Authorized User Question

[Anonymous]

My mom has a sockdrawered Citi Diamond Preferred card thats been open for over 9 years. My AAoA is 11 months. I was planning to PC her Citi DP to a Double Cash, add myself as an authorized user, and use it for the 2% rewards. My question is, when I get added as an authorized user will it show up on my credit report as a new line of credit? Or will I get the whole 9+ years tacked on thus also increasing my own AAoA?
I'm trying to knock out several birds with one stone here. lol

[Anonymous]

You'll get the whole 9 years of history, but being an AU is not as good as the card being in your own name.  In my experience, it is still very helpful, though.

[Anonymous]

Smart move Kid. They will greatly increase your AAOA and available credit. Don't stay an AU forever though, use this boost in scores to get your own prime cards. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

[steffiejoe]

I have a similar question

I want to add a close family member to my american express clear card as an authorized user. I have been a member since 1993. which is indicated on my clear card.  My daughter is already an AU but her card says member since 2012, she was 16 at the time I added her.

Do you think American Express will put the current year on my close family members card or will they go back to 1993?

Thanks

[UncleB]

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@steffiejoe wrote:

I have a similar question

I want to add a close family member to my american express clear card as an authorized user. I have been a member since 1993. which is indicated on my clear card.  My daughter is already an AU but her card says member since 2012, she was 16 at the time I added her.

Do you think American Express will put the current year on my close family members card or will they go back to 1993?

Thanks

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This is slightly different... the date Amex puts on their cards as a 'Member since" is now only cosmetic; it no longer references the date reported to the credit bureau (as of March 2015).  I have three Amex accounts, with various 'Member since' dates on each card (one is 95, one is 15 and the other is 16). 

If the date that comes on the new Amex card isn't correct you can even call them to have it changed (if you tell them you had a previous account, etc.) and it's generally trivial since it's only cosmetic now.  In my own case I'm 'entitled' to have the '95 date on each of my cards, but I don't bother with it since I'm the only one who sees it anyway.

As for reporting to the AUs credit report, I don't have any Amex-specific information, but as it is mentioned above most issuers report the date the account was opened by the primary and not when the AU was added.  Hopefully somebody with Amex-AU specific experience will be able to confirm this for us. 

[RonM21]

The AU can be a good move if handled properly. If not, it is always a risk to the main cardholder.