topic Re: How Discover Authorized users work??! in Credit Cards

How Discover Authorized users work??!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:20:31 GMT

Hey Friends,

I have a question about authorized users with Discover Card and how they report. So I have a great friend of mine that is(Did) add me as an authorized user to her card to help me build my payment history and score. However, they did not ask for my SSN# or address, just my name..... so my question is how will they know its me and how will it report??

Short and sweet lol

Thanks

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:23:04 GMT

The primary user is fully responsible. If you have an athorized user card, it won't affect your credit score.

Its just the same card number with a different name (and card Id).

The only difference is if they look at the charge info, they will see your name on transation

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:23:59 GMT

I'm interested in this as well and I think it goes hand-in-hand with your question because whenever I try to see which cards I qualify on the Discover site, I always get they could not locate me in their systems and that includes me inputting my last 4 of my SS#. So, without SS#, how do they locate you if you are or potentially
"not in their systems".

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:28:09 GMT

I put my mom as an athorized user but she won't be in there system at all. If she later applied for a discover card, have an athoirzed card will have no affect since all that useage is mine.

If my mom decided to go to Las Vegas and max out my card, its my responsibility to pay it back.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

asteroidblues86 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 18:55:41 GMT

@firesoul453 wrote:
I put my mom as an athorized user but she won't be in there system at all. If she later applied for a discover card, have an athoirzed card will have no affect since all that useage is mine.

If my mom decided to go to Las Vegas and max out my card, its my responsibility to pay it back.

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. My mother was an authorized user on my father's account. His account has since been closed and now she gets preapproval letters in the mail saying that they want her back as a customer.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:00:34 GMT

In your case she was probably cosigned or she was on the account.

I'm pretty sure he is talking about when you go to your account and order an additional card.

When I added my mom all it asked was first and last name and a card design, not really enough to link to anything if she later applied herself

Also I notice that it asked if they are a spouce. Maybe its different in that case. (since spouces techneckly have one combined ownership of everything)

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:14:09 GMT

Thanks for the speedy reply, but it doesn't fully answer my question..Thats my fault I wasn't to clear on what I was trying to ask lol, I pretty much know how it works as far as usage and responsibility goes...My question is with out me being at the same address as my friend and without discover asking for my ssn# will it still report to all 3 agencies? Has anyone done this and not been at the same address as the person? Because my thought process of it is how would they know who I am if they don't have my address or ssn. Maybe this will clear up my question a little bit

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:17:16 GMT

Likie I said in my first post "If you have an athorized user card, it won't affect your credit score."

If you an an athorized user, then you are just using the other persons account and earning them rewards. If your looking to get some credit history, you need to apply for your own card

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:27:56 GMT

Hmmm that's funny you say that when even the credit card companies themselves say they report. Thanks again for your speedy reply.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

Anonymous — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:28:54 GMT

firesoul is wrong...

Being an AU DOES build history and help ones credit score. Not sure about the details, but why do you think people add their newborns and children as AU's...

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:40:40 GMT

How would it report?

I can put any name, no verification, no SSN. no address no phone number.

Unless its a spouce I don't see how that would work

especially if its someone non related living at a totaly different address.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

wreith — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:02:24 GMT

I am a AU on DW's discover, it shows as a TL on my EQ and TU, but not my EX which is kind of sad cause my EX AAoA went down with the addition of my new accounts. Is there a way to get it show on EX or does EX just not count it?

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

trumpet-205 — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 20:05:48 GMT

Lenders can tell if an account is AU or not on the CR. Many times manual review of your CR will ignore such accounts.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

firesoul453 — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 00:11:47 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hey Friends,
I have a question about authorized users with Discover Card and how they report. So I have a great friend of mine that is(Did) add me as an authorized user to her card to help me build my payment history and score. However, they did not ask for my SSN# or address, just my name..... so my question is how will they know its me and how will it report??

Short and sweet lol
Thanks

If your goal is to build a payment history and improve your credit score, then just get a card and do good with it. Thats your best bet.

Even if by chance, it is reporting for you, and somehow in the future you do try a lender that doesn't see this as an intended "piggyback", and they accept this as real legitiment benefitical history, it still won't help as much as having your own credit card with your own history.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

jsucool76 — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 02:21:35 GMT

most CC companies do report AUs. I dont myself have a discover card though and am not sure how they in particular work, but a reported AU account will affect your reports and scores. Some people have had a lot of luck with AU accounts and havr been helped greatly by them, but under a manual review (for example, if you recon) the AU accounts do appear as just that, it will say "Authorized User" next to it and the underwriter reviewing your app will take into consideration that those accounts are not yours, and they may not help you at all.

Hope this helps!!

Edit: Sorry, couldn't edit from my cell phone earlier, but, remember, when added as an AU (if the card reports), the AU will also get any late payments associated with the account as well, not just the positive history. Also, the cards that only ask for name usually will only report if the person lives at the same address.

Re: How Discover Authorized users work??!

MarcinXP — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:36:49 GMT

If its different name, not a spouse or at different address you might not see that card on your report. I'll give you an interesting story and example from my experience.

GF put me on her Wells Fargo card in January. All they asked is name as well so that was it. I did not see the card being reported and when she called they said they report but all they use is name but if it does not show up in the credit report then they cant help that. Well we left that alone.

In July GF applied for Zync and got me as a AU on that. AMEX asks for Social Security number. They sent her my Zync card to her house but it was addressed to me. Anyway Zync popped up on all 3 of my reports and Experian lists her address as one of my addresses. EQ and TU does not have her address

Lo and behold Wells Fargo showed up same day as AMEX on Experian with 7 months of history. I guess because now the address on Experian shows the same as her address it showed up. TU and EQ does not show Wells Fargo, I think because it does not show her address.

It could be a coincidence, but I think when Amex updated my Experian with her address since this is where they sent the card Wells Fargo card showed up as now my name and address is a match rather than just any person with my name...if this makes sense