topic Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN in Credit Card Approvals

AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 03:28:18 GMT

Hi so this happened to me....

I applied for the Citi AAdvantage Platinum Select card as i've been receiving offers since 1 or 2 years. This would be my first Credit Card ever in the US. I don't have an SSN or ITIN. No prior credit history. I applied for it and was approved!!! I never expected this!

SL of 10K

I never had any credit card before. I have been an AA frequent flyer since 2008 though and have been elite status to them for 8 years straight, but i am a tourist!

So.. my nexts steps would be aiming for the Amex Plat or Sapphire Reserve, even the other Exec AA card. When i can expect to do this???

I was approved and because already the 6 months passed, i am now reporting a Fico score of 713, that would my first Fico on file from Nada.

Thank you very much!!! I don't know how strange or usual or doable is this. But i do know that i'll like to have 20-30K limits in one card, and build a portafolio with one Amex and the Chase Sapphire Reserve (maybe dreams without SSN).

New in the forums!!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

19eighty5 — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 03:48:31 GMT

Congratulations!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

imaximous — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 04:47:26 GMT

Congrats!
I’m curious to know what you entered in the section that asks for a SSN. Banks have to search for your file to extend credit and you said you don’t even have a tax ID number.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 05:34:12 GMT

I didn't put anything. I applied in branch with my banker he filled most of the application for me. I don't remember what we did with the SSN blank. He only asked me for a letter of employment from my employer abroad and that's what i gave him. He told something about filling the application as a Citi Global/International Client?

Bear in mind that i am female and my banker has always been friendly to me.

Still should i apply to the Amex Plat soon? Or keep using responsably this card for let's say 1 year more. I also read that sign up bonuses are one in a lifetime so i don't have idea if right now is a good season.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

imaximous — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 13:26:47 GMT

@Deuter wrote:
I didn't put anything. I applied in branch with my banker he filled most of the application for me. I don't remember what we did with the SSN blank. He only asked me for a letter of employment from my employer abroad and that's what i gave him. He told something about filling the application as a Citi Global/International Client?

Bear in mind that i am female and my banker has always been friendly to me.

Still should i apply to the Amex Plat soon? Or keep using responsably this card for let's say 1 year more. I also read that sign up bonuses are one in a lifetime so i don't have idea if right now is a good season.

Glad it worked out for you. I honestly haven't heard of anything similar, so this is great info.

I really doubt that being a female and having a friendly banker have anything to do with your approval. Aside from helping you fill out forms, they can't offer any approvals just like that. Like you said, there must be a program that allows foreigners to get a card with Citi.

I don't know about AMEX, though. I suppose you'd need to find out if they can do something similar for you. My understanding is that AMEX offers residents of certain countries the opportunity to apply for a US AMEX. It's right on the site, but I don't know the full requirements. I do believe it starts by having an AMEX in your country and being on a list of participating countries.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Anonymous — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 18:06:04 GMT

Congrats on your approval and very nice SL !!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 13:27:59 GMT

Congrats Deuter and welcome to my FICO!

It's a great starting limit on your card.

I had a similar experience with Citi long time ago when I didn't had a SSN and I was just a student. I had to open a bank account with Citi as a student checking account and at the same time banker advised me to apply for a secured card (Citi TY preffered card) and to my surprise I got approved without SSN and with 1,000 SL. In OP situaion maybe it has something to do with being Citi Global/International Client but 'am not sure 'am not an expert right. I am glad that you got approved OP for a great card and hope you don't see a HP on your credit profile if you have a SSN and if you currently don't have a SSN then for sure in future when you get one you should see a HP done by Citi for current approved CC. same thing happened with me like I said I experienced it.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

xaximus — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 15:02:42 GMT

Congrats on the approval! Interesting DPs without having a SSN or ITIN.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

sghosh5 — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 16:27:50 GMT

Congrats. Yes i remember when i was an International Student here in USA and didn't have SSN in my initial days, CITI used to come to college campus to sign us up and we used to fill up paper applications without SSN and got approved for two cards back then. Too bad i ended up burning them and defaulting with CITI but that was another story.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

difringe — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 23:28:43 GMT

Congratulations on the approval!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 05:33:19 GMT

Hey guys i got further good news!!!

Citi just made an SP CLI of 6,500 to put my AAdvantage Platinum Select at 16,5K!!!

