Get a Credit Card Without Social Security Number?
Q: Can you apply for a credit card without a social security number? How can immigrants/non-citizens legally get one?
A: Not too long ago someone on the forum from Canada was asking this same question. But whether you are from Canada, Mexico, or another country… this is a dilemma you are going to face.
Is a Social Security number required for a credit card?
To answer your first question, generally you cannot obtain a credit card in the United States without a Social Security number or equivalent. However this is a grey area because here is what is says on the Social Security Administration’s website, Publication No. 05-10096:
“Although many companies, such as banks and credit companies, may ask for your Social Security number, you are generally not required to provide one if you don’t have one.”
So according to SSA you are “generally not required” if you don’t have one. But what’s not specified on that document is whether or not it’s legal to require an alternative from of identification. Well, let’s turn to the Patriot Act to answer that…
SEC. 326. VERIFICATION OF IDENTIFICATION.
(b) STUDY AND REPORT REQUIRED- Within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Federal functional regulators (as defined in section 509 of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act) and other appropriate Government agencies, shall submit a report to the Congress containing recommendations for–
(1) determining the most timely and effective way to require foreign nationals to provide domestic financial institutions and agencies with appropriate and accurate information, comparable to that which is required of United States nationals, concerning the identity, address, and other related information about such foreign nationals necessary to enable such institutions and agencies to comply with the requirements of this section;
(2) requiring foreign nationals to apply for and obtain, before opening an account with a domestic financial institution, an identification number which would function similarly to a Social Security number or tax identification number;
That last sentence basically makes clear that if you don’t have a Social Security number, you need something equivalent.
A possible alternative: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)
This is a tax payer ID number that is considered to function similarly to a Social Security number. It won’t entitle you to Social Security benefits, but rather its purpose is for federal income taxes. Here is what the IRS says about them:
IRS issues ITINs to individuals who are required to have a U.S. taxpayer identification number but who do not have, and are not eligible to obtain a Social Security Number (SSN) from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
ITINs are issued regardless of immigration status because both resident and nonresident aliens may have a U.S. filing or reporting requirement under the Internal Revenue Code.
Once you have a ITIN number, you should legally be able to apply for a credit card without a social security number.
How to get a credit card using an ITIN
Keep in mind that you will be starting with a fresh slate once you get your ITIN, so you will probably have to start out with a secured credit card. These are credit card where you put up a security deposit, which then becomes your credit line. They often involve fees, too. But on the brightside, they are usually guaranteed approval even if you have no credit history (but you will still need your ITIN to qualify). After you have one and use it responsibly for a year or so, you might be able to qualify for something better – a regular card that is unsecured.
If you have an ITIN, a bank does have a right to deny your credit card application if you have no credit history built up on it yet (in the same way a bank is allowed to deny applicants using a Social Security number who have no credit history). But a bank does not have a right to refuse acceptance of your application for using an ITIN instead of a Social Security number. If you get hassled for applying under an ITIN here are some things you can remind them…
- Inform them you have terminated your SSN legally in accordance with 20 CFR 3 A7 404.1905, or you do not have one period.
- Inform them that the bank can not be held legally responsible by anyone for failing to obtain a SSN from you if other valid identification (like an ITIN) is provided, pursuant to 31 CFR 103.34(a)(1).
- Inform them that pursuant to 26 CFR 301.6109-1(c) they are under no legal federal or state obligation to specifically obtain a SSN from you, and doing so is actually against federal SSA policy.
- Inform them that 42 USC 408 makes it a felony to use threat, duress, or coercion to try and force a person by fear or deceit to provide a SSN.
Without a social security or ITIN?
Lastly, if you want to apply for a card without a Social Security number and without a ITIN, then you will be out of luck. Reloadable prepaid debit cards will also require a Social Security or ITIN. If you really insist on the ability of having a card you can use to buy things, then you can use Visa gift cards or MasterCard gift cards. These can be purchased in various amounts for a fee and used for purchases anywhere Visa/MasterCard is accepted.
