Finkface

Let us know when you find out as Mr. Fink, while an AU on my cards, has yet to get approved for his own from a US bank. All of the ones I have will not even let you apply without a SSN. i've tried with his ITIN but it won't even take the application. i haven't tried submitting a paper app yet as I'm hoping being an AU (just added him this year) will somehow help. If they do report, that is huge for building a US credit report.

92redragtop

Sure - will post here when I have more info!

jamar

I've always wanted to try doing it the other way around to get a Chip+PIN Visa CC, but oddly enough, they won't.

They'll mail it anywhere if you can manage to get approved- my sister lives in Vancouver and Chase was perfectly willing to mail her new Sapphire Preferred and BA cards there.

Finkface

Gee, wish I'd known that sooner. Chase was suspicious enough whether I actually lived in the US (I don't) so I didn't want to push it by asking it to be mailed to Canada. My Chase United card is sitting in my mailbox right now and I am making a trip down to get it.

I actually had BofA call me and ask why I always logged on from a Canadian IP address. They said 'we are a US bank and so only provide products to US residents". I said I travelled a lot for work and regularly would be logging in from various places that were not where my address is.

Nishant1

I am a Canadian citizen living and working in US. I have two cards for my kids who are in Canadian Universities were added as authorized users for Chase Sapphire with their local Ontario addresses added. Chase FedExed the cards to them and never any had there been an issue.

For a long period, I made their Toronto address as my principal address for mailing card statement which also did not have any issue. The only minor issue I had was that I could not pay at US gas pumps which require zip code matching since Canadian letters in postal codes cannot punched on pads but I could also pay inside the stores for gas filled.

jamar

The odd thing here is that back when I was actually living in China I would log in locally loads of times (BofA checking, Wells Fargo checking before I closed those accounts, Citi credit cards) and never heard a peep from anyone. On the other hand, being a US citizen, I do have a SSN and US driver's license on file.

On the note of billing address, those cards weren't much help for when my sister wanted to do certain things online. Even when the principal billing address is changed to hers (they have an option for "Canada" in the change-of-address part of the online banking site) certain online services refused to accept it, probably because they had another way of telling it wasn't Canadian.

Finkface

My US cards all have my SSN and US addess on file. Everything they have on me shows I am living in the US as a resident alien. And you are right about the Canadian cards being different. It's the first 6 numbers that give it away so even if you have a US address as your billing address, a lot of online merchants won't take a Canadian card, even if issued by their US division.

For the previous poster, if you need to enter a zip code at a gas oump, use the 3 numbers in your pistal code followed by 00. For example, if your postal code is M4A 2M9, use 42900 as your zip.

jamar

The thing is, though, this would leave a lot of angry customers. TD caters to a lot of American locals along the East Coast, BMO became the largest bank in Wisconsin with its last purchase (granted, the people of Wisconsin don't seem too happy about it), only RBC seems to have shrank back from offering US-based banking services to American locals.

That, and I tried with a BMO-Harris MasterCard debit card- it's definitely treated as US-issued.

Vantiger

Hi,

I'm a dual citizen. I am currently living in Canada - but have a SSN# -- and have family in USA, so I can use their address if needed.

From reading this thread, it seems that having a US SSN# and US address are two of the biggest barriers to churning US cards and I have those covered -- but little US credit. Before I go through the hassle of building up my US credit, opening US bank accounts, etc ... I wanted to check into whether there are any other issues I should be concerned about (like fraud?) -- a few posters in this thread mentioned that the US cards are supposed to be for people actually residing in the US ... or any other issues.

Cheers

emcampbe

Sorry, in all the years I had a Visa through RBC Centura (at the time) then changed to RBC Bank USA, I have never had a problem using it online. The first few numbers do identify the issuer.

The only issue I have seen with certain online merchants (in North America, anyway) is if they will only take a billing address in the country where the site is located. For example, Drugstore.com will only let you use a card with a US-based billing address - there's no option to put in another one. So if you have a US-based card, but a Canadian billing address, it won't be accepted. Also, some airlines only let you book using a card with a billing address on the country's site you are using. i.e. booking a United ticket on their website through their US website will only let you use a card with a US-based billing address. If you select "Canada" as the billing address when making a purchase, you get re-directed to the Canadian site, and have to pay whatever the fare is in that locality (which at times can be cheaper or more expensive).

I am temporarily living in India now - which is a completely different situation - and many, if not most, websites here will not accept any foreign card - only Indian-issued debit/credit cards.

AA_EXP09

AAVS usage (the software that determines address) is entirely optional and is merchant specific as to whether or not it is required.
Some contracts do require the use of it though in order to get a lower interchange rate and some merchants will require it in order to minimise chargebacks (though I personally believe that IP tracking and customer information are good deterrents for fraud as it is.)

theultimate

Hi guys, first post here.

I am a frequent traveller and I love my travel cards - I have a Business Platinum and Corporate Platinum American Express, as well as a Visa Infinite card.

I am really attracted to the benefits of the Visa Black Card (blackcard.com - issued through Barclaycard). However I'm just going to be honest - I love that it's titanium - I own a company and we actually produce a titanium membership card for our clients and I think it's a fantastic marketing idea.

The trouble is, I am Canadian, and I live in Canada. It seems like the only way to apply for the card on their website is to have a US address/citizenship/SSN.

Can anyone think of ANY possible workaround for me to get this card?

(And PS: I know about the Centurion but according to Amex they wont give me one because my Amex's are for business - they can't give me a personal centurion based on a business platinum account status).

Thanks so much!

Ryan

Edit: I've been told that in Canada, our Visa Infinite card is the 'equivalent' of the Visa Black Card, but, it's not titanium.... boring....

ninroot

The CSP is a metal card as well. The visa black card really has poor benefits for being a $500 AF.

theultimate

Hi Ninroot, what is the CSP card? Is it available in Canada?

sli6000

CSP : Chase Sapphire Preferred