I have it since June i believe.

And, i think they might even sweeten that SP a little bit more as i talked with Customer Service that i expected the Limit increase to be a little bit larger.. I only told CS that no hardpulls, that only do if it an SP only.

I was not sure if the CLI of 6.5K was good so i had to research! Saw a bigger one of 8,000 CLI but happy with mines!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

imaximous — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:14:23 GMT

@Deuter wrote:
Hey guys i got further good news!!!

Citi just made an SP CLI of 6,500 to put my AAdvantage Platinum Select at 16,5K!!!
I have it since June i believe.

And, i think they might even sweeten that SP a little bit more as i talked with Customer Service that i expected the Limit increase to be a little bit larger.. I only told CS that no hardpulls, that only do if it an SP only.

I was not sure if the CLI of 6.5K was good so i had to research! Saw a bigger one of 8,000 CLI but happy with mines!

Congrats again! Citi definitely likes you.

As far as SP or HP, I'm not sure if that matters in your case since you don't have a SSN or ITIN. I'm still wondering how they'd create a credit profile for you without either. Have you tried to look at your own reports?

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

sghosh5 — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 18:58:17 GMT

Just a little curious here. Why don't you have an SSN? How did you show your income? I know to work anywhere in USA you have to have an SSN. Isn't that correct?

The SP/HP still applies on the report, since in this case the OP's report was built by bureaus on name, address, date of birth, employment history (not sure how to get employed without SSN)

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

imaximous — Wed, 06 Feb 2019 21:21:48 GMT

@sghosh5 wrote:
Just a little curious here. Why don't you have an SSN? How did you show your income? I know to work anywhere in USA you have to have an SSN. Isn't that correct?

The SP/HP still applies on the report, since in this case the OP's report was built by bureaus on name, address, date of birth, employment history (not sure how to get employed without SSN)

I think she already answered those questions before. She's not a US citizen or Resident. She was able to get the Citi card based on banking relationship alone, and something about Citi Global Client. She doesn't reside in the US either.

How would a person have a credit report without using an identifier like SSN or ITIN? If you try to pull your own reports, you have to provide that, no? That's why I don't think a HP or SP matters because there's nothing to pull.

It appears that Citi and AMEX issue credit cards to people from other countries without having to reside in the US, but I still wonder how one builds a credit profile. I'm honestly curious because I could possibly help others in a similar situation.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 01:05:03 GMT

Truthfully i think that the most correct thing to think is that SP or HP don't exist for me as you told there's nothing to pull. I just know i have a FICO 8 Bankcard per this month of 713 per checking Citibank's website FICO service. I hope that it could possibly go up for next month because of the CLI?

I think, i believe i don't have a credit profile on the bureau's as i called Equifax and Experian and they couldn't find anything per home address . Maybe something pops out later who knows? Or maybe with an AMEX it can start reporting?

All i know is that got targeted with mailers for the AAdvantage Platinum card that i have. I have been been American Airlines frequent flyer for 8 years and have received the mailers in my US address for 2 years prior. Until i finally decided to apply. I also recently have started getting mailers for Capital One under my name, for the Capital One Plat card, but i really prefer to stick better with traditionals banks.

I have had a Citi relationship since 2011 that i have been Citigold all the time until where there was the change to the program with higher requirements and got downgraded to Citi Priority. I applied for the card as Citi Priority, and had to email my personal banker my proof of income. I emailed the income i perceived abroad that was almost 200K as i have never worked in the US and live in other place. I don't think this has anything to do but the branch where i applied is very wealthy, the area and where my address is. Also the card was issued under my second last name which i found weird. I have 2 last names and use both, mostly the first one because it is the main one but my card came only with my second last name that i never use, in the rare case that i use it for official documentation i only abbreviate it with the starting letter. Though the strange thing is my card came with my first name and only my second last name which i would never spell my name that way.

This is even more abstract but my second last name family have many business in the area and probably they checked that?

For the next poster, i have never worked in the US so i never had an SSN. I'm a tourist in other words.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

bondsandloan — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 01:06:54 GMT

The question about how credit profile is built is through name, address, DoB.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

imaximous — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 04:06:04 GMT

@Deuter wrote:
Truthfully i think that the most correct thing to think is that SP or HP don't exist for me as you told there's nothing to pull. I just know i have a FICO 8 Bankcard per this month of 713 per checking Citibank's website FICO service. I hope that it could possibly go up for next month because of the CLI?

