Changing name on credit cards

[Anonymous]

I have pretty much decided to change my last name. Is it difficult to do this with credit card companies? I have always used my maiden name, but decided today that I need to change it and I am worried that changing it will be difficult with these different companies (and my credit report/bureaus). Can someone give me some guidance or tips?

[CH-7-Mission-Accomplished]

I'm not sure why you would think this would be difficult.  People get married and divorced every day, regularly changing their name.  You normally just have to provide a copy (sometimes a certified copy) of the legal action that changed your name.  Even if you just felt like giving yourself a new name, you would have to get a court to approve it and then you would get a copy of that order.

It's a PITB, but it's not a big deal.

[Anonymous]

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@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished wrote:

I'm not sure why you would think this would be difficult.  People get married and divorced every day, regularly changing their name.  You normally just have to provide a copy (sometimes a certified copy) of the legal action that changed your name.  Even if you just felt like giving yourself a new name, you would have to get a court to approve it and then you would get a copy of that order.

It's a PITB, but it's not a big deal.

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I know that changing the name itself isn't a big deal. I guess I am worried about the cards not reporting properly once I change my name with them.

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@CH-7-Mission-Accomplished wrote:

I'm not sure why you would think this would be difficult.  People get married and divorced every day, regularly changing their name.  You normally just have to provide a copy (sometimes a certified copy) of the legal action that changed your name.  Even if you just felt like giving yourself a new name, you would have to get a court to approve it and then you would get a copy of that order.

It's a PITB, but it's not a big deal.

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I know that changing the name itself isn't a big deal. I guess I am worried about the cards not reporting properly once I change my name with them.

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The above comment about people doing it all the time still applies.  Your name change won't cause problems.  

[Anonymous]

I've gone through this myself, and I've got a few recommendations.

Most credit card issuers use your credit report to verify your identity. Accordingly, you'll want to get the switchover done before applying for new credit, to avoid identity verification hassle. Contact all your card issuers, who will have information on name changes buried somewhere on the website, and then wait a good month or so after receiving new cards so that your new name is reported on your trade lines. Your report will probably retain your old name as well.

Company procedures for name changes vary a lot. Some will ask for a photocopy of an ID in your new name, or a copy of a court order. You might have to get a form notarized, or the signature guaranteed by your bank. I had some trouble with this, because I changed my name without a court order (not required in Pennsylvania) and did not have a new state ID yet. But Capital One, for example, was just willing to take my word for it when I wrote them a letter.

Once the entire process is complete, your credit score should not have been affected.

[TitaniumCash]

Each credit card company has different requirements regarding verifcation process before changing the name. Chase, for example, just requests for copy of ID and court order or marriage certificate or proof of name change which can be done via e-mail. Don't worry about the name change affecting your scores because once you alert the name change to the credit card companies, they will start reporting to the credit bureaus using your new name, so it's all there.