Consumer council aims to solve Jersey credit card issue

The Jersey Consumer Council said a change to the electoral register could help islanders applying for a credit card

A consumer council says having a centralised electoral register could prevent difficulties for islanders applying for credit cards.

Jersey's Consumer Council received more than 600 responses to its survey in September 2022 regarding the issue.

It found the lack of an electoral register meant some companies could not check islander identities easily.

Chairman Carl Walker said the "inability of credit reference agencies" was a "stumbling block".

He said: "We have worked very hard to try and get clear answers as to why this is happening to not only Jersey residents, but also those in Guernsey and the Isle of Man, but it is a very complicated problem we are facing.

"It would seem, in Jersey's case, that the inability of credit reference agencies to easily prove or check who people are, particularly those who have no credit history from living in the UK, is a huge stumbling block."

Mr Walker said a leading UK credit reference agency said "many applications would be successful if they had better access to Islanders' data", and that a change to the electoral system should be explored "as a matter of urgency".

Mr Walker said he was concerned if the issue was not resolved, it could affect applications for mortgages, loans and other finance-related services.

"We would be happy to work with whatever agency or government department can take this forward, on behalf of islanders, to get a quick result, before the problem gets any worse," he said.

The Minister for External Relations and Financial Services, Deputy Philip Ozouf, said it was looking at ways to solve the issue.

"The government considers it important that there is appropriate provision of credit cards and is looking to address the issues raised by providers as part of its work to ensure access to high quality financial services for all islanders," he said.

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