Unless things have changed then running a card without a balance wont help increase your credit rating. You need to use it and pay it off to show you are a good payer. A dormant account wont make any difference as far as im aware.

I'd make small tranactions, maybe just 1 or 2 per month and pay them off in full.

Eco

Thanks i have learned my lesson now balance paid off in full 3 weeks early and dd set up to run on nil balance cant do a lot with £260 pounds anyway thanks again for reassurance everyone

Well... it is telling the truth. You were late with a payment. OK, it was just one payment, and it was only a bit late.... But the report will show that - and usually it's clear as to how late - ie up to a month, up to two months etc.

It is not "such a bang", and as it becomes more distant, it will be less significant. Frankly alot of people miss the odd payment - it's normal and human. Miss a few payments? More than a month in arrears? Then you're talking trouble.

Barclaycard seem to have been spooked by it - but then you'd only just got the card. I really wouldn't worry...

A couple of years ago, I was the victim of a fraud. I had been overseas for 6 weeks and someone billed a visa card of mine £6800. The card had been in a locked filing cabinet in the UK all the time. In fact, it had only been used once since I got it. It was an "inside" job and the provider refunded without question. By the time I saw it, I'd had interest and late charges applied. This was refunded too - but they'd fumbled things a bit and sent me a bottle of wine (I never made an issue of it, just wanted the balance restored to zero). They said they'd reverse any detrimental information provided to reference agencies. Later they sent a letter confirming that in fact they'd never actually reported the late payments.

A year later I got copies of my credit reports. Guess what - late payments had been reported for two months on the trot. But it's never seemed to have affected my ability to get credit and I've never bothered to correct it. Well I have about 18 accounts showing (mostly settled, about 6 "live").

Things are tighter now, I know. But I really wouldn't worry and Jalexa has given you good advice. DD or not, you must keep up from now on (you know that, I know)!

I don't think you have any remedy against Barclaycard because of what the call centre person said.

Thanks , will do that i just feel that it is a bit harsh that my credit rating has taken such a bang for 6 years when 3 months ago i was perfect with no credit card or loan history and now whilst looking to build up a score for a mortgage i get hit for a what would have been a paltry sum that i really had no need to put on the card and have according to barclaycard no way of appealing

Personally I'd pay it off and run it on a nil balance for a while as that will produce as good a credit record as actually using it. Alternatively if you are a driver use it for the odd tank of petrol, but if so remember to set up a DD for the minimum payment. That is the single most important thing you can do.

Another strategy if you are confident enough is to use it up to say about £200 every month and pay the full balance. After about 6 months ask nicely for a increased limit on the pretext of wanting to buy a new TV say. Hopefully by then you will have another card and can tell Barclays to go stew.

It was reduced to £260pounds hardly worth having anymore would it be better to pay it off fully and close the account or pay full amount and let it run on a nil balance

reduced to £260.00 or £2600?

Anyway, be positive its only a single payment shown as late. The first and most important piece of advice is to set up a Direct Debit to pay the minimum every month assuming you are comfortable with between £5 and £25 being taken.

I would just cut the card up and let the repayment history build up as it will. A £0 monthly repayment is the same as a big monthly repayment on the record.

Possibly try for another card from another issuer. Then the record will build up at double the speed (assuming you don't make the same mistake). But don't make too many applications as that counts against you.

Regarding the other question, I don't think being told the wrong information makes everything OK for you.

i took out a Barclays credit card to build up my credit rating for a future mortgage in Nov2008 and not being used to credit charges was a bit naive in that my first statement said i owed nothing which i knew i had made purchases in Jan i was starting to panic so made a payment on line to Barclay card shortly after i recieved a statement which meant i had paid above what was owed i didnt mind because i had used the card a couple of times since the payment and thought it would catch up, i then waited for my next statement in Feb which did not arrive i recieved a text from Barclaycard on 6 March admittedly i was thinking to myself surely i should be paying something and was about to go online to find out that day, i immediately phoned them back and was told i was a day late and payment should have arrived by 5 March I immediately made a payment and was assured by the person on the end of the phone that my credit rating would not be affected as i had paid, then i asked for that in writing as i was concerned about my future mortgage she said she would do this.... so far nothing .Today i do recieve my next bill for payment 5 April and find that my credit limit has been reduced from nearly £5000 TO £260.00 AND i have a late payment marker on my credit record for the next 6 years do i have any course of redress according to the manager i spoke to on the phone i should not have been told i would not be given a bad credit rating and she will forward it for training purposes but that does not include letting me know the outcome or will reinstate my credit rating Is this not a little harsh over a simple mistake albeit on my part for not checking online but also i did not recieve a statement and apparently can do nothing about it. What if i didnt have the internet or was about to make a large purchase later this month i would have been truly stuffed again.... anyone offer any help for my battered credit rating please?