I applied with a credit union and received a visa debit card as well as cheques with my current and savings account. No issue besides few addl forms to sign.
We are Brits with a new home in the US to be near family. We are here under the VISA waiver programme. We have an ITIN but we cannot get a credit card. We tried through HSBC who went through Orchard (now Capitol One)and were refused a SECURED credit card for lack of credit history! I thought the whole reason for a secured card was for people who DON’T have a credit history but want to build up one?! We then applied to CHASE and they have turned us down too for lack of credit history. How on earth do you get a credit card here in the USA? Very frustrating.
Open a debit account with your ITIN, and wait a couple months, and then apply in the same bank for a credit card! That worked with me..
Hi there, which bank did you do this with???
Hey, believe it or not, I don’t live in the US, I just come often beacuse I like it. I approached to Bank of America and they offered me the full package: checks, savings and secured credit card. One year later, the cc was ‘upgraded’, my deposit returned, and I was offered (and approved) a new credit card.
I have no SSN and no ITIN, I’m from Ecuador, and I’ve got everything in BofA, Orlando.
Hope this helps.
If you are new to US, better to apply for secured credit card through your banker. After a year they convert to non secured…in two years of using a credit card, you will eligible for all good cards.. then try Amex it gives with an ITIN.
How did you get permission to live here under the VISA waiver programme? We want and need to live here and cannot find a way to do so. I would be very grateful if you could help us.
Thank you so much
Sarah
Hi I have both debit cards with bank of america and wells fargo previouse wachovia. And I dont have ssn or tax id. So yes debit cards are very posible, NB it might be a diffrents laws in diffrents states. For your information My accounts are in Florida.
Can you apply for a best buy card with your tax ID number?
Hi,
I tried to use my Tax ID to apply the secured credit card but was denied due to there is no credit history. I thought the secured credit card is to help people to build their credit line, isn’t it? In addition, since I need to pay for the security deposit, there is no risk for bank, right? What should I do next? Thanks
I am a Canadian citizen with property in Florida. I spend 5-6 months a year here and am retrying to get a reloadable VISA. I went to WALMART and they sold me a card leading me to believe I was able to reload it, to no avail I could not. Do you know whom has a program for people like me?
Hi Maggie, here is an older post you may want to check out: http://creditcardforum.com/general-credit-card-talk/1806-us-credit-cards-canadians-how-not-get-rejected.html
Maggie, I believe you can get re-loadable cards with the MasterCard logo at Western Union. You just pay a fee of about $4.95 every time you load money into it. All Western Union ever asks me is for my name, US address, and US phone number. They sometimes call me the next day to verify.
Read the USA Patriot Act more closely. Section 326(a) tasks the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations to meet the customer identification requirements of the Act, and Section 326(b), quoted above, tasks the Secretary to recommend an adequate alternative for a SSN for a foreigner (should the SSN otherwise be required).
The Secretary did promulgate 31 CFR 103 in response. In particular, Section 103.121(b)(2)(i) reads: “Except as permitted by paragraphs (b)(2)(i)(B) and (C) of this section, the bank must obtain, at a minimum, the following information from the customer prior to opening an account: … a taxpayer identification number [SSN]“.
But pay attention to those exceptions. 103.121(b)(2)(i)(C) reads: “Credit card accounts. In connection with a customer who opens a credit card account, a bank may obtain the identifying information about a customer required under paragraph (b)(2)(i)(A) by acquiring it from a third-party source prior to extending credit to the customer. ”
The bank is not required to obtain your SSN _from you_. It can get it from a credit reporting company, or from anywhere else it normally gets SSNs.
A few years ago, Bank of America, recognizing where its growth lay, went so far as to offer credit cards to people without SSNs.
thank you for the information, there is something at wells fargo bank to get a depit card with no ssn, my cousin just got one
DS. Do you have a # where to call Wells Fargo on that. They had previously mentioned it to me but i did not care for it at the time and now I’m interested.