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Building Credit Score without SSN

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Anonymous
Not applicable

Building Credit Score without SSN

I visit the USA and have held a bank account in the USA for 10 years. I was talking to my USA bank about obtaining a US based credit card to build credit score but I only hold ITIN and will never hold a SSN. The bank is saying because  I don't have a SSN there is no way for the credit agencies to associate credit history/score without a SSN.

 

Is this correct?

 

Thanks

Message 1 of 13
12 REPLIES 12
haulingthescoreup
Moderator Emerita

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN

mmm..., I don't think so. I could swear that I've read posts here by others in your situation who were able to get a card.

 

Do we have any new US residents in this situation? Weren't you able to get a card without an SSN? (I'm afraid that I don't know the sequence of ITN / residency / green card / SSN / citizenship, etc. Smiley Tongue)

* Credit is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. * Who's the boss --you or your credit?
FICO's: EQ 781 - TU 793 - EX 779 (from PSECU) - Done credit hunting; having fun with credit gardening. - EQ 590 on 5/14/2007
Message 2 of 13
MidnightVoice
Super Contributor

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN

Sorry, I have always has a SSN because I always needed to work legally  Smiley Sad

The slide from grace is really more like gliding
And I've found the trick is not to stop the sliding
But to find a graceful way of staying slid
Message 3 of 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN

From my knowledge, that's correct. You can't obtain credit card without SSN. I think there's ways to obtain SSN that you need to find out yourself my friend.

Message 4 of 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN


@haulingthescoreup wrote:

mmm..., I don't think so. I could swear that I've read posts here by others in your situation who were able to get a card.

 

Do we have any new US residents in this situation? Weren't you able to get a card without an SSN? (I'm afraid that I don't know the sequence of ITN / residency / green card / SSN / citizenship, etc. Smiley Tongue)


When you apply for residency / green card you automatically apply for a SSN.  I believe it's a mandatory part of the process.

 

An ITIN is for non-residents (i.e. tourists) and those unauthorized too work.  With only an ITIN few, if any, creditors will grant you credit -- and rightly so.

 

 

Message 5 of 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN


@Anonymous wrote:

From my knowledge, that's correct. You can't obtain credit card without SSN. I think there's ways to obtain SSN that you need to find out yourself my friend.


You can buy one for $50 in L.A.  Smiley Wink

 

Orange jumpsuit sometimes available separately.

Message 6 of 13
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN

Incorrect.  You definately dont need an SSN for credit reporting.  No such statute, regulation, or CRA requirement  exists.

You also dont need an SSN to open an account with a creditor. You only have to comply with banking and IRS regulations, which dont require an SSN.

Billions of dollars are invested and secured from the U.S. credit industry with those who dont work in the U.S.

 

CRAs need a personal identifier in order to match up reporting done by a creditor with your credit file at the CRA.

They use a matching algorithm used to match reporting with your credit file.  They have several indentifying factors, such as SSN, ITIS, full name, current adddress, etc.

The most accurate, and thus preferred, personal identifier, is SSN, since it is (allegedly) unique to each consumer.  However, ITIS should be just as unique.  Names and addresses, even if the match up with one another, are not always unique identifiers of one single person.

The most important thing is not what identifier is provided, it is more one of making sure that the identifiers you have on file with the OC match exactly with those that have been provided to the CRA.  Thus, no matching, or incorrect mis-matching of reporting to the incorrect credit file can occur.

 

 

Message 7 of 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN


@RobertEG wrote:

Incorrect.  You definately dont need an SSN for credit reporting.  No such statute, regulation, or CRA requirement  exists.

 

CRAs need a personal identifier in order to match up reporting done by a creditor with your credit file at the CRA.

They use a matching algorithm used to match reporting with your credit file.  They have several indentifying factors, such as SSN, ITIS, full name, current adddress, etc.

The most accurate, and thus preferred, personal identifier, is SSN, since it is (allegedly) unique to each consumer.  However, ITIS should be just as unique.  Names and addresses, even if the match up with one another, are not always unique identifiers of one single person.

The most important thing is not what identifier is required, it is more one of making sure that the identifiers you have on file with the OC match exactly with those that have been entered into your CRA credit file.

 


+1

 

I think when OP's bank says they cannot extend credit because of CRA reporting issues with an ITIN it's just a polite way of saying the bank doesn't want to lend, period.

Message 8 of 13
RobertEG
Legendary Contributor

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN

If your application was in the name of, for example, a Shiek Abdul of Billions-of wealth, I dont see that any spurious issues of needing a SSN would remotely be of creditor, or credit reporting, question.

Message 9 of 13
Anonymous
Not applicable

Re: Building Credit Score without SSN


@RobertEG wrote:

If your application was in the name of, for example, a Shiek Abdul of Billions-of wealth, I dont see that any spurious issues of needing a SSN would remotely be of creditor, or credit reporting, question.


Patriot Act: Know Your Customer.

Message 10 of 13
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