How to Get a US Credit Card? A Concise Guide With and Without ITIN

Want to apply for a US Visa, Mastercard, or Amex credit card? Conclusion first: without an ITIN, most users currently cannot get a real US credit card; with an ITIN, you enter the normal application path.

US Credit CardITIN

Conclusion first:

  • Without ITIN: Basically not possible yet.
  • With ITIN: This is when you enter the normal path for applying for a US credit card.

When many people search for "US credit card," they are actually searching for keywords like "US Visa credit card," "US Mastercard credit card," or "US American Express credit card." But first, distinguish: Visa and Mastercard are card networks, and American Express is both a card network and an issuing brand, but none of them mean "you already have a real US credit card." The core of a real US credit card is bank credit and a US credit history; prepaid cards and virtual cards solve payment problems, not credit problems.

Without ITIN: Not Possible Yet

If you don't have an SSN or an ITIN, for most users, you cannot currently apply for a real US credit card. The reason is simple: when major US issuers process normal applications, they usually require you to provide an SSN or an ITIN, and they will also look at information like a US address, phone number, and credit history. Without an ITIN, you can't even enter the major application portals.

With ITIN: This Is When We Talk About How to Apply

If you already have an ITIN, you enter the normal path. Whether you want to apply for a US Visa credit card, US Mastercard credit card, or US American Express credit card, you basically need to take these steps first:

  1. Prepare basic documents: Passport, US address, US phone number, income information, and a US bank account.
  2. Don't go for high-end cards right away; look at secured cards, entry-level cards, or student cards.
  3. Pay on time to slowly build a US credit history.
  4. After several months to a period of history, consider upgrading to a better US credit card.

Simply put, ITIN is the entry ticket, not a guarantee for a card.

If You Just Want to Pay Now

Then what you truly need may not be a "US credit card," but a tool that can be used for some US online payment scenarios. In this case, you can look at products like: American Express US Prepaid Cards / Virtual US Cards. These cards are not US credit cards in the traditional sense, but prepaid cards / payment tools. However, like regular credit cards, they can be used for payments. They are suitable for "paying first," not for "building a US credit history."

How to Decide Which Path to Take

  • If you want to build a long-term US credit history: Go get an ITIN first.
  • If you want to complete a payment in the short term: Look at US prepaid cards or virtual cards first.