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Jakarta. While most Indonesians are being bombarded by aggressive marketing for credit cards, some foreign nationals living in the country say they are still finding it difficult getting them.

Several expatriates who spoke to the Jakarta Globe said both local and international banks in Jakarta often required hefty deposits on credit cards, sometimes up to 110 percent of the available credit, while others said their applications had simply either been ignored or they were told they were not eligible because they were not citizens.

“I was told to do a one-time deposit totaling 110 percent of the credit card limit of the type of card I chose when I applied for a Bank CIMB Niaga credit card,” said Thomas, an English language tutor.

“But I thought that putting in a deposit would lose the basic purpose of getting a credit card in the first place, so I rejected the offer.”

Even at international banks, such as Citibank, Thomas said his applications were turned down as soon as he told them he did not have a credit card from a local bank.

A marketing manager at a beverage distribution company in Jakarta told the Globe that two local banks, Bank Negara Indonesia and Bank Mega, had told her that she needed a deposit of 80 percent of the credit limit before her application would be approved.

“Other than that, my credit card applications for two foreign banks, HSBC and Citibank, received no further feedback or processing,” she said, asking not to be identified.

Steve Marta, general manager of the Indonesian Credit Card Association (AKKI), acknowledged that banks often had additional requirements for foreign nationals who were seeking credit.

“Foreigners tend to be more mobile,” he said. “This gives banks more leeway when determining whether foreigners will be granted credit cards, compared to when they process local applicants.”

According to Marta, banks should only require a passport and temporary residency permit, or Kitas, as well as evidence of sufficient income, in order to qualify, but many asked for other “flexible” requirements when processing non-Indonesian applicants.

As an example, he said a letter of notice from the person’s employer regarding his or her employment status would facilitate the filtering process.

Several credit card applications examined by the Globe, however, did not list letters of notice as a requirement.

Zulnasri, head of BNI’s external communication division, acknowledged that the bank had different requirements for expatriates, but denied that it intentionally made it more difficult for them to obtain cards.

“We don’t want to make it hard for foreigners, because offering credit cards is like selling a product — so we want to sell as many as possible,” he said.

“But we have to sell them safely, or else we’ll suffer losses. This also occurs in other countries, like in Singapore — it’s hard for foreigners to apply for credit cards there.”

Rico Frans, head of country marketing at Citibank, said his bank welcomed foreign credit-card applicants, as long as they had a local residence, a Kitas and a passport.

He explained that further screening took into account whether applicants were renting or owned their residence, but said that process was the same for locals and foreigners alike.

Because foreigners tended to rent, Frans said, locals — who were more likely to own homes — had a better chance of approval.

Husna Zahir, chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumer Protection Foundation (YLKI), said because expatriates were seen as more mobile, banks screened them more carefully than Indonesians.

Marta, from AKKI, said there were no laws specifically related to credit cards for foreigners, and that each bank had its own guidelines depending on its “risk appetite.”

“Banks should want as much clarity on their customers’ status as possible — especially with foreigners — because credit cards offer noncollateral credit,” he said.

Steve added that banks also had a “card-for-card” mentality, whereby applicants who already have a credit card from another lender would have an easier time getting additional lines of credit.

He also said having a history with a bank would also make applying for a credit card much easier.