you receive your card, you can also view your PIN in our Vanquis app.
Have you run into difficulties and been left with bad credit or a poor credit history? Perhaps you haven’t started on your journey to good credit yet?
At Vanquis, we believe you shouldn’t be penalised for your past. We carefully look at your situation, rather than just turning you away based on past financial problems.
Check your eligibility
Our quick and simple 4-step eligibility checker can help you find out if a Vanquis card is right for you.
Representative 37.9% APR (variable)
Why choose Vanquis?
We're the bank that's got your back.
We lend to a much wider range of customers than the high street banks.
Our eligibility checks give you confidence you’ll only be accepted for a credit card if you can afford the repayments and the APR is right for you.
All our credit cards are easy to apply for and simple to manage through our app.
We've helped over 5 million people and we're ready to help you.
Check out our Trustpilot reviews to read what our customers say. Why not join them and apply online today?