gglondon

Hi!

I've read http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Catego...nancial_Topics and have been talking to few friends - and it looks like getting a credit card isn't obvious for newcomers in the US.
HSBC can help opening an account, and that includes a credit card (http://www.hsbc.co.uk/1/2/personal/t...leaving-the-uk). They charge £100 for that. Is it worth the fee?

Thanks
gg

celticgrid

If you can get a USD credit card, with a credit limit based on your UK credit history, it is worth 100 UKP.

Applications for credit cards in the US will not usually take into account your UK credit history, though for some that may not be a bad thing .

cranston

Yes, I paid the £100 and I think it is worth it.

N1cky

I didn't pay anything but got a credit card from HSBC in the US with no problem. In fact I didn't even ask for one, I went in about something else, gave them my UK account number and they told me I qualified for a card with a $4k credit limit. I had no credit history out here at the time

chartreuse

Not the highest of credit limits. That and the 12 month qualifying period suggests to me that AMEX is still the top choice.

Swisstony

if you qualify for HSBC Premier, neither the GBP100 fee, nor the USD5000 limit are applied.....

welshgirl1

HSBC called me and said it wasnt worth me spending the hundred pounds, as I would be able to walk into any HSBC branch in the US and open a bank account and indeed i did, along with a credit card with suitably healthy credit limit. I dont really think the hundred quid is worth it but I suppose it can make it easier if...well if you don't like spending 30 mins at a US bank opening an account yourself.

BritishGuy36

Agreed.....opened a UK Amex account a few months before moving, moved to USA, once you have an SSN they will open a US-based card account for you.

They gave me a $10k credit limit right off the bat.