I think, i believe i don't have a credit profile on the bureau's as i called Equifax and Experian and they couldn't find anything per home address . Maybe something pops out later who knows? Or maybe with an AMEX it can start reporting?

Citi uses Equifax to provide your score, so you definitely have a profile there. My understanding is that it takes a few months to generate a score, and you just got approved, so I don't know. I'm no expert so maybe someone else can explain the existance of a credit score even before having any credit in your name. Have you ever got a loan or any other type of credit at all?

@Deuter wrote:
I have had a Citi relationship since 2011 that i have been Citigold all the time until where there was the change to the program with higher requirements and got downgraded to Citi Priority. I applied for the card as Citi Priority, and had to email my personal banker my proof of income. I emailed the income i perceived abroad that was almost 200K as i have never worked in the US and live in other place. I don't think this has anything to do but the branch where i applied is very wealthy, the area and where my address is. Also the card was issued under my second last name which i found weird. I have 2 last names and use both, mostly the first one because it is the main one but my card came only with my second last name that i never use, in the rare case that i use it for official documentation i only abbreviate it with the starting letter. Though the strange thing is my card came with my first name and only my second last name which i would never spell my name that way.

As far as the way your name appears on the card, I have a theory. I could be wrong, but I've seen this happen before. In the US, we typically use First Name, Middle Name (if you have one) and Last Name (only one). If you have 2 Last Names, there's a good chance they confused your first Last Name with a Middle Name and left it out. Then, they took your First Name and added your second Last Name and printed the card like that.

Sort of like this: Mary Joseph Smith. They think Joseph is your Middle Name -- not your Last Name, so they leave it out when printing the card and you end up with a card that says, Mary Smith.

That could've happened when they filled out the application by typing in the wrong sections too. Whether that's what happened or not, I'm pretty sure you can get that corrected anyway.

@Deuter wrote:
This is even more abstract but my second last name family have many business in the area and probably they checked that?

Definitely not. Your personal finances would have nothing to do with that family relationship.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Thu, 07 Feb 2019 21:33:35 GMT

Thanks , so i went to Citi today and mystery solved.

I was given a piece of paper that says very explicitely that they have some sort of program for International customers. I was told by the branch manager that because i have a relationship with Citi and i have more than 3 months with an account that i can apply. So there you go folks.

He told me i had all the paperwork and that he would only need an updated proof of income. He printed me a sheet of paper with the eligible cards. I also find weird that it says the AAdvantage Executive is $350 AF., but i still don't want that card.

I will attach the document link so you guys can read. I told him if those were the actual signup bonuses and thats what he said.

Click here

I don't know if i'll get approved or if i don't get approved i'll go to "build credit" with AMEX. So yes, now you guys see it is possible to get Citi CC too without SSN/ITIN. I hope this has been useful to some.

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Anonymous — Sun, 10 Feb 2019 19:57:26 GMT

@Deuter wrote:
Thanks , so i went to Citi today and mystery solved.

I was given a piece of paper that says very explicitely that they have some sort of program for International customers. I was told by the branch manager that because i have a relationship with Citi and i have more than 3 months with an account that i can apply. So there you go folks.

He told me i had all the paperwork and that he would only need an updated proof of income. He printed me a sheet of paper with the eligible cards. I also find weird that it says the AAdvantage Executive is $350 AF., but i still don't want that card.

I will attach the document link so you guys can read. I told him if those were the actual signup bonuses and thats what he said.
Click here

I don't know if i'll get approved or if i don't get approved i'll go to "build credit" with AMEX. So yes, now you guys see it is possible to get Citi CC too without SSN/ITIN. I hope this has been useful to some.

So this sounds like Citi's version of Amex Global Transfer. Makes sense for international banks to do this!

Re: AAdvantage Platinum Select - Approved without SSN

Deuter — Mon, 11 Feb 2019 02:06:10 GMT

Now when i go to the bank i won't feel as i'm doing anything "Sneaky" trying to get a CC lol!

Any way, i think.. i am thinking that if i get approved the Prestige to downgrade this one to no AF.

My mind can't decide on which one to downgrade: Costco Visa, AA MilesUp, Rewards+. I think i'm already rulling out the Double cash, not sure why.