AU Question

[Anonymous]

Hello!

If you add someone as an AU how does it know WHAT "John Smith" (Made up) is the correct one? As far as whos credit profile it gets added too?..I was just wondering!

[Loquat]

Some card issuers such as CapOne ask for the SSN for the AU thus linking it to them and their credit report that way.  I've read where some issuers link the report if the AU has the same address as the card holder.  If neither of these factors apply then I don't know how they'd go about adding it to the AU's report...or if they even can.  

[Anonymous]

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@Loquat wrote:

Some card issuers such as CapOne ask for the SSN for the AU thus linking it to them and their credit report that way.  I've read where some issuers link the report if the AU has the same address as the card holder.  If neither of these factors apply then I don't know how they'd go about adding it to the AU's report...or if they even can.  

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+1

This is just about how it happens for most vendors, as some don't report AU's at all.

But because of changes made just BECAUSE of what the OP speaks of many vendors have cut down on how liberal AU reporting USED to be.

Yes, folks used to 'sale' piggyback credit rides...you'd see on Craigslist and elsewhare...where 

'John Doe' could ride on 'Joe Smith's" 800 credit score of course for a price ...you'll see scammers pitching to ADD TL's to your reports and many times it's this type of piggybacking...vendors and CRA have cut back and are trying to only report those with SSN's and SAME ADDRESSES...

That's why you might see where your daughter's (who lives with) report shows the AU where as it doesn't show up for your son (who lives elsewhere) although internally the vendor has them both as AU's on your account....the difference is reporting.

They'll allow you to AU a ham sandwich but it doesn't automatically mean the sandwich will it credit 'juice' as in the past....they got hip to that game

[Anonymous]

Thank you both! I was just wondering. Getting the future wife in on my credit limits!

[GetMeSlick]

The main thing it looks is address and name. 

i added my DW as AU in 2014 for the 2012 Discover more card(at that time, discover just asked her name and address. No SSN). Just cheked her creditkarma reports. it grown to 760 on both EQ/TU. I just apped her own chase freedom. results pending. need to call them in evening.

[lindsaydruart]

Even if the current address is not the same, they use historical address data as well. My uncle and I live in different states but Synchrony reported my WM card on his report just fine because we share historical addresses from our childhood and it cross referenced our my grandmother.