Credit card applications when you don't earn any money

[AnonymousBird]

I stay at home, run the house and kids. I don't earn a penny. I have a couple of credit cards I applied for years ago when I worked. I hardly ever use them.

We have a good household income but it seems that applying for new credit cards don't take into account total income, just mine so I cannot apply. I want to get a card which is good for using abroad, as the ones we currently have are expensive to use overseas, so is the only way to do this to apply in my husband's name and then have me as a cardholder?

Tips gratefully received. Thanks.

Do you receive child benefit? This will be your income. You won't get a high limit though.

How do you organise finances? Is it all a joint account or do you get a monthly allowance credited to your personal account? If it's the latter that could count as your income.

No child benefit.
Joint account.

Watching with interested, in the same boat as you- did a money saving expert 'soft' check for credit cards (doesn't actually show on your credit file but gives you a rough % of the chance of success) and I got 0% success rate for everything :/

Ditto Beany! I'd just be a bit pissed off, despite household fully shared good standard income, I count for zero and can only apply for a card in my husband's name!

I didn't even really consider this as a potential problem when I quit my job to be a SAHM.. I mean.. I'm not living in a box on the street, I clearly have money I can use.. They just arnt interested in the actual situation, only what they can see on paper

No job= no credit card

Why not apply on his name and have a secondary card for yourself? Surely, if you have a shared income, it doesn't matter if your credit card is shared, too?

For what it's worth, DH has no credit card to his name. It's in my name, and he's got the secondary card. That's because years ago, he was doing his PhD while I was already working. He never saw the need to get another card.

It's fair enough that if you can't prove you have your own income, then you aren't going to be approved to incur debt in your own name.

If you share the income, why don't you share the debt and have a joint credit card? Husband is earner, so card should be in husband's name. Isn't that obvious?