8 Best Credit Cards Without An SSN for International Students Right Now

Capital One Journey Student Credit Card is accessible to international students who have an ITIN. This card is for students with a ‘Fair’ credit category which, as per the description on Capital One’s website, also includes people new to the U.S. who have a limited credit history or have had another credit card for less than 3 years.

It is a great card for cash rewards offering an unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase. Its reward system is easier to understand and keep track of than most other cards that have different rewards for different categories. It also offers $50 to new card members who spend $100 on purchases within the first 3 months. It has no annual or foreign transaction fees.

The Deserve® EDU Mastercard is a good option for international students as you don’t need an SSN or a good credit score to apply. It has some great card perks, in addition to its low credit requirements.

Some benefits include a year of Amazon Prime Student membership when you spend $500 in the first three billing cycles. There is also a 1% cash back on all purchases. The Deserve® EDU Mastercard has a $0 annual fee and a 22.99% variable APR. It also offers cell phone protection of up to $600. There is, however, a fee charged on late payments of up to $25.

Capital One SavorOne Rewards is a card specifically for students that is not limited to U.S. citizens only but international students can apply too. To qualify, students must have a physical U.S. address, an ITIN, and be at least 18 years old. This is another card suitable for international students who have a limited credit history and a fair credit score of around 580 or above.

The SavorOne card is high on rewards and offers an unlimited 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services, and grocery stores. You can even earn up to 10% cash back on purchases on Uber and Uber Eats and 8% on Entertainment purchases using your Capital One SavorOne Rewards. They offer 1% cash back on all other purchases.

Other benefits of this card include travel accident insurance, no annual fees, and no foreign transaction fees.

The Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card is a great option for all students looking to avoid additional fees. It charges $0 for annual fees, foreign transaction fees, and returned payment fees. The card does not require a credit check for approval and has a lower starting APR compared to most of its competitors. However, lower rates are usually offered to low-risk individuals with good credit.

The Petal® 2 also comes with cash back rewards for its holders. It offers 1% to 1.5% cash back on everyday purchases. You can earn a higher percentage of cash back of 2% to 10% at select local and national merchants. However, this card does not allow cash advances and balance transfers.

Capital One® Platinum Secured is not exclusively for students but they can apply for it if they meet the minimum income and age requirements, and are able to pay a security deposit. International students are also eligible if they have an ITIN.

This card is not the best option for earning rewards but is a great one to build credit with. This is because Capital One® Platinum Secured does not have a minimum credit requirement and is specifically designed for people who want to rebuild their credit or start from scratch. It also reports to the three major credit bureaus and after using the card responsibly you could be upgraded to an unsecured card, get your deposit back, and earn a high credit line. You can also monitor your credit score at no cost with Capital One’s CreditWise.

Capital One® Platinum Secured has a much lower starting security deposit than most of its competitors. You can start off by depositing as little as $49 for the card. It would, however, mean a lower spending limit as your credit limit depends on how much you deposit. The card comes with no hidden fees and offers a $0 Fraud Liability for unauthorized charges in case the card is stolen or lost.

The Bank of America Unlimited Cash Rewards for Students credit card has a great 1.5% unlimited cash back offer on all purchases and a low introductory APR. It’s a great choice for international students as they can apply with their passports too.

The card has a 0% intro APR offer for your first 18 billing cycles for purchases and for any balance transfers made within the first 60 days.

This card also comes with a $200 cash rewards bonus after making at least $1,000 in purchases within the first 90 days of opening the account.

Students can apply for the Bank of America Travel Rewards with an SSN, an ITIN, or a passport. However, you might find it hard to apply online without an SSN and may need to visit one of their Financial Centers to apply using your passport or ITIN.

They are best for their travel rewards as they offer unlimited 1.5 points for every $ 1 spent on all purchases everywhere and you can use these points for a statement credit to pay for hotel stays, rental cars, flights, baggage fees, cruises, and vacation packages. These travel rewards you earn can also be used in restaurants and takeouts anywhere. You can also earn 25,000 online bonus points when you spend $1,000 in the first quarter, which can be redeemed as a $250 statement credit.

There is no annual fee or foreign transaction fees associated with the Bank of America® Travel Rewards for Students. Moreover, it offers a 0% introductory APR on purchases for the first 15 billing cycles.

Chase Freedom Rise is another great card for international students as it does not require a credit history for approval and non-U.S. students generally do not have one. Moreover, you can even be approved without an SSN, but only if you have an ITIN to provide.

This card is specifically for building credit and you can also earn 1.5% cash back rewards on all purchases. A further $25 can be received as a statement credit upon enrolling in automatic payments. If you want to improve your chance of approval, they recommend opening a Chase checking account with at least $250 before applying for the card.

Moreover, you can easily track your credit for free by using their Chase Credit Journey service. There is no annual fee associated with this card either. They do, however, charge a foreign transaction fee of 3% and also a late payment fee of up to $40.