I recently cancelled my Dutch American Express Platinum card and mentioned that I was planning to switch to the SAS EuroBonus Mastercard as my primary travel card. Well, things didn’t go quite as smoothly as I’d hoped.
The Application Process
After weighing my options (which you can read about in my Best Norwegian Credit Card for Flight Bonuses post), I decided that the SAS EuroBonus Mastercard would be the best replacement for my Amex. The card earns 10 EuroBonus points per 100 NOK spent, has a reasonable monthly fee of just NOK 39, and most importantly, it’s a Mastercard—which means I can actually use it everywhere, unlike my Amex.
So on Monday morning, I sat down with my coffee and filled out the application on the SAS website. The process was straightforward, asking for the usual personal information, income details, and employment status.
The Immediate Rejection
Within minutes of submitting my application, I received an email with the subject line “Informasjon om din SAS EuroBonus World Mastercard-søknad.” The message was clear: application denied.
As someone with a solid credit history in the Netherlands and a stable income, this came as a surprise. But then I remembered: I’m an expat. And expats exist in a strange financial limbo, especially during the first few years in a new country.
The Expat Credit Conundrum
This is what I’m calling the “Expat Credit Conundrum” – you might have excellent financial standing in your home country, but in your new country, you’re essentially starting from zero in the eyes of local financial institutions.
The rejection email mentioned that they used Bisnode Credit for their credit assessment. And herein lies the issue: Norwegian credit bureaus only have access to my Norwegian credit history, which is still quite limited given that I’ve been here less than two years.
Reaching Out for a Manual Review
Not willing to give up so easily, I sent an email to SEB Kort’s customer service explaining my situation. I asked if there was any way to have my application reviewed manually, considering my complete financial picture rather than just the Norwegian slice of it.
Their response was professional but not particularly helpful:
“Av sikkerhetsmessige årsaker informerer vi ikke om detaljene i våre kredittevalueringssystemer, men generelt kan vi si at vi belønner stabilitet over tid. Avslaget er basert på en totalvurdering av den informasjonen du har oppgitt i søknadsskjemaet, samt informasjon fra vårt kredittopplysningsbyrå, Bisnode Credit.”
Translation: They can’t discuss the details of their credit evaluation system, but they generally reward stability over time. The rejection was based on a comprehensive assessment of the information provided in the application form, plus information from their credit bureau.
In essence: “Try again later when you’ve been in Norway longer.”
What Now?
So what’s the solution for expats facing this credit conundrum? Based on my experience, here are a few options:
- Wait it out: As SEB Kort suggested, time is your friend. After 1-2 years of credit history in Norway, your chances of approval increases.
- Start small: Begin with a debit card or a credit card with a low limit from your Norwegian bank, then work your way up.
- Keep your home country cards: Unlike me, you might want to maintain some credit cards from your home country until you’ve established yourself in Norway.
- Use a Norwegian guarantor: Some banks will approve credit applications if you have a Norwegian citizen who can act as a guarantor.
- Try a different Credit Card provider. Bank Norwegian might be a good alternative.
For now, I’ll likely go with option 1 and wait it out. While it doesn’t help me earn any EuroBonus points (an important consideration for me as I outlined in my EuroBonus Calculator post), it will pay the bills.
I’ll post a more detailed review of the card once I actually get access.
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