Comments on: Obtaining a US Credit Card Without a US Credit History

By: LM

LM — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 02:26:53 +0000

Try small, local banks or a credit union. Usually with direct deposit of a paycheck they will be willing to give a very small limit credit card — which can be raised in a matter of months upon establishing a credit history.

By: Savio

Savio — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 04:27:46 +0000

When I moved to the US as a grad student with no credit history, I used the Amex Global Transfer program to get a SPG Amex credit card the day after I got my SSN. Amex used my credit history from Singapore where I had held a personal and corporate card for about 5 years.

http://www.americanexpress.com/globaltransfers/global_card_transfer_en.shtml

While the process differs slightly from country to country, for the US it was pretty simple. I just called the number listed, gave them the details of my existing Amex card in Singapore, was told to apply online for any Amex card (and therefore get all the applicable bonuses) and call them back within 24 hours of the application, which they then processed manually.

By: Fred

Fred — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:52:18 +0000

When I moved to Amsterdam for a year, I transferred my Amex card to Holland so I could pay for things in guilders. I also kept a US card for charges in the US that I wanted to repay in dollars. But the hardest problem was getting a “eurocard” that would give me ATM access, because they were worried a temporary resident would cash out on eurocheques and leave the country. Eventually we worked out a secured card where we locked money in a savings account to cover any cheques we might have, and returned the cheques just as we left for good.

So I would think a secured credit card would be a good place to start, and the suggestions to get things from the home country, especially Amex, are also quite good.

By: EugeneV

EugeneV — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:54:55 +0000

HSBC also allows to ‘transfer’ your credit history WITH THEM from country to country if you have Premier relationship. It is not difficult to qualify for HSBC Premier; they also offer it for a fee if you don’t qualify, and there is a free trial period as well.

By: Gary

Gary — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:23:35 +0000

Actually I had given him this suggestion myself before posting to Flyertalk — and then promptly forgot to add it to the list I blogged! Thanks for the reminder.

By: bumpershine

bumpershine — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 15:37:54 +0000

If you are Canadian, you should be able to obtain a Canadian American Express card with your Canadian credit history. If you move to the United States, you can call Amex and they will convert your card into an American product. I’ve never done it, but I’ve been told it works.