topic Re: Adding an authorized user in Credit Cards

Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 08:03:47 GMT

Hi guys,

I have a question about adding an authorized user. My brother is 20 and he has no credit cards, so no credit history and no score. He just got denied applying for his first student credit card citing lack of history. I was wondering 1) if I add him to one of my cards how much would it help him? And 2) If I add him will it just transfer over that one credit card's history or will it copy over my credit score and my entire history? (logic would dictate he would only see that one credit card he has been added on, but just wanted to double check there isn't some crazy hidden thing somewhere) I have a Barclays card with a 1.5k limit and 0 balance that I would like to add him on. I do carry high balances on my other cards so I wanna make sure none of my bad performance carries over and affects his credit.

I do understand the risks of having an authorized user and for now let's assume he does well. I'm just trying to get him a boost for a few months until he is approved for his own cards. Once he gets there, then I'll take the authorized card back.

Thank you all!

Re: Adding an authorized user

Aahz — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 08:13:07 GMT

All that will post on his credit reports is the specific tradeline that you make him an AU on.

So, if you just add him as an AU on your $1.5k Barclays card then that is all that will "transfer over" to his reports. People looking at his report will have no idea what's going on with your other cards or credit history.

As for the risk, it's easily mitigated by simply not handing him the card. There's no need for the AU card to actually be used for it to report.

Re: Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 08:15:06 GMT

Thank you Aahz!! I really appreciate it.

Re: Adding an authorized user

CreditInspired — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:47:32 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi guys,

I have a question about adding an authorized user. My brother is 20 and he has no credit cards, so no credit history and no score. He just got denied applying for his first student credit card citing lack of history. I was wondering 1) if I add him to one of my cards how much would it help him? And 2) If I add him will it just transfer over that one credit card's history or will it copy over my credit score and my entire history? (logic would dictate he would only see that one credit card he has been added on, but just wanted to double check there isn't some crazy hidden thing somewhere) I have a Barclays card with a 1.5k limit and 0 balance that I would like to add him on. I do carry high balances on my other cards so I wanna make sure none of my bad performance carries over and affects his credit.

I do understand the risks of having an authorized user and for now let's assume he does well. I'm just trying to get him a boost for a few months until he is approved for his own cards. Once he gets there, then I'll take the authorized card back.

Thank you all!

Hi and welcome to myFICO

First, Aahz response is correct.

Second, what student card did your brother apply for and were there any other reasons cited beside lack of history?

Third, does he have a checking account at a CU? If no, this may be a good starting place so he can get a secured CC.

Finally, did he check Discover's prequal page?

Re: Adding an authorized user

omgitsMatt — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:48:46 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi guys,

I have a question about adding an authorized user. My brother is 20 and he has no credit cards, so no credit history and no score. He just got denied applying for his first student credit card citing lack of history. I was wondering 1) if I add him to one of my cards how much would it help him? And 2) If I add him will it just transfer over that one credit card's history or will it copy over my credit score and my entire history? (logic would dictate he would only see that one credit card he has been added on, but just wanted to double check there isn't some crazy hidden thing somewhere) I have a Barclays card with a 1.5k limit and 0 balance that I would like to add him on. I do carry high balances on my other cards so I wanna make sure none of my bad performance carries over and affects his credit.

I do understand the risks of having an authorized user and for now let's assume he does well. I'm just trying to get him a boost for a few months until he is approved for his own cards. Once he gets there, then I'll take the authorized card back.

Thank you all!

What could also help is the moment you get your brothers card, swipe his card for gas and let a small balance report that statement. They have algorithms in place to detect possible AU accounts and abuse, some people abuse it like credit repairing companies and such. That should possibly help mitigate that possibility.

Also, just before he apps for anything, if you report a small balance on the AU card and let that balance report it'll give him a score boost. Then once he doesn't need it anymore, that score boost, you could pay it down to 0 again and leave it be if that's what you want.

Re: Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 09:58:26 GMT

Hi CreditInspired, he applied for the Bank of America Cash Rewards for Students card since he has a checking account with BofA. He got flat out rejected citing only no history. He then tried to apply for Discover student but when he hit submit he got an error saying “page not available please try again later” or something like that. He then went back and applied again and got a rejection saying we’re unable to approve because another application is being processed or was recently processed. He hasn’t received any confirmation email from Discover saying thank you for submitting your application so not sure what happened there.

He doesn’t have any accounts with any CUs.

Re: Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:00:53 GMT

Thank you! I will definitely do that. Might as well use it on a purchase I need to make anyway.

Re: Adding an authorized user

CreditInspired — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:10:39 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hi CreditInspired, he applied for the Bank of America Cash Rewards for Students card since he has a checking account with BofA. He got flat out rejected citing only no history. He then tried to apply for Discover student but when he hit submit he got an error saying “page not available please try again later” or something like that. He then went back and applied again and got a rejection saying we’re unable to approve because another application is being processed or was recently processed. He hasn’t received any confirmation email from Discover saying thank you for submitting your application so not sure what happened there.

He doesn’t have any accounts with any CUs.

Have him call Discover and explain what happened. This sounds like a glitch in the system and Discover's CSRs are really nice to work with.

Re: Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 10:12:21 GMT

Definitely. Will do!

Re: Adding an authorized user

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 14:47:20 GMT

My partner has no US credit history. He's an AU on all my cards which themselves have just over a year. About 5 months after being added to my Capital One Platinum (it's a QS now), he started getting snail mail offers from Capital one.

Re: Adding an authorized user

JNA1 — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 15:16:55 GMT

@Realitybites

The Dane thing kinda thing happened with my wife. She had no credit whatsoever, and I added her an AU on my 2 cards and she immediately started getting snail mail offers. 8 mos ago (not knowing their reputation) we applied and got a Credit One card. I saw that it was a rewards card, so I didn’t think it was bad. We’ve used it for $20 or so every month and left a small balance on it and she was able to get a Cap1 Quicksilver this week.

Re: Adding an authorized user

bergrides — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 16:04:06 GMT

My son is in college, and when he started a few years back, we had a rough time getting him a card. Finally Capital One Journey approved him for $500 CL, and unfortunately it is still there. I few months ago I added him as an AU on my Amex BCP, and he has started getting snail mail offers in the mail.

Re: Adding an authorized user

randomguy1 — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 16:22:45 GMT

Hopefully the AU populates all 3 CRA. I have a Target CC (Mastercard version not red card) that only shows up on TU. It has been 3 months.

Re: Adding an authorized user

Pap_32 — Sun, 17 Nov 2019 16:48:34 GMT

I did this with my sister (19) with my cap1 qs for about 8 months and she just recently got approved for apple card 2500 and discover it card 2250 in the summer. As another post stated see if they report Au's to all 3 and see if they report the whole length of history or just when u add him.

Best of luck to you and your brother on his credit Journey.