No-Credit-Check / Soft-Pull Card Tracker
This is a moving target
The May 19, 2026 executive order and the June 5, 2026 FinCEN advisory that followed encourage banks to treat ITIN-in-place-of-SSN as a possible risk factor requiring extra scrutiny. That doesn't directly change a card's soft-pull rules, but it can affect onboarding friction and documentation requirements going forward — particularly for the no-SSN products in this table (Zolve, Firstcard, Nomad Credit).
| Issuer | Product | Verdict | ID Paths | Deposit | Soft-Pull/No-Check | Bureaus | Confidence | Source | Date Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenSky | Secured Visa | No credit check to open | SSN or ITIN | $150–$3,000 | No credit check required for approval | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | openskycc.com/faq | 2026-07-21 |
| OpenSky | Unsecured Visa (graduation card) | DEBUNK: hard pull at graduation | SSN or ITIN | None | Hard pull occurs at final processing | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | openskycc.com/faq | 2026-07-21 |
| OpenSky | Credit line increase (either card) | No hard pull | N/A | N/A | Soft pull only, confirmed | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | openskycc.com/faq | 2026-07-21 |
| Chase | Pre-approved offers / prequalification | Soft-pull preview only | SSN or ITIN | N/A at preview stage | Soft pull for the preview; hard pull on formal application | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | chase.com | 2026-07-21 |
| American Express | Apply With Confidence | Soft-pull preview only | SSN or ITIN | N/A at preview stage | Approval shown first with soft check; hard pull only if accepted | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | americanexpress.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Capital One | Pre-approval | Soft-pull preview only | SSN or ITIN | Varies by card | Soft pull for the preview; later application/acceptance may hard-pull | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | capitalone.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Discover | Pre-approval | Soft-pull preview only | SSN or ITIN | Varies by card | Soft pull for the preview; full application hard-pulls | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | discover.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Bank of America | Personalized offers search | Soft-pull preview only | Unknown — not stated on offer-search page | N/A at offer-search stage | Offer search only; no score impact at that stage | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it (preview stage only) | bankofamerica.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Citi | Pre-qualification tool | Soft-pull preview only | SSN shown for pre-qual; ITIN not stated | Varies by card | Soft-pull prequalification | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | citi.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Wells Fargo | Pre-qualified offers | Soft-pull preview only | SSN or ITIN | Varies by card | Pre-qualified offers with no score impact at preview stage | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | wellsfargo.com | 2026-07-21 |
| U.S. Bank | Pre-approved offers | Soft-pull preview only | Unknown — not stated | Varies by card | Pre-approved check without affecting credit | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | usbank.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Navy Federal Credit Union | Prequalification | Soft-pull preview only | SSN required for membership sign-up | Varies by card | Prequalification with no score impact | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | navyfederal.org | 2026-07-21 |
| PenFed Credit Union | "See if I pre-qualify" | Soft-pull preview only | SSN for card application; broader docs mention SSN/ITIN | Varies by card | Pre-qualify without score impact | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | penfed.org | 2026-07-21 |
| Current | Build Card | No credit check to open | SSN typically required for the account | None (secured by account balance) | No credit check, no hard pull to start | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | support.current.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Self | Self Visa Secured Card | No credit check to start | SSN required | $100 minimum, tied to Credit Builder Account | No credit check to get started | Unknown | Confirmed — issuer states it | self.inc | 2026-07-21 |
| Petal | Petal 2 Visa, via pre-approval | Soft-pull pre-approval only | SSN or ITIN | None (unsecured) | Soft-pull pre-approval, doesn't specify final-application inquiry type | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it (preview stage) | support.petalcard.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Firstcard | Secured Credit Builder Card | No credit check or hard inquiry | SSN, ITIN, passport, or visa | No minimum deposit stated | No credit check or hard inquiry | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | firstcard.app | 2026-07-21 |
| Mission Lane | Secured Visa | Soft-pull, then hard pull if accepted | SSN only | $50–$200 | Soft-pull prequalification; hard inquiry only if accepted and approved | Unspecified credit reporting agencies | Confirmed — issuer states it | missionlane.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Kikoff | Credit Account (Secured Card has retired) | No hard pull (product status unclear) | SSN or ITIN (per issuer wording) | None stated for current Credit Account | No credit check on current offering | Unspecified | Confirmed on no-hard-pull claim; product status itself unresolved | kikoff.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Zolve | Classic Credit Card | No SSN required; hard-pull unconfirmed | National ID, passport, visa, I-20, or offer letter | Not stated as required | Unknown — no official issuer statement on inquiry type found | Reported as Equifax/Experian/TransUnion, unconfirmed | Confirmed on SSN-free claim; Unknown on inquiry type | helpcenter.zolve.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Nomad Credit | Partner student card | Reported, unconfirmed by issuer | Passport, visa, I-20; no SSN or ITIN per Nomad's own marketing | No security deposit stated | Not publicly stated by the underlying card issuer | Unknown | Reported, unconfirmed by issuer | nomadcredit.com | 2026-07-21 |
How we verified this
A card only earns a true 'no credit check' verdict when an issuer's own page explicitly says so for the final approval step, not just a preview. Most major banks' prequalification tools genuinely are soft-pull — confirmed directly on their own pages — but every one of them says a hard inquiry can still occur once you formally apply or accept the offer, which is the single most important distinction on this page. Two research passes were run and reconciled here; where they disagreed (OpenSky's ID requirements), the verdict was resolved using the strongest available cross-source evidence, including this site's own separately-verified ITIN Acceptance Matrix, rather than picking one report arbitrarily.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the actual difference between a soft pull and a hard pull?
A soft pull (or soft inquiry) doesn't affect your credit score and is typically used for prequalification or preview offers. A hard pull (hard inquiry) can slightly lower your score and happens when you formally apply. Most big-bank 'check if you're approved' tools are soft-pull, but the actual application afterward is usually a hard pull.
Which cards genuinely never do a hard inquiry?
Based on issuer-confirmed sources: OpenSky's secured card, Current's Build Card, Self's secured card, and Firstcard all state no credit check for approval. OpenSky's own graduation to an unsecured card is a clear exception — that step does trigger a hard pull.
If a bank's prequalification tool doesn't affect my score, is the whole application process safe?
No — prequalification and final application are two different steps. Chase, Amex, Capital One, Discover, Citi, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Navy Federal, and PenFed all confirm their preview tools are soft-pull, but every one of them can still hard-pull once you formally apply or accept an offer.
Is Kikoff's card still available?
Kikoff's own secured-card page states the Secured Card has retired, while a current 'Credit Account' product is marketed elsewhere on their site. The no-credit-check claim on the current offering appears confirmed, but the product's actual current status is genuinely unclear — confirm directly before assuming it's a live card application.