No-SSN / Passport-Only Credit Card Application Matrix
This is a moving target
This is the strictest cut in this project's set of matrices — many 'no-SSN' cards still require an ITIN, which doesn't qualify here. One row (Deserve) is corrected to discontinued, consistent with the same finding in the International Student Document Acceptance matrix. Re-verify before publishing anything time-sensitive; ITIN/no-SSN document policy is an active area given the May 2026 executive order's enhanced-due-diligence direction.
| Issuer | Product | Verdict | ID Path | Deposit | Soft-Pull / No-Check | Bureaus | Confidence | Source | Date Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Express | Global Card Transfer (existing cardmembers moving to the U.S.) | Confirmed, but restricted to existing Amex cardmembers only | Passport OR SSN OR ITIN; 3+ months Amex history required | Not stated for this transfer path | Credit review may occur; type not stated | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | americanexpress.com | 2026-07-22 |
| American Express | Standard U.S. Personal Card application | No — the standard application requires an SSN | SSN required; no passport substitute on this path | Product-specific; unknown | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Issuer requires SSN, confirmed | americanexpress.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Zolve | Zolve U.S. Credit Card | Confirmed — passport, visa, I-20; no SSN or ITIN | Passport+visa+I-20 (F-1); separate SSN/ITIN routes also exist | None stated | No U.S. credit history required | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | zolve.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Firstcard | Firstcard cash-backed credit card | Confirmed — passport plus visa needs neither SSN nor ITIN | Passport+visa (no SSN/ITIN); ITIN+passport alt. also offered | Cash-backed; exact minimum not stated | No credit check or hard inquiry | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | firstcard.app | 2026-07-21 |
| Cross River Bank / NeuMoney, via Nomad Credit | Nomad U.S. Credit Card for international students | Reported — passport+I-20+visa, no SSN/ITIN claimed | Passport+I-20+visa reported; SSN supplied only if held | None stated | Credit check performed, per Nomad | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion, per Nomad | Reported, unconfirmed by issuer | nomadcredit.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Stanford Federal Credit Union | Student Cash Rewards & consumer credit cards | Unknown — no-SSN confirmed, ITIN requirement unclear | Passport for membership; SSN not required; ITIN unstated | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Unknown, not publicly stated | sfcu.org | 2026-07-21 |
| Chase | U.S. personal credit cards | No confirmed passport-only path; SSN/ITIN required | SSN and/or ITIN; passport not a substitute | Product-dependent | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | chase.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Capital One | U.S. consumer credit cards | No confirmed passport-only path | SSN or ITIN; passport not a substitute | Product-dependent | Preapproval check has no score impact | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | capitalone.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Discover | U.S. consumer credit cards | No confirmed passport-only path | SSN required; ITIN sometimes works; no passport route | Product-dependent | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | discover.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Bank of America | Online U.S. consumer credit-card application | Debunk — passport guidance is for deposit accounts only | SSN required online; passport rule is bank-account-only | Secured card $200-$5,000; others vary | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Issuer requires SSN, confirmed | bankofamerica.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Citi | U.S. consumer credit cards | No confirmed passport-only path | SSN or ITIN; passport not a substitute | Product-dependent | May result in a hard inquiry | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | citi.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Wells Fargo | U.S. consumer credit cards | No — SSN or ITIN explicitly required | SSN or ITIN required; no passport substitute | Product-dependent | Unknown — not stated | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | wellsfargo.com | 2026-07-21 |
| OpenSky | OpenSky secured credit cards | Debunk — no credit check still needs SSN or ITIN | SSN or ITIN required; ID may be supplemental | Yes; amount varies by secured product | No credit check | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | openskycc.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Self | Self Visa Secured Credit Card | No — SSN plus citizen/permanent-resident status required | SSN required; passport not a substitute | At least $100 security deposit | No credit inquiry for the secured card | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Issuer requires SSN, confirmed | support.self.inc | 2026-07-21 |
| Petal | Petal credit cards | No — SSN/ITIN required; passport is supplemental only | SSN or ITIN plus photo ID; passport alone insufficient | Unknown — not stated | Preapproval has no score impact | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | support.petalcard.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Mission Lane | Mission Lane Visa products | No confirmed passport-only path | SSN or ITIN plus domestic government-issued ID | Unknown — offer-dependent | Consumer report obtained; not no-check | Unspecified reporting agencies | Confirmed — issuer states it | missionlane.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Current / Cross River Bank | Current Build Card | Debunk — requires an SSN to open the account | SSN required; passport is supplemental ID only | None separate; draws from account balance | No credit-history or score check | TransUnion, Equifax, Experian | Issuer requires SSN, confirmed | current.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Kikoff | Kikoff Credit Account | No — SSN or TIN required for identity verification | SSN or TIN required; no passport substitute | None for the credit-account product | No hard credit check | Equifax, Experian, TransUnion | Confirmed — issuer states it | kikoff.com | 2026-07-21 |
| Deserve | EDU Mastercard for Students | Discontinued — not accepting new applications | Formerly passport+visa+I-20, no SSN/ITIN; now paused | None (was unsecured, when live) | Was algorithm-based, alt-data underwriting | Unknown — not stated | Reported, unconfirmed by issuer | firstcard.app | 2026-07-22 |
| UW Credit Union | UWCU consumer credit cards | No — passport is ID only, SSN/ITIN still needed | Passport accepted as photo ID; SSN or ITIN required | Cash deposit or cosigner may apply | Standard application uses a hard inquiry | Unknown — not stated | Confirmed — issuer states it | uwcu.org | 2026-07-21 |
How we verified this
"Passport-only" means the applicant can apply without either an SSN or an ITIN — not merely without one of the two. A passport accepted only as supplemental photo ID, or only for a deposit/checking account rather than a credit card, does not qualify. An issuer accepting an ITIN instead of an SSN does not qualify either, since an ITIN application is itself a separate multi-week IRS process. Where a marketing or application-front-end company (e.g. Nomad Credit) states a no-SSN/no-ITIN policy but the underlying issuing bank does not independently confirm it, the row stays at 'Reported, unconfirmed by issuer' rather than being upgraded — consistent with how this same distinction was handled throughout this project's other matrices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between "no SSN required" and "passport-only"?
A lot of cards marketed as "no SSN required" still require an ITIN instead — which means a separate 7-11 week IRS application before you can even apply for the card. Genuinely passport-only means neither is needed at any point. Most of the issuers on this list that say "no SSN" elsewhere on this site still land in the "no" column here specifically because they require an ITIN.
Why is American Express listed as both a confirmed "yes" and a confirmed "no"?
Because it's genuinely two different products with two different rules. Amex's Global Card Transfer lets a passport substitute for an SSN or ITIN — but only for someone who already holds an Amex card for 3+ months and is relocating to the U.S. A first-time applicant with no existing Amex relationship goes through the standard application, which requires an SSN with no passport alternative.
Is Nomad's international-student card really passport-only?
Nomad's own page says so directly, but Nomad is the marketing and application front-end, not the bank actually issuing the card (Cross River Bank / NeuMoney). No independent confirmation was found on the issuing bank's own site, so this stays at "reported, unconfirmed by issuer" rather than fully confirmed — the same distinction applied consistently across this site's matrices whenever a marketing partner's claim isn't independently backed by the issuer itself.
What happened to the Deserve EDU Mastercard?
It's discontinued and not accepting new applications, as of this check — consistent with what this site's International Student Document Acceptance matrix separately found. It's included here for historical reference only; it isn't a usable pathway right now.