Get US credit cards with Nova Credit | Economical flyer (2023)

In the past, the best way to get a decent first US credit card was to apply throughAmerican Express Global Transfer Program. As an Amex card holder from Canada (or any other country), Amex may use your credit history with a company in your country of origin to approve you for credit cards in the United States.

There is currently one service that offers an arguably smoother process for applying for your first credit card:New Credit.

What is NovaCredit?

Nova Credit is a third party service that allows you to use your credit history in Canada (and many other countries) to approve a credit card in the United States. Nova Credit makes this possible through partnerships with American Express and certain other credit card issuers in the United States, as well as with credit bureaus in countries around the world.

(Video) How to Get US Credit Cards for Canadians (Full Guide 2021)

They use data from credit bureaus in your country to convert your international credit score to an equivalent US credit score. This score is then available to U.S. financial institutions to assess your credit score and seemingly grant you a loan from scratch. All your history abroad is also translated into a report called "Credit Passport".

While our main focus at Frugal Flyer is credit cards, Nova Credit also helps US beginners access credit products such as car loans, cell phones, student loans and more by providing institutions with a translated credit score and credit card.

Who is eligible for Nova Credit?

Eligibility for Nova Credit generally depends on the credit product you are applying for. In general, as a non-US foreigner applying for a US credit card, to complete your card application through Nova Credit you will need:

• Credit history in your current country.In Canada, for example, you must have a good credit score and be on time at TransUnion, a Nova Credit partner office in Canada
• ID card issued by a foreign government. Generally, a passport is enough.
• US address.This could be your home address, your school address if you're studying in the US, or the address of a friend or family member who has agreed to receive your mail. We have tooUS to Canada mail forwarding listit might work.
• US bank account.Most major Canadian banks offer accounts specifically for people who frequently travel between Canada and the United States. If you already bank with one of the Big Five - BMO, CIBC, RBC, Scotiabank or TD - ask about their cross-border accounts. I've heard particularly good things about himBMO Harris.

Once all this is sorted out, you should have no problems completing the following application process at Nova Credit.

How to apply for a US credit card with Nova Credit

For Canadians, Amex is pretty much the only note issuer currently working with Nova Credit. There are two ways to get a credit card from Amex U.S. apply.

Method 1: Apply directly at AmericanExpress.com

First, open the app for everyonepersonal(no business cards!) American Express credit card. We can use itAmerican Express Hilton Honors credit cardfor example.

When viewing the application fields, you will be asked to enter your US address followed by your Social Security number.

Instead, you want to check the box "I have no credit history in the US, but I had a credit card or loan in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, India, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, or the United States. Kingdom."

If you see a prompt to register for the simpler application process, you should ignore it in this case as it will initiate the global transfer process instead.

After submitting your application to AmericanExpress.com, you will be redirected to the Nova Credit Portal page where you can enter additional information.

you provide:

• Foreign country where you have a credit history (in this example we assume Canada).
• Information required to access your credit records, including your name, date of birth and address.
• Verified by answering three identity questions from your TransUnion (Canada) file.
• Additional financial and employment information.
• Foreign government-issued identification such as a passport or driver's license.

Then you can submit your final application. At this point, you may be automatically approved, but you'll likely also be asked to provide additional supporting documents, such as: B. Photographs of your passport or bank statement proving your US address. It's all normal.

Eventually, if all goes well, you'll be approved and your new US credit card will be on its way to your US address (shipping time depends on which card you applied for).

Method 2: Apply on NovaCredit.com via your referral link

In general, if you use friend orplayer 2If you have a US credit card referral link, we recommend method 1. Alternatively, you can apply via aReferral link for Nova Credit(which we conveniently have😉).

If you apply via Nova Credit Referral, you will receive an Amazon.com Gift Card. The amount changes from time to time, I have seen a high of $50 and a low of $10.

With this method you initialize the applicationNovaCredit.com. You will immediately be asked to enter your country of origin as well as your email address to receive your Amazon gift card with referral bonus.

Next, a list of credit cards from the issuer that Nova Credit has worked with will be displayed. Make sure you select the filters "No SSN or ITIN required" and "Accepts foreign credit history". Essentially, only American Express cards remain.

From there, you can select any of the listed tabs and click Apply Now.

Nova Credit will then present you with a landing page that will redirect you to continue your application on the American Express website.

From now on, the process takes place in exactly the same order as inMethod 1.

Diploma

Nova Credit is an efficient process for obtaining a US credit card as a non-US citizen or new US person who is new to the US financial system. For frugal flyers, Nova Credit is our recommended way to startAmerica's first credit card. You don't need to have an Amex history as with the global transfer method, which can be especially problematic for those who have immigrated overseas to Canada.

There are even data points you can use Nova Credit to get more than one US credit card! However, in the long run, you want to get an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to make switching credit cards in the US more sustainable and switch to other credit card issuers. An ITIN can be easily purchased for a small fee through our specially designed websiteITIN service.

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