What have your driving licence and passport got to do with being accepted for credit?

More than you may think! The very first thing lenders will do when deciding whether or not to accept you for credit is make sure you are who you say you are.

💡Did you know? Many people have different addresses, and even different names on their passport, driving licence and credit report. To give yourself the best possible chance of being accepted, they all need to match up.

What are lenders checking?

When you apply for credit, lenders compare the details on your application with your credit report and official ID records (such as your passport and driving licence). If anything doesn’t match—like your name or address—it could lead to an automatic rejection.

To avoid this, double-check that your name and address are consistent across all documents before you apply.

New name or address? Here’s what to do

If you've changed your name or address, follow these steps to update your records:

1️⃣ Tell the credit reference agencies first. This is crucial—if they don’t have your updated details, your credit history might not be linked correctly. Ask them to connect your old and new details to avoid losing your credit history. Contact all three:

• Experian
• Equifax
• TransUnion

2️⃣ Update your passport via the government website.

3️⃣ Change your details with the DVLA through their official website.

Lenders check these records, so making sure they all match gives you the best chance of approval.

Help! My credit report has the wrong details

Mistakes on your credit report can happen, but they’re usually easy to fix.

• Check your report with all three credit reference agencies.
• If something’s wrong, contact them directly and request a correction. They won’t update it automatically—you have to ask.
• Corrections can take a few weeks, so keep checking to make sure the changes go through.

Once your report is accurate and matches your ID, you’ll be in a stronger position to get accepted for credit.