Which card issuers accept an ITIN?
Each row is what the issuer’s own page or application said about an ITIN or an SSN when we read it on October 17, 2026. "Card issuers decide which of their credit cards are available for ITIN applicants," Capital One’s ITIN page says, so check the card you want, not just the bank.
| Issuer | What its own page or application says | Deposit it lists |
|---|---|---|
| Capital One | Its ITIN page (April 30, 2026) lists seven cards "you may be able to get with an ITIN", two of them secured | Platinum Secured: a minimum of $49, $99 or $200 for a line of at least $200. Quicksilver Secured: $200 minimum |
| Chase | Freedom Rise checklist: "Your Social Security Number (SSN) and/or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)". Its card page says you may need to provide documents after applying, such as a US-issued driver’s license and Social Security card | — |
| Citi | Secured-card article (April 20, 2026): to apply for its Secured Mastercard, you give "your name, address and SSN or ITIN" | $200 to $2,500 |
| TD Bank | TD Cash Secured application: "Have your Social Security number (SSN) or ITIN available" | $300 to $5,000, held in a TD Simple Savings account |
| American Express, Barclays, Synchrony, Wells Fargo | Their applications take an SSN or an ITIN in the same field (wording below) | — |
| Bank of America | Online application: "If you have an ITIN, visit a financial center to continue." | — |
| Latino Community Credit Union | Membership: "Valid Social Security Number or ITIN", a photo ID from any country and a one-time $8 fee to join the Latino Community Development Center. Its rate table lists a VISA Secured card. Its credit-card page also asks for "Proof of income and at least one year of credit history" and North Carolina residence | Not on those pages |
| Self-Help Credit Union | Mastercard application: a "Social Security Number/Individual Tax ID Number" field. Account agreement (rev. July 1, 2025): photo ID and, for interest-bearing accounts, an SSN, an ITIN or an EIN | Its share-secured card is backed by money in your Self-Help account |
| Zolve | Card page: "No SSN needed." Help center: "If you're a non-U.S. resident (new to the U.S.)," you can apply without an SSN, "with a passport, valid visa, and supporting documents"; "If you're a U.S. resident: Apply with your SSN." | None: the card is unsecured |
A dash means the page lists no deposit. The field wording: American Express, "If you do not have an SSN, you can enter your ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) here instead" (Blue Cash Everyday); Barclays, "Social security number or ITIN" (AARP Essential Rewards); Synchrony and Wells Fargo, "SSN/ITIN" (Synchrony Premier, Active Cash). If you have only an ITIN, call Chase before you apply. Both credit unions ask you to become a member first. You join Self-Help at a branch (its own pages, read October 17, 2026), so confirm its current policy with the branch for where you live. Members then apply for its card in online banking or the app. Our ITIN card dataset lists more issuers, each with the date we checked it.
What changed in 2026. Since mid-2026, federal guidance lets banks and credit unions treat an ITIN used instead of an SSN as a reason for extra checks (Executive Order 14406, May 19, 2026; FinCEN advisory FIN-2026-A002, issued with the FDIC, OCC and NCUA, June 5, 2026), so expect more questions when you apply. Taking your application isn’t approval.
What does a first secured card cost in real numbers?
Secured cards "can be easier to qualify for," Capital One’s ITIN page (April 30, 2026) says, because they require a refundable deposit and typically have lower limits. You can still be declined.
Example: Capital One’s Platinum Secured page (read October 17, 2026) lists a $0 annual fee and a 29.24% variable purchase APR. Its minimum refundable deposit is $49, $99 or $200 (the approval says which), for a credit line of at least $200. Say your line is $200 and you put one $15 phone bill on it each month:
- Your statement shows $15: 7.5% of your limit ($15 ÷ $200), under 10%. Experian says a good utilization rate is low, "ideally in the single digits."
- You pay the full $15 by the due date. With a grace period, which most cards have, you pay $0 interest on purchases.
- If you left the whole $200 unpaid for a month at 29.24%, the interest would be about $4.87 ($200 × 29.24% ÷ 12).
Issuers generally report to the credit bureaus monthly, often shortly after the billing cycle ends, so the balance the bureaus see may match your statement (Experian). To keep that balance low, you can pay before the statement closing date, not only by the due date (Statement Closing Date vs Due Date).
What happens after I open the card?
Payment history is the most influential factor in FICO Scores (myFICO), so autopay the full statement balance. If your checking balance can’t always cover it, autopay at least the minimum as a safety net and pay the rest yourself by the due date.
On October 17, 2026, Capital One’s Platinum Secured page said the card’s status is reported to the three major credit bureaus and that, with responsible use, you could earn back your deposit and move to an unsecured card. Its upgrade article (February 26, 2026) gives no set timeline. U.S. Bank’s help center (read October 17, 2026) says it can upgrade a secured card only if you have an SSN; with an ITIN, you can keep the secured account and use the card.
A first FICO Score needs an account open six months or more and one reported in the past six months. Building Credit as a Newcomer compares a secured card with a credit-builder loan, and How to Build Credit as an Immigrant and How to Build Credit From Scratch cover the other first steps.
Can credit history from abroad or someone else’s card help?
- Credit history from abroad. Nova Credit translates a foreign credit report for lenders that use it. Its US help center (updated August 5, 2026) lists credit bureaus in countries including Brazil, Canada, India, Mexico, Ukraine and the UK. It says not every company that uses Nova takes every country. Chase’s page (read October 17, 2026) says you can use UK and Canada credit history when you apply for its Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex, by checking a box on the application. It doesn’t say whether those applications take an ITIN, so ask Chase first.
- Someone else’s card. If a person you trust adds you as an authorized user, their card’s history can appear on your credit report, good or bad, and in recent FICO Score versions it counts for less than an account in your own name (myFICO). Issuers ask for different things. Bank of America’s online application asks for the user’s SSN or ITIN. Capital One’s help center asks only for the user’s name, email, phone and date of birth (both read October 17, 2026). Ask whether the issuer reports authorized users before you count on it.
Where do people go wrong?
- Buying a "credit privacy number." Federal prosecutors call CPNs "actually stolen Social Security Numbers" (SSA Office of the Inspector General, November 2, 2018). The FTC says if you use a number other than your own to apply for credit, you won’t get it, and you could face fines or prison.
- Paying for a promise. A company that promises a card "regardless of your credit history" but wants a fee first is running a scam, the FTC says.
- High-fee cards. In a 2015 case, the CFPB described cards with a $300 limit and a $75 upfront fee, a quarter of the line on day one. Read the card's pricing table first, and look for a $0 annual fee and no monthly fee.
What can I do today?
- If you have an ITIN: open one issuer’s own page or application (links in Sources). Before you apply, check that it lists an ITIN for that card and that the card reports to all three US credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion). Don’t share your number with us.
- If you don’t have an ITIN: read the IRS’s "Who needs an ITIN" (IRS: ITIN); the application is IRS Form W-7. Starting From Zero covers which number to use; how to get a credit card without an SSN compares other routes.