Locked credit card

  • BaileeMay's Avatar
    Fresh Eyes
    My credit card has been locked and is affecting my credit score- but I haven’t used it.
    I attempted to activate the card at a cash machine, inputting the PIN from the documents I had received. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary (this is my first credit card so I would be unaware if it was). I removed the card from the machine and inputted it again to change the PIN, as all of the documents I had received didn’t state a minimum time frame for this.
    The day following this, I received two letters that said my account had been locked and I need to call a helpline to unlock it.
    This helpline is only open between the times I work, so I haven’t gotten round to it. Today I checked my credit score on multiple platforms to see my score had dropped by an average of 9 points. My credit score has been low but stayed exactly the same for almost 2 years, and this is the only change I have made that would affect my score. As I had gotten my first credit card to build my credit score, I think this is beyond a joke. How could it affect my credit score if no payments or transactions have been made, and the card hasn’t even been activated?!
  • 1 Reply

  • Verified Answer

    ChristopherP's Avatar
    Your Community Expert
    Verified Answer
    @BaileeMay Hey there, thanks for getting in touch. This is something you will need to contact your credit reference agency to discuss, I'm afraid. It sounds like you have locked your PIN, and this can only be unlocked by calling us. You can reach the Credit Card team on 0345 300 4278 (Mon - Fri: 8am to 9pm, Sat - Sun: 8am - 6pm) and they'll be happy to help. I hope you get it all sorted.


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