I can confirm the strong deterrent towards having a credit card, any personal loans really, in the Netherlands. My bank, and I believe most banks in the Nether

I can confirm the strong deterrent towards having a credit card, any personal loans really, in the Netherlands. My bank, and I believe most banks in the Netherlands, requires proof of stable income well above minimum wage before even considering an application for a credit card. This puts credit cards out of reach of a sizable part of the population. Also, credit checks and reporting new lines of credit to the authorities by lenders are mandatory for all personal loans, be it for getting a mortgage, issuing a credit card, paying monthly installments for a smartphone bundled with a contract, or buying on credit from Dutch online stores or mail order catalogues.