AU question

[megaman1]

For Discover IT, if I add my sister it only asks for her first and last name. How will CCC know that she will be an AU? I know AMEX asks for SSN to verify identity of an AU.

[Goose7]

When you add someone as an authorized user. You are practically just having their name printed on the card it is still under your account and 'your' sole legal responsibility to pay any charges made. In this case your sister has a slim chance of your credit history getting pasted on to her report. Although there are occasions in which it happens.

I hope that answers your question.

Also have a Happy New Year!

[jspring86]

When I first started building my credit back up I was an AU on a Discover card.  What I had to do to get them to report on my CR is to call customer service and ask politely if I could give them my SSN so they could report it to the CBs.  The representative was very kind and even offered to do a mid-cycle report for me to get the information on my CR ASAP.  I hope that helps you out!

[megaman1]

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@jspring86 wrote:

When I first started building my credit back up I was an AU on a Discover card.  What I had to do to get them to report on my CR is to call customer service and ask politely if I could give them my SSN so they could report it to the CBs.  The representative was very kind and even offered to do a mid-cycle report for me to get the information on my CR ASAP.  I hope that helps you out!

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So to pretty much ensure that my credit history is pasted on my AU's record, I would need to give the AU's SSN to the CCC's, right?

[jspring86]

Yeah, thats the idea.  Once you add them as a AU they can call in themselves and give their SSN to customer service if they prefer.  I had no problems doing it myself when I was added as an AU. 

[BearsAndTurtlesRtheBest]

I think it even helps if your sister is living on the same address as you am i right or wrong?

[megaman1]

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@jspring86 wrote:

Yeah, thats the idea.  Once you add them as a AU they can call in themselves and give their SSN to customer service if they prefer.  I had no problems doing it myself when I was added as an AU. 

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Did you feel like having been an AU gave you any "advantages" when you applied? I'm talking to a CR, and they're telling me different things. LOL

What Discover CR said:

"They would still have to apply and enter all their income, work history, housing etc and then the system would decide if they are approved or not. Being an authorized buyer would not give more or less chances Michael. Only the primary (owner of the account) is reported as responsible. That is on our case. For other creditors or credit bureaus, it could be different, so you can always check with the bureaus or other creditors if wishes to apply for other credit cards, loans etc."

[jspring86]

Well the advantages are that the credit limit, history, etc. reports on their CRs at all three agencies.  I don't think there is any direct benefit of being an authorized user on a Discover card when you apply for your own Discover card.  The benefits are the general benefits you get from your score going up as a result of the account reporting.  

[megaman1]

I just called Discover and they said they don't report the authorized users to the credit bureaus..... Does anyone know if AMEX reports AU's to CBs?

[k-s]

Discover DEFINITELY reports AUs. Within 24 hours of applying (and adding me as an AU), DBF's new It card was on my CR.
Amex also reports me as an AU, as does Chase, Citi Best Buy, and GE ON Visa.