If this is the case, you should know that you can actually open a credit card account and not use it and it will still positively affect your credit report.

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Every time you open a new credit card account, the store is requesting your credit report.

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Make sure that when you open a new credit card account, you read the disclosures they come with.

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Customers were signing up briskly, but Levie felt there was still too much friction in the act of pulling out a credit card to open a Box account.

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Users open a PayPal account linked to a credit card or a bank account.

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Every time you apply for credit, it causes an inquiry to appear on your credit report and costs you a few credit score points whether you even open the account or not.

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They'll then use that information to access the money in your account or open a line of credit.

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The result: Even senior foreign nationals on assignment to the U.S. often "cannot open a bank account or get a line of credit, " says Ed Hannibal, North American mobility leader at consulting firm Mercer.

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The UK driving licence has taken on more importance as an identity document and, in addition to driving, can be used to take a domestic flight, open a bank account, prove age or gain credit.

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And when you open an account, your credit score can take a hit because research has shown that people who open new accounts tend to be riskier, said Barry Paperno, consumer-affairs manager at Fair Isaac Corp.

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