While you're not responsible for paying the balance — even for your own spending — being
added as an authorized user adds a credit account to your credit history.
He got his start building credit early in high school when his parents put him on
as an authorized user on their credit card.
It was common for parents to add their children to their credit card
accounts as authorized users in order to help them establish credit histories.
Once your teenager has demonstrated responsibility, you can help them obtain a credit
card as an authorized user or with a secured card.
Parents with poor credit history should think twice before adding
children as authorized users on their accounts — not for the sake of themselves but for the sake of their children.
The inclusion of a friend or family
member as an authorized user on an existing credit card account used to be a simple method for establishing credit.
Consider signing family members on
as authorized users in order to squeeze more rewards from your family's monthly spending.
The best practice is to keep the
teen as an authorized user for as long as possible or until they have established their own credit history.
If you have excellent credit yourself, you can consider adding your older teenage
kids as authorized users on your credit cards.
Your leverage over enforcing these terms is the power you'll have to remove your child
as an authorized user if he or she fails to agree to your terms.
One way adding your
girlfriend as an authorized user could benefit you is that her purchases on the card could help you reach any of the spending thresholds that can trigger reward bonuses.
However, if you are
removed as the authorized user, you will lose that credit history on your reports, leaving you with just your individually held accounts.
This modification will occur later this summer and as a result, consumers who are
listed as authorized users on credit card accounts will probably see a major change in their credit scores.
Rather than adding
children as authorized users, set them up with their own accounts and emphasize the importance of the fundamental financials that will impact their future.
As long as the primary cardholder is being responsible, all that good credit information flows onto your credit
report as an authorized user.
Adding your child or other family
member as an authorized user is a legitimate way of building or rebuilding their credit, but it's not a decision to be taken lightly.