Thanks for replies. I have nothing bad that I can see on my credit reports today - any slip-ups I may have made are well over 6 years ago now! One suspicious-looking thing I guess is that my available credit on cards looks too high for my declared income, since this year I wasn't able to bring in much. Perhaps that makes me seem high risk even though nowadays I pay my balance in full each month and am ultra-frugal. I notice one of the Co-op terms is that they expect you to put in a regular amount event for the Standard current account - I hope there is no minimum heh.

Hello, First post here - been a useful site but never had a question to ask before . I recently opened a standard Current Account with the Co-Op. I got cheque book and account information very quickly but after waiting 2-3 weeks for a debit card had to request it manually. It was confirmed that none had been automatically issued but that there seemed to be "nothing wrong" with my record. The card came with a validity period of only one year. I got a friendly courtesy "how are things going?" call and asked about it - the lady wasn't sure why the short date. Looking at other posts it seems this happens when people have had informal overdrafts or lost their card. But my account is my first with Co-op (or Smile) and my credit reports are completely clean. However my income is fairly low and partly from self-employment - I declared this as completely as I could in the application form. Am I perhaps in some category of people who may be considered higher risk but since there's no evidence they still open the account and see how I go? And if I'm in any probationary period, is there anything I should/shouldn't do (apart obviously from go overdrawn) in the first year to stop them deciding they no longer want my custom after a year - if that is even likely? I'm reluctant to switch everything over if I'll have to do it again in 10-11 months' time. Thanks...