Which number can I use instead of an SSN?
The number some card applications take instead of an SSN is an ITIN. The IRS issues this 9-digit number "if you need a U.S. taxpayer identification number for federal tax purposes, but you aren't eligible for a Social Security number (SSN)" (IRS: ITIN, updated October 28, 2025).
- Who needs one. You need an ITIN only if you have a federal tax purpose, such as a tax return to file, and aren't eligible for an SSN. If you have an SSN, are eligible for one or have an SSN application pending, the IRS says not to file Form W-7, the ITIN application. To check whether you're eligible, it points you to SSA.gov (IRS: Instructions for Form W-7, revised December 2024).
- How you apply. Form W-7 normally goes in one package with your federal tax return. You can mail it or apply in person (IRS: How to apply for an ITIN, updated February 22, 2026). Applying in person is free at an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center (by appointment) or at some VITA sites with ITIN services; a Certifying Acceptance Agent charges a fee.
- How long it takes. The IRS says to allow 7 weeks to hear about your application, or 9–11 weeks if you apply from January 15 to April 30 or from overseas.
Immigration questions are legal questions this guide doesn't answer. USCIS lists who may represent you before it, including a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative (USCIS: Legal Services, updated August 4, 2026).
What does the ITIN route look like in real numbers?
Example: Ana needs an ITIN for her federal tax return and isn't eligible for an SSN.
- The wait. She mails Form W-7 with her return on March 2. That's inside January 15–April 30, so the IRS says to allow 9–11 weeks: she plans to hear back between May 4 and May 18 (March 2 plus 63 or 77 days). Mailed from the US on September 1, the 7 weeks would run to about October 20.
- The card. The CFPB lists secured cards among ways to start a credit history. For its Platinum Secured card, Capital One's ITIN page (April 30, 2026) says: "An initial security deposit of $49, $99 or $200 can open an account with a credit line of at least $200." If she's approved, say her line is $200.
- The habit. A $15 phone bill is $15 ÷ $200 = 7.5% of her limit; Experian says people with the best scores tend to keep utilization below 10%. If she pays the full statement balance by the due date and the card has a grace period, she can avoid interest on purchases (CFPB).
- The first score. FICO needs an account open six months or more and one reported in the past six months. If the card opens June 1 and it's her only account, her file can't meet that minimum before December 1. No one can promise when a score appears or what it will be.
The free lesson Building Credit as a Newcomer compares a secured card with a credit-builder loan. After a first card, see how to build credit as an immigrant or, starting from zero, how to build credit from scratch.
What if I have no SSN and no ITIN?
Three routes, each with limits. Read the issuer's own terms before you apply.
- A card that takes a passport. Zolve's card page says "No SSN needed." Its help center answers for two groups. "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." It also says Zolve reports card payments to all three US credit bureaus, and that "Not all applicants will qualify" (read October 17, 2026).
- Credit history from another country. Chase's Nova Credit page says you can use credit history from the United Kingdom and Canada when you apply for its Freedom Unlimited or Freedom Flex (read October 17, 2026). For now, those are the only Chase cards that take it. The page doesn't say which ID number the application needs, so ask Chase first.
- Authorized user. Someone you trust adds you to their card. Capital One, for one, asks for an authorized user's full legal name, email address, phone number and date of birth, and for an SSN only when adding an account manager (read October 17, 2026). But its article on authorized users (March 24, 2026) says a cardholder will "typically" need to give the user's Social Security number, and that issuers "aren't required to report" an authorized user's activity. So ask the issuer what it needs and whether the account will appear on your own report. FICO says missed payments or high utilization on it can hurt your score, and recent FICO versions weigh it less than an account in your own name.
Which cards take an ITIN today?
Each line comes from the issuer's own pages, read October 17, 2026. Taking an application isn't approval.
- Capital One. Its ITIN page (April 30, 2026) names seven cards "you may be able to get with an ITIN," including the Platinum Secured and the Quicksilver Secured.
- Chase Freedom Rise. Chase's checklist asks for "Your Social Security Number (SSN) and/or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)." Chase also says you may need to provide documents after applying, such as a US-issued driver's license and Social Security card, so call Chase before you apply with an ITIN only.
- Two credit unions name an ITIN on their own pages, with limits. Latino Community Credit Union asks for an SSN or ITIN and photo ID "from any country"; its cards also ask for "Proof of income and at least one year of credit history" and North Carolina residence. Self-Help Credit Union's account agreement (rev. July 1, 2025) asks for an SSN, ITIN or EIN for interest-bearing accounts, plus government-issued photo ID. You join at a branch, and members apply for its share-secured card in online banking or the app.
- Self and Chime ask for an SSN: Self says "A valid bank account and Social Security Number are required," and Chime's sign-up list starts with "A valid Social Security number." Chime's Credit Builder card takes no new accounts.
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. More issuers, each with the day we checked it: credit cards you can apply for with an ITIN and our ITIN data.
Where do people go wrong?
- Buying a "credit privacy number" (CPN). The FTC calls an offer to create "a new credit identity" a scam: "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."
- Trusting "everyone approved" ads. "Banks and other legitimate lenders won't promise or guarantee you a loan or credit before you apply," the FTC says.
- Filing Form W-7 when you're eligible for an SSN. The IRS says not to.
- Using a card that doesn't report. Payments build a US file only once the issuer reports them, so ask which bureaus it reports to.
- Paying late. FICO calls payment history "the most influential factor in FICO® Scores."
What can I do today?
- If you have an ITIN: open the application page of one card you're considering. Check that the application accepts an ITIN, not an SSN only, and ask the issuer which bureaus it reports to.
- If you have neither number: read "Who needs an ITIN" on the IRS ITIN page. If you need one, some VITA sites with ITIN services help with Form W-7 for free. If you might be eligible for an SSN, start at SSA.gov instead.
Don't send us your number, your status or your documents.