To add an authorized user, contact your credit card issuer by phone or by logging on to your online account. The card issuer will need the authorized user’s personal information, including their name, address, date of birth, and social security number, to process the request.
What happens if I add an authorised user on my credit card?
- When you add an authorized user to your credit card account, information from the account can show up on that person’s credit reports. That means their credit can improve if the information is positive, simply as a result of being added to an account you keep in good standing. Aug 30 2019
Contents
- 1 Does adding someone as an authorized user help their credit?
- 2 How much will my credit score go up if I become an authorized user?
- 3 How long does it take to add an authorized user to my credit card?
- 4 Can authorized users ruin your credit?
- 5 Does adding authorized user hard pull?
- 6 Can an authorized user be denied?
- 7 Will adding my wife as an authorized user help her credit?
- 8 Do you need a Social Security number to add an authorized user?
- 9 Do Authorized users get their own card?
- 10 Can authorized users see balance?
- 11 Does it cost to add an authorized user?
- 12 Is an authorized user responsible for debt?
- 13 How many authorized users does Capital One have?
When you add an authorized user to your credit card account, information from the account — like the credit limit, payment history and card balance — can show up on that person’s credit reports. That means their credit can improve as a result of being added to a credit account you keep in good standing.
According to a 2018 study done by Credit Sesame, people who had a fair credit score saw their credit score improve nearly 11% just three months after becoming an authorized user on someone’s credit card.
Adding & Removing Authorized Users After you add an authorized user to an account, the new account should appear on his or her credit report by the end of the next billing cycle. So it could show up in just a few days or take about a month, depending on when in the card’s billing cycle the authorized user is added.
Does being an authorized user affect your credit? Being an authorized user can affect your credit in both positive and negative ways—but it can also have no affect on your credit whatsoever.
Does being added as an authorized cause a hard inquiry on your credit report? No, being added as an authorized user will not allow the lender to do a hard inquiry on your credit report. This is because the account holder is responsible for the debt that an authorized user generates.
American Express authorized users can be denied if they are younger than 13 years old or if they have a bad history with Amex, such as past defaults or lawsuits with the company. Some online forums also report that if a primary cardholder’s account is not in good standing, Amex authorized users cannot be added.
Adding your spouse as an authorized user to your credit card won’t hurt your credit score, but it could help your spouse’s. But her score will go up when she becomes a joint owner because her credit report will include your accounts’ history.
Some credit card companies let you add an authorized user without providing that individual’s Social Security Number (SSN). You only need their name, birthday and address in some cases. But requirements vary by credit card company, and not all of them will allow you to add an authorized user with no SSN.
Do Authorized users get their own card?
Do authorized users get their own card? Yes, authorized users do get their own credit card. Sometimes it will have the same credit card number and expiration date as the primary account holder’s, while other times each authorized user will have a different number.
As an authorized user, you are considered a secondary account holder. All of your charges will show up on the card’s statements, so the account holder will be able to view your activity, where the transactions were made and the amount of your purchases.
Most credit cards don’t charge an additional fee to add authorized users. It can be worth paying the fee, though, because authorized users on premium cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or Platinum Card can get benefits like airport lounge access and even hotel elite status.
Being an authorized user means you can use someone else’s credit card in your name. As an authorized user, you’re not legally responsible to pay the credit card bill or any debts that build up. This is still the primary account holder’s responsibility.
Capital One Venture X cardmembers can add up to four authorized users to the card at no extra cost. That’s right, you can add four friends or family members to your account, and it won’t cost you anything beyond the standard $395 annual fee for the primary cardmember.