---
title: "Open US credit cards"
description: "Get a US credit card as a non-resident: Amex transfer after three months of membership, ITIN or secured card. Requirements, application rules, costs."
url: "https://benefitsystems.io/en/services/us-credit-cards"
published: "12 May 2026"
reviewed: "6 October 2026"
type: "Service page"
---

# Open US credit cards

**Short answer.** Without a Social Security Number (SSN), three routes lead to a US credit card: transferring an existing Amex through the Global Card Relationship, an application with an [ITIN](/en/glossary/individual-taxpayer-identification-number) at Chase or Capital One, for example, and a secured card with a deposit. Every route needs a physical US address and a US phone number. Business cards for a US company follow once your personal credit history carries weight.

## Key points

- The Amex transfer is open to primary cardholders in eligible countries whose card has been open for at least three months. The “Member since” date carries over, and the points stay on the existing account.
- Chase and Capital One accept the ITIN in place of the SSN. The IRS only issues it for a tax purpose, though, and a card application is not one.
- In observed practice, business cards from other banks do not count toward Chase's [5/24 rule](/en/glossary/5-24-rule).
- Each bank has its own application rules. Applied for in the wrong order, some cards stay closed to you for months, at Chase for up to two years.
- US cards earn more points than cards issued in the EU, because the [interchange fee](/en/glossary/interchange-fee) on credit cards is capped in the EU and not in the US.

## Which route to a US credit card fits whom

| Situation | Obvious starting point |
|---|---|
| Agency or online shop with $20,000 or more in ad spend per month | Business cards with an advertising bonus category, up to 4 points per dollar |
| Consultancy with weekly travel | Travel cards with portal multipliers and hotel status |
| Private individual with an Amex from a country on the program's list | Amex transfer as the route with the fewest requirements, second card after about six months |
| Private individual with an Amex from Switzerland or another country not on the list | Check eligibility with the issuer first, otherwise start with an ITIN or a secured card |
| New, without any US history | Secured card, six months of on-time payments, then the next card |

*Classification by starting position. We set the sequence in the strategy call.*

## The three routes in detail

**Amex Global Card Relationship.** An existing Amex from Germany, Austria or another country on the program's list is continued in the US. You must be the primary cardholder, the card must have been open for at least three months, and the account must be in good standing. The home card stays open, and the “Member since” date carries over to the US card. At application this route works without an ITIN; you will need one later to build a score. The process is described in [Global Card transfer to the US](/en/knowledge/global-card-transfer-to-the-us).

**Application with an ITIN.** Chase and Capital One accept the ITIN in place of the SSN. That opens cards that report to the [credit bureaus](/en/glossary/credit-bureau) and so build a score. The IRS only issues the ITIN together with a US tax return or a recognized exception. What that means for card applications is covered in [ITIN or SSN for credit cards](/en/knowledge/itin-or-ssn-for-credit-cards).

**Secured card.** The limit is backed by a deposit, $49, $99 or $200 for the Capital One Platinum Secured. The card reports to the credit bureaus and suits anyone without an Amex history. It too is applied for with an SSN or ITIN. The issuer returns the deposit under its own terms, in our experience usually when the account moves to a regular card.

## The three routes compared

| Route | Requirement | ITIN at application | Builds a US score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amex transfer | Primary card from an eligible country open for at least three months, account in good standing, US address | no | according to available reports not without an ITIN, check before applying |
| Application with an ITIN | ITIN, physical US address, income details | yes, or SSN | yes |
| Secured card | deposit, dollar account for payment | yes, or SSN | yes |

*Based on the terms of American Express, Chase and Capital One as of 29 September 2026. Whether the Amex transfer reports to the credit bureaus without an ITIN is not published.*

## What you need before the first application

Debit cards and the cards of many finance apps do not report a credit line to the credit bureaus. They do not build a US score, even if they bill in dollars.

- **A physical US address.** Chase writes that one is generally required and that post office boxes may not be accepted.
- **A US phone number** where you can be reached for queries and security codes.
- **An SSN or ITIN.** Chase and Capital One ask for one of the two. Without either, only the Amex transfer remains.
- **A dollar account** for the bill. Paid from another currency, every statement costs a conversion. The route there is described in [Open a US bank account](/en/services/open-us-bank-account).
- **Income details**, which the bank uses to set the limit.

