SelfScore is a credit card that runs on the Mastercard payment network and is issued by Celtic Bank. It’s designed for (and by previous) international students. Let’s take a quick look at this card’s basic features:
- No annual fee
- No SSN or security deposit required
- APR of 18.99%
- Reports to all three nationwide consumer reporting agencies
- No rewards program
Eligiblity
Because there is no SSN or security deposit required, SelfScore requires other data to see if you’re eligible for credit. Here is what they required:
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- Passport or Visa (this is used to prove they have a right to study in the U.S.)
- Proof of enrollment at a qualified program of study in the United States
- Standard personal information (full name, address etc.)
How Does It Work?
SelfScore uses two main lending criteria that other card issuers don’t use:
- Your income potential. This is based on your school and also field of study.
- Your identity stability. This is based on how much your contact information has changed over time.
Alternatives
There are alternatives out there other than this product for international students, for example:
- Secured credit cards will approve most people even with no credit history. Downside is that usually a SSN is still required.
- American Express will allow you to bring over your credit history from another country
- Citi will also allow you to bring your credit history over
- Other card issuers will allow you to apply with an ITIN
Our Verdict
It’s nice to see products of this nature without extremely high start up or ongoing fees. Obviously this card does not offer any sorts of rewards program so students using this card will want to transition onto a card that does offer rewards sooner rather than later. There are alternatives that might be better suited for people interested in SelfScore, but they won’t be available to everybody.
What are your thoughts on SelfScore? Let us know in the comments below. Alternatively if you have this card, please let us know your thoughts and experiences below.
Is the information reliable that It “Reports to all three nationwide consumer reporting agencies” ? I have been using the card for a while and really hope that the history it established could follow me everywhere after adding an SSN to the company
Yes it is accurate. v
This card sucks. Bank of America has been doing this for students and ilegal aliens without a SSN for a very long time. Go with them…
Good idea, but why restricted to students? Any card that doesn’t require SSN, but is available to everyone? (legally documented if course)
I guess students are a safer bet financial wise, they usually have had to prove that they can support themselves for their course and typically have either a lot of assets themselves or rich parents. Plus students are more likely to be able to earn at a higher rate after graduation.