Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Apr 26th 2017, 4:53 pm
#16
Account Closed
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 38,865
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Apr 26th 2017, 11:32 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2016
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 189
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
You must have provided something that proved address to the bank's satisfaction because the USA PATRIOT Act requires banks to obtain four pieces of information, with suffice supporting evidence, before an account is allowed to be opened - Name, address, date of birth, and a "government issued identity number".
Your passport will satisfy everything but the address, and while the government issued identity number is commonly interpreted as a SSN, a passport number is (should be) perfectly acceptable.
Your passport will satisfy everything but the address, and while the government issued identity number is commonly interpreted as a SSN, a passport number is (should be) perfectly acceptable.
Apr 26th 2017, 11:38 pm
#18
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,439
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Despite what many people think, including some bank branch staff, a UK address is perfectly acceptable under the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act.
Apr 27th 2017, 12:16 am
#19
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
In the OP's situation though, I would give it a try.
Apr 27th 2017, 4:22 pm
#20
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Portlandia Metro
Posts: 7,425
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
FYI Wells Fargo support the oppression of Native Americans, this may not bother you. They are funding some of the DAPL.
Apr 27th 2017, 9:24 pm
#21
Austin. TX.
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 5,930
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Apr 27th 2017, 9:34 pm
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Portlandia Metro
Posts: 7,425
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
I won't use Trump Hotels or golf courses either. Not sure what business Le Penn runs. I did use the Co-op bank in the UK because it was an ethical bank.
Apr 28th 2017, 9:02 am
#24
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 111
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Thank you, all, giving it a go with the library, passport, and postcard tips. I also forgot that I opened a student account with Citibank in Manhattan about 10 years ago. I still have some documents so its possible that account is still open (well maybe not, but I'll try anything).
Apr 28th 2017, 11:27 am
#25
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Aug 2013
Location: Athens GA
Posts: 2,133
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
And how did that work out? What was it that happened to Paul Flowers, the Methodist minister and ex-chairman of the Co-op Bank?
Last edited by MidAtlantic; Apr 28th 2017 at 12:21 pm.
Apr 28th 2017, 6:18 pm
#26
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Portlandia Metro
Posts: 7,425
May 5th 2017, 1:23 am
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 47
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
Six weeks until we go!
...And we are starting to become embroiled in the chicken and egg problem
Amex have advised us to apply for new Amexs once we arrive in California (rather than transferring our existing cards), so that we have both US and UK Amexs.
But to do that, we need a US bank account.
To get the bank account, we need proof of address.
Due to a lack of credit rating we've gone down the sublet route (for the first two months), so no lease or utilities in our name...
... and to get utilities (well, a cellphone plan), you need a bank account!
Anyone else experience this?
This is my second time living in the US (2 years in NYC, 8 years ago), so I am sure I have experienced this before but I can't remember what I did!
...And we are starting to become embroiled in the chicken and egg problem
Amex have advised us to apply for new Amexs once we arrive in California (rather than transferring our existing cards), so that we have both US and UK Amexs.
But to do that, we need a US bank account.
To get the bank account, we need proof of address.
Due to a lack of credit rating we've gone down the sublet route (for the first two months), so no lease or utilities in our name...
... and to get utilities (well, a cellphone plan), you need a bank account!
Anyone else experience this?
This is my second time living in the US (2 years in NYC, 8 years ago), so I am sure I have experienced this before but I can't remember what I did!
Hope this helps.
May 5th 2017, 5:57 am
#28
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2017
Posts: 111
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
I came here in LA on 30th April, on 3rd May, I went to BofA Manhattan Village Branch, opened bank account, and they have offered me Credit Card as well (cash back on gas, grocery etc) . Went to Best Buy, bought "H2O" Sim (runs on AT&T), $30 plan, unlimited US call/text and free call to 50+ countries.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
May 5th 2017, 4:45 pm
#30
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: Portlandia Metro
Posts: 7,425
Re: Chicken and Egg - Credit Card, Bank Account, Address, everything
I came here in LA on 30th April, on 3rd May, I went to BofA Manhattan Village Branch, opened bank account, and they have offered me Credit Card as well (cash back on gas, grocery etc) . Went to Best Buy, bought "H2O" Sim (runs on AT&T), $30 plan, unlimited US call/text and free call to 50+ countries.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.
