The First U.S. Premium Credit Card for Non-Residents Is Here

Financial technology company Karta has brought a new credit card to market for global non-residents of the U.S. The offering represents the first U.S.-issued premium credit card for non-residents with a U.S. bank account, according to a press release on the card’s launch.

Karta’s move to introduce this product shows credit card issuers they can serve affluent non-residents that don’t have a credit file or common forms of identification that many companies require when reviewing a person’s application for a new card.

Non-residents of the U.S. may have millions of dollars in bank accounts, but their lack of a Social Security number or other forms of identification stands in the way of their securing a credit card in the country, according to the release.

More than a dozen financial institutions have partnered with Karta to offer the company’s card to their clients, provided those customers have a minimum balance of $150,000 in assets and meet bank or brokerage account requirements.

Karta is partnering with more than a dozen financial institutions to bring its new card to market.

“We are thrilled to announce that our premium credit card is now widely available to global non-residents through our partnerships with leading U.S. financial institutions,” Freddy Juez, Founder and CEO at Karta, said in the release. 

The company said the card’s premium benefits include opportunities for cardholders to earn points and access exclusive events.

This year has been a busy one for credit card issuers that offer premium cards. Over the summer, Chase announced it was updating its Sapphire Reserve card to bring upgraded benefits to cardholders. 

Not to be outdone, American Express rolled out a refresh of its Platinum card in September that delivers more than $3,500 per year in lifestyle benefits to Amex customers.

The benefits on the new Karta card may not stack up with those American Express and Chase extend through their enhanced card programs. But the features on the Karta card may be a better fit with the customers the company is going after.

In addition to serving a distinct segment of the market, Karta says its new card is the first credit card entirely run through WhatsApp with AI agents to meet the round-the-clock needs of cardholders. 

Financial institutions have been turning to AI to bring more efficiencies to their operations in 2025, but Karta’s novel use of the technology may motivate other stakeholders in the credit card industry to consider a similar approach.

Cardholders can keep track of their spending on the card on WhatsApp and get real-time assistance with questions they have about their account. Juez explained in the press release that Karta is creating the ultimate tech-forward card for global travelers.

“Advances in AI technology are helping us to really build out our customer service offering, and customers are blown away to have their booking requests, account queries, and travel assistance so quickly and easily answered through WhatsApp,” Juez said.