I alway want to have a US Bank account for some reasons. Do you want it?
As a Canadian, I can visit US any time without Visa.
Let me tell you the reason why Canadian needs a US Bank account.
I do buy some stuff from eBay. More and more seller just sell item to US or ship to US address only. The most big issue is they just accept the payment in confirmed address. That means I have a Canadian Paypal account. I can not buy anything as a gift to US address. You may ask why not buy it from a Canadian seller. The answer is less Canadian seller on eBay.
If I have a US Credit Card with US billing address, I can link it to my new US Paypal account and make it as confirmed address. Then I can buy or sell in USA.
And also some online merchants, such as Amazon, has two sites. One for US customers, one for Canadian customers. If I use a user account in amazon.com, I can make an order and ask them ship it to Canada. It accepts Canadian credit card and will ship the orders to US address. If I want some books, I have to use amazon.ca site. You know, the price on these two site are different. The international shipment may tax related.
And some online merchants, do not accept Canadian credit card.
That make me think about to have a US credit card and a cheque account.
The following is the real-time chatting between CSR of Bank of America and me.
Welcome to an online chat session at Bank of America. Please hold while we connect you to the next available Bank of America Account Specialist. Your chat may be monitored and recorded for quality purposes. Thank you for your patience.
Chat InformationYou are now chatting with Randy C. Welcome to Bank of America. How can I help you complete your online checking or savings application today?
Randy C: Hello! I see that you selected that you are interested in opening a new account . I can definitely help find the best account for your needs. I hope your day is going well! Did you find the account you liked or would you like a recommendation?
You: I am a Canadian. Can I have an account in BOA?
Randy C: Hi there! The online application will require that all applicants to be a US Citizen with a SSN to verify your identity because of US law, however, you may open a new account at any bank in the US with your passport, without any problem.
Randy C: The bank will also let you open a free checking, savings and even apply and open a credit card.
You: I will have a trip to San Francisco. That means I can do it there.
Randy C: Absolutely, you can open the accounts anywhere in the US using your passport, even while visiting San Francisico.
You: Do I need a US address?
Randy C: Not at all, that’s the great news, You may open it even with a non US address, then online banking will be provided for you to use back in Canada
You: Great.
Randy C: May I answer any additional questions for you today?
You: Anyway, can I use my parents’ address in SF as account address?
Randy C: Sure, you can choose to use your parents address in SF then change it to a Canadian address later, if you need to.
You: Any annual fees on Cheque, Saving, and Credit Card account?
Randy C: None at all, you can request a free checking savings and credit card without any annual fees. The bank will also help you find the best credit card for you to qualify
You: That’s good enough. Thank you very much.
Last text message receivedRandy C: Your welcome! It was great chatting with you and a pleasure assisting you today! To close this chat session, please click the Close button in the upper right corner of this chat window. Thanks for choosing Bank of America. Have a great afternoon!
