Expired: Deserve Edu Credit Card: Discontinued, Existing Cards Will Be Closed Automatically

【2025.8 Update】Got an email from Deserve: this card has been discontinued, and existing cardholders’ cards will be closed. If you still have a balance, you’ll need to pay it off. When this card first launched, it was very student-friendly and could be applied for without an SSN. It was the first credit card for many international students, so having it closed now can still affect your credit history and score. But there’s not much to do—my guess is they burned through the venture funding they raised and stopped promoting card conversions. RIP

Deserve Edu Credit Card Overview

Highlights

• No SSN required, low barrier to entry: Applying for this credit card does not require an SSN, which makes it very friendly for undergraduate students in the U.S. or self-funded graduate students. You only need to provide proof from a legitimate school, your visa, and some proof of funds to apply. It is designed specifically for international students.
• Build credit history: Many people mistakenly think you can’t build credit history without an SSN, but that is not true. Credit history does not start the day you receive an SSN; it starts from your first borrowing relationship (for example, applying for a credit card). When your credit card application is approved, the credit bureaus can identify you through your name, date of birth, and address, so you can still build credit history without an SSN. Once you get an SSN, the credit history you have built before will be linked to it and won’t be lost. About 3 months after opening this card, the new account will be reported to the two major credit bureaus: Experian (EX) and TransUnion (TU). For most people applying for credit cards, many card applications pull from the EX bureau, so building credit history on EX and TU is already enough.
• Credit limit increases: When paying with the Deserve card, you can choose to link a bank account and enter the username and password for your online account. Most major banks support this method, so you do not need to enter your checking and routing number. After linking, you can also choose to enable faster line increase. Once enabled, Deserve will periodically scan the balance in your bank account and increase your credit limit based on the amount of deposits. If your card’s credit limit is currently low and you don’t mind Deserve doing this, it may be worth enabling.
• Amazon Prime membership reimbursement: After applying for this card, if you use the link provided by the card to sign up for Amazon Student Prime membership, you can get a one-time $59 reimbursement. The two-day shipping and free shipping benefits of Prime are still very useful for students who love to shop.
• Legitimacy: Although Deserve is not a bank, the Deserve Mastercard for international students is issued in partnership with Celtic Bank, a legitimate bank headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah. So there is no need to worry about whether it is legit or whether the card is properly backed.
• High credit limit: Up to $5,000
• Mastercard offers cell phone protection. As long as you pay your cell phone bill with this card, you can get coverage for damage or theft. Up to $600 per claim, and up to $1,000 per 12 months. Mastercard cell phone insurance details
• No Foreign Transaction Fee (FTF): Most cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees have annual fees, so it is nice that this card has no annual fee. See also: FTF introduction

Cons

• It is easy for international students to apply, but U.S. citizens and green card holders need an SSN to apply for this card.

Apply

Eligibility

• Difficulty: Basically all legal international students are approved (F, M, and J visas; F2 and other dependent visas also require DP support)
• Required documents: Passport; valid visa; I-20 form; bank account information or a bank statement (after opening a U.S. bank account, you will get a free bank statement every month)
• Tip: When I applied, I linked my bank information directly. It looks like Deserve can access your bank statements and related information on its own, so there was no need to submit an extra bank statement file~

Application process

• Go to the Deserve Edu Card application link
• Select the option that matches your status

• Fill in your basic information. If you do not have an SSN, just check the box and leave it blank.

• Fill in your U.S. address

• Fill in your housing and income information

• The system will automatically recommend this card for you

• Fill in your address, school, and income information, then just wait for the result

• After submitting, if you are not approved instantly, Deserve may contact you to request documents. Just follow their instructions.

My Take

Credit history is actually an important part of life in the U.S. It can be used for loans, renting an apartment, and even signing up for a mobile phone plan. In general, Americans can build credit by using credit cards and making payments. But for international students in the U.S. who do not have a credit history or an SSN, there are very few credit cards that can be applied for without an SSN, so building credit with a credit card is basically impossible. This card was designed specifically for that situation. Even if you do not yet have a credit history, do not have an SSN, and are just a college student with no income, as long as you can provide proof of your ability to repay and valid identification, you can apply for this card and start building credit. Later, once you get an SSN, this credit history will automatically be linked to your SSN, which is very useful for future credit card and loan applications.

This card came with a $30-$50 welcome bonus, plus a one-time Amazon Prime Student reimbursement, which made it pretty good among no-annual-fee cards. Add the everyday 1% cash back, no foreign transaction fee, and no annual fee, and it is a credit card you could comfortably keep and use long term.

If you are studying in the U.S. and are still using a Chinese credit card or debit card, I strongly recommend getting a U.S. credit card. On one hand, it helps you build credit and get the benefits mentioned above; on the other hand, U.S. credit cards offer much better protection against fraud and unauthorized charges than Chinese cards.

Application Link

• Deserve Edu Card