Authorized users on a credit card: how it works, credit reports and the risks
Edited by Moe Ameen · Published
An authorized user can make purchases on someone else's credit card account but isn't legally responsible for the bill. The primary cardholder is. If the issuer reports authorized users to the credit bureaus, which the CFPB says issuers usually do, the account can show up on the user's credit report, good history and bad. FICO says recent score versions count authorized user accounts for less than accounts you own.
Key takeaways
- The primary cardholder owes the whole bill, including the authorized user's charges.
- The account only helps the user's credit if the issuer reports it to the bureaus.
- Recent FICO Score versions give authorized user accounts less weight than your own accounts.
- Minimum ages vary by issuer. Discover's is 15.
- Either person can usually end it by contacting the issuer.
How does an authorized user on a credit card work?
The primary cardholder adds someone to the account. That person gets their own card and can make purchases, but the primary cardholder pays the bill.
On Discover's account, an authorized user is added without a credit check, gets a card with their own name on it, shares the account's credit line and isn't responsible for paying the charges [5]. Capital One says the primary cardholder controls any spending limits and makes the monthly payments. Adding someone usually takes their name, date of birth and Social Security number [4].
An authorized user isn't a joint account holder or a co-signer. Both of those share responsibility for the debt [4]. And if the primary cardholder dies, the CFPB says being an authorized user generally doesn't make you liable for the card's debt [3].
What an authorized user can do depends on the issuer. Discover lets them make payments, dispute charges and remove themselves. They can't close the account, add other users or raise the credit line [5].
Does an authorized user account show up on your credit report?
Usually, if the issuer reports it. Issuers don't have to, though the CFPB says they usually report authorized users' status to the bureaus.
Issuers aren't required to report an authorized user's activity to the three major bureaus, Capital One says. Capital One does, and when an issuer doesn't, the account can't affect the user's credit at all [4]. Discover reports the account's history to all three bureaus for both the cardholder and the authorized user [5]. The CFPB says issuers usually report authorized users' status [3].
Experian says the full account history gets added to the user's credit reports when they join the account, or at age 18 with some issuers [6]. If the point is to help someone build credit, ask the issuer whether it reports, and from what age. American Express suggests asking the same question [7].
The account should be listed with you as an authorized user, not an owner. If it isn't, that's one of the errors covered in disputing credit report errors.
How does FICO treat authorized user accounts?
Recent FICO Score versions count authorized user accounts for less than accounts you own. Older versions treat them the same as the primary's.
myFICO says both positive and negative information on the account can affect the authorized user's score. A well-run account can help build history. Missed payments or high utilization by the primary cardholder can hurt [1]. In recent versions the account has less impact than one you own; in older versions it counts the same [1]. myFICO's advice is to also have accounts in your own name [1].
Capital One notes that an authorized user's spending can push up the primary cardholder's credit utilization [4].
What are the risks of adding an authorized user?
The primary cardholder pays for every charge. The authorized user inherits the primary's late payments and high balances if the issuer reports them.
| For the primary cardholder | For the authorized user | |
|---|---|---|
| The bill | You owe every charge, theirs included [4][5] | You aren't liable for the charges [1][5] |
| Credit reports | Their spending raises your balance and your utilization [4] | The primary's missed payments or high utilization can lower your FICO Score [1] |
| Control | They can spend up to the available credit unless you set a limit [4][5] | The primary can remove you at any time [7] |
| Cost | Some premium cards charge a fee to add a user, which Experian says could be $75 or more [6] | None |
Adding someone doesn't affect the primary's score by itself, Discover and Capital One both say. What happens on the account afterward does [4][5].
How old do you have to be to be an authorized user?
It depends on the issuer. Capital One says existing limits include 13, 15 and 18, and some issuers set none. Discover's minimum is 15.
Experian puts the range at 13 to 18, with some issuers naming no minimum [6]. Discover states its rule outright: at least 15 years old [5]. Capital One gives authorized users older than 18 with a verified Social Security number their own online access [4].
Federal rules for young cardholders don't get in the way here. Under Regulation Z, someone under 21 needs their own ability to pay, or a co-signer, to open a card. That rule doesn't apply to someone added as an authorized user with no liability for the debt [8].
How do you remove an authorized user from a credit card?
Call the issuer, or use its website or app. Authorized users can often remove themselves too.
- Contact the issuer The CFPB says to call customer service and ask for the user to be removed [2]. Capital One lets you do it online or in its app [4].
- Ask about a new card number The CFPB suggests asking whether you should get a new card with a new number, especially if the user knows your card number [2].
- Tell the person Let the authorized user know they've been removed, the CFPB says [2].
- If you're the authorized user Discover lets authorized users remove themselves at any time, and American Express says that's possible in some cases [5][7]. myFICO says if the account goes delinquent you can ask to be removed, and the account will come off your credit report [1].
Think before removing someone from a Capital One card. It says a removed authorized user can't be added back to that account [4].
Glisten check
Authorized user rules, quoted from three issuer pages
| Issuer page | Minimum age | Reports to the bureaus | Can the user remove themselves? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discover [5] | 15 | Yes, all three, for the cardholder and the user | Yes, at any time |
| Capital One [4] | No single number given; lists 13, 15 and 18 as limits that exist. Own online access from over 18 | Yes | The page says a user may be able to contact the issuer |
| American Express [7] | Not stated on the page we read | Page says to ask the issuer; doesn't say what Amex does | In some cases |
Discover was the only issuer page that gave a firm minimum age. We couldn't find an authorized user age rule on Chase's or Citi's pages, so they aren't in the table. Before adding a minor, ask the issuer directly.
Is this right for you?
Best for
- Parents or partners thinking about adding someone to help them start a credit history.
- Authorized users working out how a shared card affects their reports.
Not ideal for
- Building a full credit record alone. myFICO says you need accounts in your own name too; see credit builders compared.
- Sharing a card with someone you wouldn't trust with your bill.
Frequently asked questions
Is an authorized user responsible for the debt?
No. The primary cardholder owes the bill, including the user's charges [5], and the CFPB says an authorized user generally isn't liable after the primary cardholder dies [3].
Does adding an authorized user hurt my credit?
Not by itself, Discover says [5]. Their spending raises your balance, though, and that can raise your utilization [4].
Will being an authorized user help my credit score?
It can, if the issuer reports it and the account is well run. Recent FICO versions count it for less than your own accounts [1].
How long until the account shows on my credit report?
About a month or two, Capital One says, citing Experian, as long as the issuer reports authorized users [4].
How we know this
On November 2, 2026 we read myFICO's authorized user FAQ, the CFPB's answers on removing an authorized user and on deceased cardholders, Regulation Z sections 1026.51 and 1026.60 with their official interpretations, and authorized user pages from Discover, Capital One, American Express and Experian.
- How do authorized user accounts impact the FICO Score?, myFICO. Checked November 2, 2026.
- How do I remove an authorized user from my credit card account?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- I was an authorized user on my deceased relative's credit card account. Am I liable to repay the debt?, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- What is an authorized user on a credit card?, Capital One. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Add an authorized user, Discover. Checked November 2, 2026.
- What's the minimum age for an authorized user?, Experian. Checked November 2, 2026.
- What is an authorized user on a credit card?, American Express. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Regulation Z § 1026.51: Ability to pay, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.
- Regulation Z § 1026.60: Credit and charge card applications and solicitations, CFPB. Checked November 2, 2026.