Credit Score - Authorized User

[disneychrista]

I am an authorized user on one of my parents credit cards. They added me in case of an emergency because I would pet sit while they traveled. Well today I checked my credit score and it took a nose dive and it is because of credit utilization. I took a closer look and it is associated with my parents card not mine. Why would this affect my credit? I have never even USED the card.

 

[Planogirl]

It affects you because it's on the credit report. Even though you don't pay for it, it will affect your score as long as it appears. Many parents add their kids as authorized users to help them build their scores. You are dealing with the opposite.

 

[sonnyjane]

I am an authorized user on one of my parents credit cards. They added me in case of an emergency because I would pet sit while they traveled. Well today I checked my credit score and it took a nose dive and it is because of credit utilization. I took a closer look and it is associated with my parents card not mine. Why would this affect my credit? I have never even USED the card.

Being an authorized user on your parents’ card is great when you’re starting out because you can establish credit on the back of theirs if theirs is good. The downside is you’re also tied to their credit if theirs is bad...

I’d push to be taken off the card. I’m sure there are other ways to deal with pet emergencies if necessary.

 

[disneychrista]

Being an authorized user on your parents’ card is great when you’re starting out because you can establish credit on the back of theirs if theirs is good. The downside is you’re also tied to their credit if theirs is bad...

I’d push to be taken off the card. I’m sure there are other ways to deal with pet emergencies if necessary.

As a 48 year old with much better credit than my parents there is certainly no benefit to it for me. I have my own credit cards that I would use in an emergency.

I’m trying to figure out the best way to approach it with them. I don’t want to come off as hey sorry about all those medical bills but you are ruining my credit.

 

[sonnyjane]

As a 48 year old with much better credit than my parents there is certainly no benefit to it for me. I have my own credit cards that I would use in an emergency.

I’m trying to figure out the best way to approach it with them. I don’t want to come off as hey sorry about all those medical bills but you are ruining my credit.

I think you say “Hey, sorry about all those medical bills, but you are ruining my credit.” Having two households in the same family with bad credit helps nobody. When I found out my mom took out a $100k HELOC, I asked her to remove me from her one card she had put me on as a teen. She hasn’t made any mistakes with it, but I didn’t want that burden just in case.

 

[cvjw]

On the flip side, my 20 year old has a credit score of over 800 simply because he is an authorized user on our chase card. He had no issues getting Wells Fargo to give him his own credit card with that credit score!

 

[Music City Mama]

On the flip side, my 20 year old has a credit score of over 800 simply because he is an authorized user on our chase card. He had no issues getting Wells Fargo to give him his own credit card with that credit score!

I added my teen as an authorized user to one of my credit cards several months ago in hopes it would do the same. But while the card has his name on it, when I applied (it's a Citi card), it never asked me for his social security number (possibly birthday, but definitely not SSN), so I question if this is actually helping his credit out or not because how do they link it to him without the SSN? I guess I can pull a credit report for him to see if it's linked, but I don't see how...

 

[kdonnel]

I added my teen as an authorized user to one of my credit cards several months ago in hopes it would do the same. But while the card has his name on it, when I applied (it's a Citi card), it never asked me for his social security number (possibly birthday, but definitely not SSN), so I question if this is actually helping his credit out or not because how do they link it to him without the SSN? I guess I can pull a credit report for him to see if it's linked, but I don't see how...

I never supplied my kids SS numbers and my 20 year old daughter has 22 years of reporting on her credit report for one card and 5 years from another. Similar impossible numbers for my son. Apparently some cards report the entire history of the card when adding a user and others just start reporting from the time of addition forward.

 

[Music City Mama]

I never supplied my kids SS numbers and my 20 year old daughter has 22 years of reporting on her credit report for one card and 5 years from another. Similar impossible numbers for my son. Apparently some cards report the entire history of the card when adding a user and others just start reporting from the time of addition forward.

That's good to hear. What's your opinion on how they (the credit bureaus and/or credit card company) knew to link it to your kids and their SSNs, if their SSNs were never supplied?

