How much did BECOMING an authorized user raise your score?

[Anonymous]

Forgive me if this is a common question, but I did a search and didn't come up with much on this exact topic....

So ya anyways I recently convinced my parents to add me to th one credit card they have, and I'm trying to get an idea of what kinda score bump I might be able to expect???

They have a low 800's credit score, and I'm pretty sure the card is probably at least 8 years old, and they pay off their entire balance most months. I'm not sure what the llmit is, they are very private about money matters and were kinda leery about doing this, so I didn't mention that It would be pretty easy to figure out once it showed up on my credit reports (It is some kinda Chase card btw, and I have no intention of actually using the card)

My fico scores range from about 630-644 at the moment due to several new accounts in last 8 months, and heavy utilization lately, (80%) though i did just pay 5000 off and the simulators say that should drop my utilzation enough to raise my scores 30+ points, and just aging my credit by 8 months in the simulator adds 20-40 points, so I'm hoping I get that increased age from becoming an AU at least, and that it stacks with the large payment I just made for a total score bump of 50+ points.

 Oh my Total credit lines are 24,200  with a 900 increase on the merrick in 3 more months and here are my cards and their ages....

• FST PREMIER 6 Years, 6 Months
• BRCLYSBANKDE 2 Years, 11 Months
• CAPITAL ONE  2 Years, 11 Months

• CHASE  2 Years, 11 Months
• AMEX  11 Months
• AMEX  11 Months
• DISCOVERBANK  6 Months
• CHASE    5 Months
• MERRICK BK    4 Months

So what kinda bump did you guys get when someone added you as an authorized user, or what kinda bump did your new AU tell you they got from when you added them???

Thanks,

D

[Anonymous]

I put my wife as an AU before we were married on my cards. Helped her pay her debt off too, but she went from mid-high 400s to 650 range in 10 months so far. 

[Anonymous]

fiance added myself and i seen 30-40 pts increase. 

Changed my AAoA from 1.2 -> 3 years

Decreased Util from 30 -> 15% 

Approved for a few cards after w BofA and Amex x3 after countless denials go figure.

[Anonymous]

Capital one and Chase do not ask for social security numbers of the authorized user.  If your address isn't the same as your parents on your credit report, it won't report to FICO.  Spouses are easier to add as an AU because addresses are the same so it will report to credit bureaus.  You are already established with both with your own personal info.

I added my son to cap 1 a year ago, it never reported.  I tried to add him to Chase last summer.  It also never reported.  We found out it was because he lived on his own and not in my household.  Getting an AU card isn't a problem at all.  We had that.  I was just trying to get something to report or him to have a credit score.  He paid off his car and no longer had an active open account which meant no score.  

  Based on your info above, it wont' help you much to be added if you did live with them.  Your oldest account is only 1 year less than theirs.  Your utilization wouldn't go down that much to change your scores if you are at 80% utilization.  Just continue to grow your own credit.  Your scores will climb quite a bit on their own if you get them paid down.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, that's not what I wanted to hear, but some further research suggest you are probably right regarding Chase not reporting if I'm not at their address. I wonder if I can call and have that changed?

Other things to consider?...

1.  I already have 2 chase cards at the moment, so chase is already reporting 2 cards to the bureaus.... Could that increase my odds that they will report the AU account since they aready have me with 2 cards in their system at my current address???

2.  My parents actually own the home I live in. Could I use that as an argument to have them report if they otherwise refuse???

---------

Etc... etc...

I'm just guessing on the age of their account, it could be 20 years old.... I'm guessing with an 800 score and only 1 credit card to their name (supposedly), that it is an old account, and while they said it didn't have a high limit, I think their idea of high is different then mine LOL. I

'm pretty sure they bought 15000+ car with a card a long time ago, and they do make the occasional big ticket purchase and always pay off the card so I'm guessing their limit on that one card is nearly as high or higher then my total credit. So if by some miricle it does report, that + the 5K payment I just made, should take my utizization down below 50% at least.

If the credit simulator is accurate on here aging my accounts just by 8 months should also be a nice score bump, and I think an 8yo + card averaged into my other cards and divided by 10 (number of cards) = around 2.6 years while the total years divided by 9 (actual number of cards) is the 2 year AAOA that credit karma and everyone else says I have.... So at least a 6 month bump if it were to report, and I bet the card is older then 8 years knowing my folks, so I'd expect to get at least near a year tacked on if I get lucky and it does report.

Well it will be interesting to see what happens, but given my luck I bet i get nothin

I'd love to keep hearing what happend when others were added as AU's, or how much of a bump the people they added as AUs got... and I'll let you all know if it reports, how much of a bump if any I get, and the outcome if I have to fight for it to get added

[Anonymous]

When my father added me on as an AU last year. I had NO previous credit at all. When I applied for a CapOne secured card in 9/2015 (I figured this was the easiest way to start building my credit, plus, it was pretty much going to be a guaranteed approval for the HP I was going to use...), my scores were showing around 700 across the board. It put me in a really good position to begin with.

Some people might not like CapOne, But, in my case, I have nothing but good things to say about them. I'm not planning on closing my secured card either, no real reason to. I use it occasionally, and PIF on it every month (always have)

[Anonymous]

I added DH to my cards when he started rebuilding, took him from high 400s to high 500s soon as they reported. He had a thin file though so you may not see as big as a jump since you already have a good number of accounts, but being AU on an 8 y/o Chase card that's regularly PIF should definitely help.

[buggie]

I know that when I added my daughter as AU to my Discover, her credit score went up enough that she could get an unsecured Cap One card,  but she doesn't live with me. I don't know what her score is. 

However, I also added my husband, who does live with me, as AU on Discover, and he says it shows on his credit reports as part of his total utilization. So, it appears that Discover does report on those who live at the same address.

[My_Fako]

I got a 15/20 increase, being added to a Citi-Shell Gas carded opened in 1974 never late.  Won't report to Eq because they have my last name miss spelled. 

[lindsaydruart]

Capital One DOES ASK FOR SSN for an AU. Chase and Synchrony do not. I added my uncle to my QS1 and he got an 90 point bump from 390 to 480. Tax liens and the like have his score down. I'm waiting on my next report to see what increase my aunt gets from me adding her to my QS1. This card has been open for 5 years and has 1% util so it helps.