topic Re: Authorized User of a Credit Card in General Credit Topics

Authorized User of a Credit Card

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 23:42:59 GMT

My understanding is that an authorized user of a credit card will appear on the credit report. In looking at a credit report, how does one tell if the person shown is the primary card holder or an authorized user?

Re: Authorized User of a Credit Card

KJinNC — Fri, 02 Aug 2019 23:52:52 GMT

The account will include information about "user type" (don't remember the exact wording) that will differentiate authorized users from primary users. In FICO 8 scoring, it counts the same as if it was that person's own card. However, if a human lender/loan officer is involved, they will know the difference.

Re: Authorized User of a Credit Card

iv — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 17:19:01 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
My understanding is that an authorized user of a credit card will appear on the credit report. In looking at a credit report, how does one tell if the person shown is the primary card holder or an authorized user?

Look at the "Responsibility" field for the card on the report.

It can be "Individual", "Joint", or "Authorized User".

Re: Authorized User of a Credit Card

iv — Sun, 04 Aug 2019 17:22:56 GMT

@KJinNC wrote:
In FICO 8 scoring, it counts the same as if it was that person's own card.

Not necessarily.

In FICO versions OLDER than FICO 8, that's always true.

In FICO 8 and 9, Authorized User accounts may or may not count at all. It depends on if FICO's hidden anti-abuse rules for tradeline sharing/sales have kicked in for that report/tradeline. And there's no direct way to see if that's happened.