Do You Need an SSN for a Debit Card?

You need to be able to prove your identity to open a checking or savings account with a debit card, and a Social Security number is the usual proof. But it's not the only identification a U.S. citizen can provide. Some banks will accept a number called an individual taxpayer identification number, or ITIN, instead, which you can obtain from the Internal Revenue Service if you're not eligible to get a Social Security number.

Many U.S. banks will only issue accounts to people with valid Social Security numbers. This can even be true of prepaid debit cards, as well as traditional checking, savings and credit card accounts.

Since the USA Patriot Act was passed in 2001, banks and other financial institutions have been subject to stringent anti-money-laundering rules, which require them to collect information and verify that they can identify their customers. Requiring a Social Security number is the most common way for them to do so, even though it can exclude some potential customers and make some concerned about their privacy.

If you don't have a U.S. Social Security number, you may still be eligible for one even if you are not a U.S. citizen. Generally, if you are authorized to work in the United States, you are eligible for a Social Security number. You can get the number and a Social Security card free of charge.

Otherwise, you must prove that you need such a number for another valid reason, such as collecting federal or state benefits to which you are entitled. Credit checks, driver's licenses and other programs that can identify you by another number generally don't entitle you to a Social Security number.

In many cases, you may be able to get an alternative number called an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. These are generally available to people required to pay tax in the United States or be named on various tax forms, such as people with U.S. mortgage interest payments or who are dependents of U.S. income tax filers, who aren't eligible to receive Social Security numbers.

To apply for one, you generally must apply to the IRS with a tax return that requires an identification number to file or certify you're eligible for an exception to that rule, such as being someone's dependent who doesn't need to file a separate return. If you're deemed eligible, the IRS will provide you with an ITIN free of charge, generally within four to six weeks.

Some, but not all, banks will allow you to open a bank account or even receive a credit card using an ITIN without a Social Security number. You may be required to provide photo identification, such as your passport, including from another country, or a state or local ID.

Since not all banks will open accounts for people with ITINs and not Social Security numbers, it's worth calling around or researching online before stopping by a branch.