 

[disneychrista]

, it never asked me for his social security number (possibly birthday, but definitely not SSN), so I question if this is actually helping his credit out or not because how do they link it to him without the SSN? I guess I can pull a credit report for him to see if it's linked, but I don't see how...

I don’t remember ever giving my parents my SS# when they added me.

 

[kdonnel]

That's good to hear. What's your opinion on how they (the credit bureaus and/or credit card company) knew to link it to your kids and their SSNs, if their SSNs were never supplied?

Big data magic.

Would be why you should periodically review your credit report for errors.

 

[CO2CA]

That's definitely an issue. I think since you're an authorized user, you can theoretically call the card company and ask to be removed. Your parents probably won't even know the difference. If they get a letter in the mail, just play it off.

I had to do this (for other reasons) and had to send a certified letter to the CC company stating that I do not wish to be an authorized user any longer. They took it off my credit within a month or two.

 

[easyas123]

When the kids were younger and had just gotten their drivers licenses we put them as authorized users on one of our credit cards and got them each one in their name on our account to keep with them in case of emergency. Later, when they were done school and on their own w/ their own credit cards, I took them off. As the original card holder/person who started the account, the credit card instructed me that I needed to provide them with a letter indicating I didn't want them on my account anymore. I had to send a separate letter for each of the boys. Bank was Chase, and this was a few years ago, so perhaps things have changed.

 

[GreatLakes]

I am an authorized user on one of my parents credit cards. They added me in case of an emergency because I would pet sit while they traveled. Well today I checked my credit score and it took a nose dive and it is because of credit utilization. I took a closer look and it is associated with my parents card not mine. Why would this affect my credit? I have never even USED the card.

Is this card delinquent or has it been in the past? Unless I'm very mistaken the only portion of your parent's credit that would impact you is this card. They could have terrible credit but as long as this card has never been delinquent it won't impact your score.

Utilization, which just mean an outstanding balance, shouldn't move your score that much unless the balance is really significant compared to your income.

 

[cvjw]

That's good to hear. What's your opinion on how they (the credit bureaus and/or credit card company) knew to link it to your kids and their SSNs, if their SSNs were never supplied?

We never had to give chase our kids SSN either - but if you pull their credit report, all of the credit cards that they have been an authorized user on show up!

 

[GreatLakes]

We never had to give chase our kids SSN either - but if you pull their credit report, all of the credit cards that they have been an authorized user on show up!

Do your kids have youth accounts there? If they do then they know the SSNs.

 

[Kitty 34]

Christa, didn't read all the replies, but could you just take your name off their's and offer to pay any "incidentals" when they are away and then just have them reimburse you?

 

[disneychrista]

Is this card delinquent or has it been in the past? Unless I'm very mistaken the only portion of your parent's credit that would impact you is this card. They could have terrible credit but as long as this card has never been delinquent it won't impact your score.

Utilization, which just mean an outstanding balance, shouldn't move your score that much unless the balance is really significant compared to your income.

The card went from a very minimal balance to over $16,000 in one month. It is the ONLY thing that has changed. My score fluctuates a few points each month based on utilization. This month it dropped nearly 50 points. Which is significant.


I think I will call to get me removed. I’ve never needed to use it and they aren’t traveling due to health issues. If one of the dogs needed to go the vet while they were away the vet would likely bill them and if not I’d just pay it.

 

[cvjw]

Do your kids have youth accounts there? If they do then they know the SSNs.

Nope

 

[starry_solo]

That's definitely an issue. I think since you're an authorized user, you can theoretically call the card company and ask to be removed. Your parents probably won't even know the difference. If they get a letter in the mail, just play it off.

I had to do this (for other reasons) and had to send a certified letter to the CC company stating that I do not wish to be an authorized user any longer. They took it off my credit within a month or two.

Nope. Authorized users cannot talk to credit card companies directly via phone. At least, that's been my experience when I was an authorized user years ago on my parents' card. I wanted to dispute a charge, but couldn't because I was "only" the authorized user.