Best Credit Cards for International Students
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best credit card for international students.
Credit cards for international students are pretty much the same as any other student credit cards (some offers are from WalletHub partners). It’s just that not all international students can qualify for their own credit card account while studying in the United States. And not all credit card companies have the same requirements. More specifically, most credit cards are only available to foreign students who have a Social Security number (SSN) or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). But there are some that require only your passport and student ID.
Best Credit Cards for International Students
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COMPARE CREDIT CARDS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
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- 20,000 miles initial bonus
- Unlimited 1.25 miles per $1 on every purchase
- Miles are redeemable for any travel-related expense on your bill
- 0% intro APRs
- No annual fee
- Balance transfer fee
- Potential for a very high regular APR
- Earn $200 initial bonus
- High rewards rate
- $0 annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- High regular APR
- Balance transfer fee
- Requires good/excellent credit
- First-year rewards doubled
- No annual fee
- No foreign-transaction fee
- Intro APR on purchases
- High regular APR
- No initial bonus
- $200 initial bonus
- 1.5% cash back on all purchases
- No annual fee
- 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers
- Potential for a very high interest rate
- Balance transfer fee
- Requires good/excellent credit
- No membership fees
- Qualify with limited or no credit history
- High regular APR
- Foreign fee
- 75,000 miles initial bonus
- Unlimited 2 miles per $1 on every purchase
- Redeem for any-travel related expense
- $0 foreign transaction fee
- Terrible cash back redemption rate
- Not built for financing
- No membership fees
- High rewards rate
- Earn $50 initial rewards bonus
- No foreign transaction fee
- Potential for a high interest rate
- No membership fees
- Intro APR on purchases
- High rewards rate
- Bonus categories
- Spending caps on rewards
- No initial rewards bonus
- Balance transfer fee
- No membership fees
- High rewards rate
- $50 initial rewards bonus
- No foreign transaction fees
- Potential for a high interest rate
- Qualify with bad credit
- Does not require security deposit
- $89 one-time program fee
- $75 annual fee for the first year
- $147 in fees starting year two
- High APR
Our picks
The best credit cards for international students all have a few things in common. None of them charge annual fees or foreign transaction fees. And all of them are available to students who aren't U.S. citizens. Some require a Social Security number or an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. Others ask only for a passport (from any country) and a student ID.
WalletHub's editors compared 1,500+ offers based on those criteria to find the best cards for different types of students. You can see the results below.
Best International Student Credit Cards Comparison
Credit Card | Best For… | Annual Fee | ID Required |
Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | Cash Rewards | $0 | SSN or ITIN |
Discover it® Student Chrome | First-Year Bonus | $0 | SSN or ITIN |
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students | International Travel | $0 | SSN, ITIN or Passport |
Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | No Annual Fee | $0 | SSN or ITIN |
Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards credit card for Students | Bonus Cash Back | $0 | SSN, ITIN or Passport |
Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card (see Rates & Fees) | Secured Card | $0 | SSN or ITIN |
Fortunately, we've got some tips that will help you get the most out of your card. You can check them out below. And you can track your progress by checking your latest credit score for free on WalletHub. No other site offers free credit scores and reports that are updated on a daily basis.
7 credit card tips for international students
- Apply for a Social Security number. If you have a U.S. work permit, you can apply for an SSN. As long as your information is accurate and valid, you should receive your number within “several weeks,” according to the SSA website. Foreign students with an SSN can apply for a credit card from any of the 10 largest issuers.
- Find a part-time job. Credit card companies need to know that you can afford the monthly payments. And having a job is the only way you'll be able to get an SSN.
- Look into getting an Individual Tax Identification Number. You're eligible for an ITIN if you're not employed in the U.S. but still need to pay U.S. taxes. This could be the case if you have investments or property in the U.S. or if you're earning any income, which includes scholarship money.
Most major credit card companies accept an ITIN in lieu of an SSN for at least some of their cards. But you may have to apply at an actual bank branch.
- Consider other methods of identification. A few issuers will even accept just your passport and student ID, along with some basic information such as where you work. American Express and Bank of America are two examples. And the SelfScore Student Mastercard accepts passports as well.
- Become an authorized user. If you can get someone you trust to add you as an authorized user on their credit card, you may not need your own account.
- Talk to your school's credit union. Credit unions base their membership on some kind of shared quality – in this case, going to a certain school. So you might be able to get your school's branded credit card without jumping through a lot of hoops. After all, your school's credit union shouldn't have much trouble verifying your identity since you're enrolled in class.
- Get a secured card. Secured credit cards require you to put down a security deposit that serves as your credit line. Because this prevents you from going into debt, these cards don't always require an SSN or ITIN.
Sources
WalletHub actively maintains a database of 1,500+ credit card offers, from which we select the best credit cards for international students for different applicants as well as derive market-wide takeaways and trends. The underlying data is compiled from credit card company websites or provided directly by the credit card issuers. We also leverage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to develop cardholder profiles, used to estimate cards’ potential savings.
Questions & Answers
Comparing credit cards for international students can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered. WalletHub independently collected information for some of the cards on this page.show more
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Important Disclosures
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