## Application rules per bank

These rules determine the sequence. The banks publish only some of them, the rest is practice observed over years. The [5/24 rule](/en/knowledge/chase-5-24) has its own article. The “Application rules” tool in the software suite lists all of them with a review date.

| Bank | Rule | Meaning | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase | 5/24 | No approval with five or more new personal cards in 24 months, at any bank. Business cards from other banks do not count. | observed; Chase only writes that cards opened and closed may be considered for bonus eligibility |
| Chase | 2/30 | No more than two Chase cards in 30 days. | observed |
| Chase | card already held | If you currently have the card open, you cannot apply for it again. | published |
| American Express | 2/90, once per card | No more than two credit cards in 90 days; the welcome bonus only once per card. | observed; Amex only writes that offers vary and you may not be eligible |
| Citi | bonus only once | No bonus on the Strata Premier if you currently have or previously had it or the Premier. | published |
| Citi | 1/8, 2/65 | One card in 8 days, two in 65 days. | observed |
| Capital One | 1/6 | One card in six months, no more than two personal cards at a time, sensitive to many inquiries. | observed, unverified |
| Bank of America | 2/3/4 | Two cards in 2 months, three in 12, four in 24. | observed, unverified |
| Wells Fargo | 1/6, 15 months | One card in six months, no bonus within 15 months. | observed, unverified |

*As of 29 September 2026. “Observed” means not published by the issuer. Banks change rules without notice.*

## Step-by-step process

1. **Groundwork.** Address, phone number, ITIN if needed. The US bank account in parallel.
2. **First card.** Amex transfer, secured card or ITIN application, depending on your starting position.
3. **Six months of discipline.** Pay on time, keep [utilization](/en/knowledge/credit-utilization) below ten percent, no further applications. In this time the first score appears, as explained in [how US credit reports work](/en/knowledge/how-us-credit-reports-work).
4. **Second and third card** according to the application rules: Chase before Amex, because 5/24 counts all personal cards. Get the secured card deposit back.
5. **Business cards** for the US company once the personal history carries weight. In our experience the owner remains personally liable, more on that in [business vs personal credit](/en/knowledge/business-vs-personal-credit).
6. **Portfolio maintenance.** New cards according to the bonus situation, ongoing monitoring via application rules, bonus history and benefits tracker.

## Costs and timeline

| Item | Cost | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Amex transfer | annual fee of the target card | in our experience 10 to 14 business days after approval, American Express names no deadline |
| Secured card | deposit of $49, $99 or $200 at Capital One, usually no annual fee | 1 to 2 weeks |
| ITIN via an Acceptance Agent | from $499 | per the IRS 7 weeks, 9 to 11 weeks if you apply from abroad |
| Annual fees for premium cards | $95 to $895 | often considerably lower after credits |

*Guide values as of 29 September 2026. Annual fees change; what counts is the fee minus the credits you use.*

## Common mistakes

- Too many applications in a short time. Each one triggers a hard inquiry ([hard pull vs soft pull](/en/knowledge/hard-pull-vs-soft-pull)), and at Chase the 5/24 block follows.
- Expecting a score from the Amex transfer. Without an ITIN, according to available reports, the card does not report to the credit bureaus.
- Expecting Schufa in Germany, KSV in Austria or any other home-country bureau to count in the US. The US file starts at zero.
- Applying for an ITIN just for a card application. The IRS issues it for a tax purpose, and wanting a card is not one.
- Redeeming points as a [statement credit](/en/glossary/statement-credit) instead of transferring them. That costs a multiple of their value.
- Keeping a card that, after credits, delivers less than its annual fee costs. How to run that calculation is shown in [annual fee math](/en/knowledge/annual-fee-math).

## When a US credit card is not worth it

- You have no Amex from an eligible country and no tax reason in the US. An ITIN is then hard to get, and without an ITIN or an Amex there is no starting point.
- You are planning a single trip to the US. A card from home without a foreign transaction fee is enough. A US card pays off only with ongoing dollar spending over several years.
- You have no dollar account. The bill comes in dollars, and paying it from another currency loses money on the exchange rate every month.
- Your Amex is from Switzerland. The transfer is not provided for there, so the start runs through an ITIN or a secured card and takes longer.
- You will move or give up the US business within a few months. The sequence needs time, and half a history helps nobody.
- Your goal is a US score, but only the Amex transfer is planned. The transfer opens access, it does not replace building a score.

