Best Credit Cards Without SSN Requirements

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Best Credit Cards with no SSN Requirement for 2019:

Credit Card	Best For	Annual Fee	SSN Required	ITIN Accepted?	Passport Accepted?
Journey® Student Rewards from Capital One®	College Students	$0	No	Yes	No
Deserve® Edu Mastercard for Students	Cell Phone Insurance	$0	No	Yes	Yes
Capital One® Platinum Credit Card	Limited Credit	$0	No	Yes	No
Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card	Newcomer Rewards	$39	No	Yes	No
Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer	Good Credit	$0*	No	Yes	No

As you can see, people can still get great credit cards without SSNs. But if you’d like to see what other offers are out there…

Credit Card SSN Requirements & Alternatives by Issuer:

• American Express: SSN, ITIN or Passport
• Chase: SSN
• Bank of America: SSN, ITIN or Passport
• Citibank: SSN, ITIN or Passport (select cards only)
• Capital One: SSN or ITIN
• U.S. Bank: SSN or ITIN (secured cards only)
• Discover: SSN
• Wells Fargo: SSN or ITIN (secured cards only)
• Barclaycard: SSN
• Synchrony Bank: SSN
• USAA: SSN

5 Tips for Getting a Credit Card With No SSN

There are quite a few things you can do to increase the likelihood that you’ll be approved for a credit card. Depending on which route you take, certain credit card companies will be preferable over others.

1. Double-Check Your SSN Eligibility
   If you’re authorized to work in the United States, you can apply for an SSN. To apply, you’ll need to go to an SSN office in person and prove your age, identity, immigration status, and employment. Having an SSN will enable you to get a credit card from any major U.S. issuer.
2. Look Into Getting an ITIN
   You’re eligible for an ITIN if you need to file U.S. taxes without being employed in the U.S. For example, you might have investments, property, or non-compensatory income such as scholarship money. Of the top 10 credit card issuers, seven accept an ITIN, including American Express, Bank of America, and Capital One.
3. Use Your Passport
   Three of the top 10 issuers will consider you for a credit card as long as you have a passport, a secondary form of identification and proof of income. They are American Express, Bank of America, and Citibank (select cards only).
4. Find a Cosigner
   If you can find someone with an SSN to cosign your application, your lack of an SSN or ITIN won’t be an issue. Your cosigner’s personal info and credit history will determine whether or not you get approved. You’ll be able to build credit and have full use of a card, but just irresponsibility on your part could hurt your cosigner’s credit score. That person will also be liable for any missed payments.
5. Become an Authorized User
   You can ask a close friend or family member to list you as an authorized user on their credit card. This will help you build credit, first and foremost. But you can also take advantage of the convenience of using plastic if you and the primary accountholder can work out a process for how you’ll pay your end of the bill.
   If you want to get your own credit card rather than share an account, you may want to take another look at the top offers as well as the forms of identification they require applicants to have. For your convenience, we’ve put together a short summary.

For more tips on choosing the right card, check out WalletHub’s guide on how to get a credit card.

Ask The Expert

You don’t need a Social Security number to get a credit card. But not having an SSN can make the process more difficult. You can’t get just any credit card without an SSN, after all. And providing a valid form of identification is only just the beginning of anyone’s credit card journey.

So to help international students, immigrants and other people who might want to apply for a credit card with no SSN, we posed the following questions to a panel of experts. You can check out who they are and what advice they had to share below.

• Why do most credit cards require applicants to provide a Social Security number?
• What tips do you have for immigrants looking to establish credit in the U.S.?
• Should undocumented immigrants be able to get U.S. credit cards?
• Should people be able to get any credit card with an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)?