- What the ITIN is, and what it is not
- Why some banks accept it and others do not
- Which card issuers accept an ITIN
- The route that actually works: a secured card
- How to ask without wasting time
- The order that saves you months
- What you should not do
- Documents they usually ask for besides the ITIN
- Secured card vs. store card with an ITIN
- If your application comes back “under review”
- Frequently asked questions
- Official sources
Quick answer Yes, you can get a credit card with an ITIN instead of a Social Security number. In Bankrate’s survey of issuers, American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase and Citi accept an ITIN, and TD Bank, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo accept it only for some secured cards. With no US credit history, the realistic first card is a secured card, and approval is easiest at a bank where you already have a checking account. Online forms often reject ITINs, so applying in a branch or by phone works more often.
If you have an ITIN but no Social Security number, the question is always the same: will any bank actually give you a credit card? The answer is yes, but not every bank, not every card, and rarely in a way their website makes obvious. Here is what works.
What the ITIN is, and what it is not
The ITIN is a number the IRS issues so you can file taxes when you are not eligible for a Social Security number. It exists for tax purposes, and in practice many institutions accept it to identify you.
What it is not: a work permit, an immigration document, or a legal substitute for an SSN. It also does not create credit history by itself. Having an ITIN does not mean having credit; it means you can start building it.
Why some banks accept it and others do not
No law requires a bank to ask for an SSN to open a card. What the law requires is that the bank can identify you, and the ITIN does that. Beyond that, each institution sets its own risk policy.
The ones that usually accept it are banks with a strong presence in Hispanic communities, local credit unions, and some issuers that specialize in people with no credit file. Large national issuers are inconsistent: sometimes they accept it in a branch but not in the online application.
Which card issuers accept an ITIN
Issuer policies change and are rarely published in one place. The most complete public list we found is Bankrate’s survey of major issuers (Bankrate, last updated November 26, 2024). Treat it as a starting point and confirm on the application or with the issuer before you apply:
| Issuer | Accepts an ITIN? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| American Express | Yes | Also accepts a passport number, per the survey |
| Bank of America | Yes | Also accepts a passport number; applying through a branch is often easier |
| Capital One | Yes | Its own guide says some issuers accept ITINs only for certain cards |
| Chase | Yes | An existing Chase checking account helps |
| Citi | Yes | Easier with an existing Citi relationship |
| TD Bank, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo | Only select secured cards | Useful as a first card if you bank with them |
| Barclays, Discover, Synchrony | No, per the survey | Apply elsewhere with an ITIN |
Local credit unions are missing from national lists but are often the most flexible option: many accept an ITIN for both accounts and secured cards. Not sure which type of card fits your situation? Our card quiz takes six questions.
The route that actually works: a secured card
With an ITIN and no history, a secured card is the realistic way in. You put down a deposit, that deposit becomes your limit, and the bank reports your behavior to the credit bureaus exactly as it would with any other card.
Three things to confirm before you sign, because they decide whether it is worth it:
- That it reports to all three bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. If it does not report, you are not building anything.
- That there is a path to an unsecured card, meaning that after a period of good behavior they return your deposit and upgrade you.
- What it costs to keep open each year. Secured cards with no annual fee exist; you should not have to pay to start.
How to ask without wasting time
Online applications usually have a required SSN field that will not take an ITIN, and that is where most people give up assuming they are not eligible. There is a shorter path:
- Call or walk into a branch and ask literally: “can I apply with an ITIN instead of an SSN?”
- If yes, ask whether it has to be done in branch or whether there is a different form.
- Also ask whether they report to all three bureaus. Almost nobody asks this one.
- If the answer is no, do not push with that institution. Plenty of others say yes.
The order that saves you months
This almost always works better: first open a bank account with your ITIN at an institution that accepts it, use it for a few months, and then apply for the card at that same institution. You are already a known customer and the conversation is completely different.
Applying at a bank where you have nothing, with no SSN and no history, is the long way round.
What you should not do
- Use someone else’s Social Security number. It is a crime and it wrecks both credit files.
- Pay anyone promising “fast credit” or a new number. That is fraud.
- Apply at ten places in the same month. Each application leaves a mark and together they hurt you.
- Assume an online no is a final no. Very often it is just the form.
Documents they usually ask for besides the ITIN
The ITIN alone is almost never enough to open an account or apply for a card: the bank needs a photo ID and, in most cases, proof of address. A passport from your home country is usually the most widely accepted; some institutions, especially credit unions and banks with a strong Hispanic presence, also accept a consular ID (matrícula consular) or a state ID for those who can get one.
For proof of address, a utility bill (electricity, water, internet) or a lease in your name from the last two or three months usually works. If you live with someone else and the bills are not in your name, some banks accept a letter from that person confirming you live there, though it is worth asking before you make the trip to the branch.
Secured card vs. store card with an ITIN
Besides a bank’s secured card, some retail chains accept an ITIN for their store card, and they tend to be more flexible about approval because the risk is lower: it only works at that store and the starting limit is low. It can be a useful complement, but it has two limitations worth knowing before you apply.
- Not every store card reports to all three credit bureaus; some only report to one or two, which builds history more slowly
- The low limit and single-store use make it easy for utilization to spike if you buy something expensive, which can lower your score instead of raising it
- It works well as a complement to a secured card, not a replacement: the secured card usually gives you more control over the limit and the reporting
If your application comes back “under review”
With an ITIN it is more common for the application not to resolve instantly, because many banks’ automated systems are calibrated for SSNs and do not always recognize the ITIN format on the first pass. It is not a decline: it usually means a person is going to review the file by hand. It can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.
If a week goes by with no news, call the application status line and ask directly where things stand. Having a copy of your ITIN, your ID and your proof of address on hand speeds up the response a lot if they ask to verify them a second time.
One last detail that saves surprises: from day one, check whether the ITIN you are using is still active. The IRS lets them expire if they are not used on a tax return for three straight years, and an expired ITIN can sink an application that was otherwise going fine.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get an unsecured credit card with an ITIN?
It is possible if you already have some US credit history or a strong relationship with the bank, but with no history most issuers will start you with a secured card. After six to twelve months of on-time payments, many secured cards review you for an upgrade to an unsecured card.
Does using an ITIN build the same credit history as an SSN?
Yes. If the issuer reports to Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, your payments build a credit file linked to your ITIN. If you later receive an SSN, ask each bureau and each issuer to update your file so the history follows you. Our guide to building credit without an SSN explains the steps.
Will applying with an ITIN hurt my credit?
A formal application usually creates a hard inquiry, whether you use an SSN or an ITIN. Where the issuer offers it, pre-qualification uses a soft check that does not affect your score, and spacing applications a few months apart limits the impact.
What if my ITIN has expired?
Renew it with Form W-7 before you apply. The IRS deactivates ITINs that are not used on a federal tax return for three consecutive years, and an inactive ITIN can stop an application that would otherwise be approved.
Last reviewed September 28, 2026. Issuer policies are taken from Bankrate’s survey (last updated November 26, 2024) and issuers’ own pages; they can change without notice, so confirm before applying.
Related articles
Official sources
To check what this guide explains, these are the official references. If a rule changes, the official version always prevails.
- IRS: Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN): who can apply and how it is renewed.
- IRS: Form W-7: the official ITIN application form and its instructions.
- CFPB: credit reports and scores: what is in your report, how scores are used and how to dispute errors.