## Notes before you apply

- Switzerland is not on any country list of the Global Card Relationship. American Express also explicitly excludes cards not issued by an American Express bank. Check the program's country list with your issuer before every step.
- Information on address and residence must be accurate. False information given to a bank puts the card and the account at risk.
- Rewards from business spending must be assessed for tax purposes. Your tax advisor handles this.

> **Limits of this information**
>
> Terms, processing times and rules of banks and authorities change, sometimes without notice. All information carries a review date and is checked again before every application.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I apply for a US credit card as a non-resident?

Yes, if you meet the issuer's requirements. Issuers generally ask for a physical US address, a US phone number and an SSN or ITIN. Without an ITIN, transferring an existing Amex remains. All details must be true, and an address or number that does not exist as stated puts the card and the account at risk.

### Can I take my Amex from home to the US?

Yes, through the Global Card Relationship, if your country is on the program's list. You need at least three months as primary cardholder and an account in good standing. The home card stays open, and the “Member since” date carries over to the US card. American Express decides on approval.

### Does the Amex transfer work for cards from Austria and Switzerland?

For Austria yes, Austria is on the program's country list. Switzerland is not, and American Express excludes cards not issued by an American Express bank. Swiss cardholders should clarify eligibility directly with the issuer before every step.

### Do my Membership Rewards points move to the US?

Not under the program terms. American Express writes that the points stay on your existing account and can only be redeemed there. That account stays open until you cancel it. If the home card is to go, redeem the points first or transfer them to a partner.

### Can I get an ITIN just for a credit card?

No. The ITIN is a tax number. The IRS requires a US tax return or a recognized exception with the application, and wanting a credit card is not one. Many business owners have the tax reason through a US company. For private individuals without US income it is often the biggest hurdle.

### Can I apply for a Chase credit card from Germany?

Not through Chase in Germany. As of late September 2026 the digital bank there offers a savings account, no credit card. Cards such as the Sapphire range are US products. They are applied for in the US, with an SSN or ITIN and a physical US address, and Chase's application rules apply.

### Does my credit score from home count in the US?

Not automatically. Some services pass a home-country credit history to participating US issuers. Which ones changes, and we check it before every application. As a rule, the US credit file starts at zero.

### What is a secured card?

A credit card whose limit is backed by a deposit. It reports to the credit bureaus and so builds a score. The issuer returns the deposit under its own terms.

### What is the 5/24 rule?

In observed practice, Chase generally declines applications if five or more personal cards have been opened at any bank in the last 24 months. Chase does not publish the number. Covered in detail in [Chase 5/24](/en/knowledge/chase-5-24).

### How many cards do I need?

One to start with, later three to five, divided by spending category. More cards only deliver more if there is matching spending.

## Sources

- American Express, Global Card Relationship (Member Since date, home card, points): [US program page](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/customer-service/global-card-relationship/), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- American Express, requirements and country list (three months, primary cardholder, no cards from other banks): [Other countries](https://www.americanexpress.com/en-us/support/global-card-relationship/other-countries/), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- American Express, $895 annual fee of the Platinum Card: [Platinum Card](https://www.americanexpress.com/us/credit-cards/card/platinum/), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Chase, application requirements (SSN or ITIN, physical US address): [Credit card application requirements](https://www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/basics/credit-card-application-requirements-and-tips), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Chase, bonus terms and $95 annual fee of the Sapphire Preferred: [Sapphire Preferred](https://creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/preferred), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Capital One, applying with an ITIN and Platinum Secured deposit: [What is an ITIN](https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/what-is-an-itin/), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Citi, bonus terms of the Strata Premier: [Citi Strata Premier](https://www.citi.com/credit-cards/citi-strata-premier-credit-card), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- IRS, ITIN (processing time, tax return with the application): [Individual Taxpayer Identification Number](https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/individual-taxpayer-identification-number-itin) and [How to apply for an ITIN](https://www.irs.gov/tin/itin/how-to-apply-for-an-itin), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Chase Germany, product range: [chase.de](https://www.chase.de/), retrieved on 29 September 2026.
- Our own observations from accompanied applications and the software suite's database: application rules, bonus history, card multipliers, delivery times.