skye

Do you have to pay them off before you leave the UK..... and does it affect your credit rating in Oz if there is still a balance?

Fionast

I'm keeping mine open and will probably use it in OZ and just pay it online. I think it can be difficult to get a credit card when you first arrive but it's because you have no credit rating in oz. So in answer to your 2nd question no it won't affect your credit rating in oz.... Unless of course someone can tell me any different!

Fiona

Wendy

You can pay them off from here. JUst tell your CC company of your address here.

No it won't affect your credit rating here either.

You may not be able to get a credit card at first out here as you will have no credit rating at all, but you can get a visa debit card which is the same as a visa card but you use your own money instead of the banks.

NickyC

It's rarely the lack of a credit rating that stops you from getting a credit card. The credit information kept here is completely different to an individual's 'rating' in the UK. In Australia, only credit enquiries and default (adverse) data are kept by the Bureaus. Not having any record with them is not automatically classed as bad and there is no such thing as 'building up' a credit rating as only adverse data is stored anyway.

It's usually other factors that stop you from getting a credit card - such as only having a short time in your job, being a renter, and having a short time at your address (ie you cannot prove any 'stability').

If you want a credit card with the least amount of fuss, apply online for one aimed at a young demographic. Young people also tend to have no existing bureau records and short times at employment and the banks allow for this in their scoring. Virgin Cards are good ones to go for.