Secured Credit Card In Canada , Example?

Q: Moved to canada from the USA. When I asked banks here if they could issue me a credit card in Canada based on my credit hisory from the US, the answer has been a consistent NO(I am told that they do not have access to credit bureau reports from the USA even though Equifax is present in both countries). 1. Does any one know any bank that could do that? 2. Most of the banks seem to have withdrawn "Secured Credit Card" as a product. Does any one know any bank that still issues a secured credit card?

A: -Generally, only American Express will issue you a credit card based on non-Canadian credit history, and even then they'll only look at American Express history. If you never had an AE card, you are out of luck here. Try shopping around, particularly in small and/or start-up banks and credit unions; although the major Canadian banks are pretty much pertified in their arrogance against the the newcomers, smaller players tend to be much more reasonable. I'd seen very positive reports on President's First Choice (a no-frills banking outlet in Canadian Superstore, which I

believe is being run by Scotia Bank) and on Bank One (a US bank which is/was trying to enter canadian market). Even so, you might have to try several of those before you get your credit card ... it sure took me awhile. -Have you tried any credit unions? They tend to be much more flexible than banks, also many of them have a product called a MasterCard account. They issue you a MasterCard that looks and acts as a regular credit card, but with no line of credit. You can only spend as much as you have in your bank account, but it is still handy for things like renting a car, booking hotel rooms, buying tickets over the phone, things that absolutely require a credit card.