Credit Tips: How to Get a US Credit Card

Posted On: January 1, 2006

archive
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:38 pm
Post subject: How to Get a US Credit Card

Erik
Date: 2/15/2001 1:52 am CDT

Hi.

I’ll be moving to the US in a couple of months. My question is this:

How do I go about getting a credit card
(Visa/Mastercard)with reasonable conditions,
when I don’t have a US credit rating?

archive
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:38 pm
Post subject: How to Get a US Credit Card

Tim
Date: 2/17/2001 10:47 pm CDT

A little more information would be helpful Eric. Such as where is your current home? what are the names of the credit agencies in your country?

Please post another message and be more detailed.

In the meantime , below are some questions I have of you.

Do you have a United States social security number? Were you born in the U.S, naturalized or applying for citizenship. In any case get your paperwork together and take the citizenship test and apply for a social security number or a federal tax i.d number.

archive
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:39 pm
Post subject: How to Get a US Credit Card

Erik
Date: 2/18/2001 4:21 am CDT

I am currently living in Norway and I am a Norwegian citizen.

I have contacted some banks that have offices in both Norway and in the US, but these banks are commercial banks for corporations only. Chase Manhattan said that I would have to get a secured card, where you keep 105% of your credit limit in the account at all times.

I do not have a social security number, however I did have a temp. soc. sec. number when I went to Ohio State University. My student visa ran out in 1999, and I think I threw away the card with that number on it when my visa ran out.
I guess somebody must have a record of this number somewhere?!?

archive
Posted: Tue Sep 28, 2004 6:39 pm
Post subject: How to Get a US Credit Card
Tim
Date: 2/19/2001 2:34 am CDT

I am sure the social security administration does have a record of your social security number.

If you worked will at the University and had taxes withheld then you should have a social security number.

Also, contact your current creditors in Norway and find out about their U.S counterparts or affiliates.

I think your biggest obstacle will be that you don’t have a U.S credit report, however I am not positive that the Norwegian credit reporting system is not internationally structured so as that U.S banks can’t interchange info.

First contact your current creditors,second contact a few U.S banks like First Union or Allfirst, they all have websites, and fill out an info request form. Then check on your social security number and permenant citizenship.

You very well may have to start off with that secured card.

I will try to do some research for you and reply again to your post. Good Luck!