Becoming an authorized user on someone elseâs credit card can help you build credit. In order to build a good credit score, the primary account owner needs to have a good credit score and responsibly manage the account.
Becoming an authorized user on someone elses credit card account can be a great way to establish or improve your credit history, provided the primary owner of the account has good credit management habits and solid credit scores. Heres what to know about becoming an authorized user and how it can help you begin building credit.
Becoming an authorized user on someone else’s credit card can be a quick and easy way to build your credit score. When you’re added as an authorized user, the primary cardholder’s account history gets added to your credit report This gives your score an immediate boost from the card’s long history and good payment track record.
But how long does it actually take to see results after you’re added as an authorized user? Here’s what to expect
Typical Timeline for Reporting Authorized Users
It usually takes 1-2 billing cycles for an authorized user to show up on your credit report Many major issuers like Chase or American Express report authorized users within 30-45 days However, every bank reports on its own schedule.
Here are the typical reporting timeframes:
- Fastest reporting: 7-14 days (American Express, Capital One)
- Average reporting: 30-45 days
- Slowest reporting: Up to 60 days (smaller banks and credit unions)
The three credit bureaus also update at different speeds after receiving the issuer’s report:
- Fastest bureau: Experian (typically 7-14 days)
- Middle bureau: TransUnion (around 14-30 days)
- Slowest bureau: Equifax (30-45+ days in some cases)
So while Amex might report an authorized user in 7 days, it could still take Equifax 45+ days to update your credit file.
Factors That Speed Up Reporting
You can’t force issuers to report instantly, but these strategies may help authorized users show up faster:
-
Pick a fast-reporting issuer: American Express and Capital One are known for reporting authorized users quickest, often within 7-14 days.
-
Add users early in the billing cycle: If you miss the issuer’s monthly reporting deadline, you’ll have to wait until the next cycle.
-
Provide complete user info upfront: Missing or incorrect SSNs, names, or addresses lead to manual review which adds delays.
-
Call to request expedited processing: Some issuers will manually rush authorized user additions if you ask nicely. Just know this isn’t guaranteed.
-
Check all 3 bureaus: Even if the issuer reports quickly, the bureaus may lag. Check Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to confirm.
Why Authorized Users Might Not Show Up
In rare cases, authorized users never show up on credit reports. This happens if:
-
The issuer doesn’t report authorized users: Some smaller banks and credit unions don’t include authorized users in their credit reporting. Their systems aren’t set up for it.
-
Errors or incomplete user details: Typos in names, SSNs, addresses etc. can stop the reporting process until fixed.
-
The primary account is frozen/restricted: If the primary cardholder has credit reporting restrictions due to fraud or being marked deceased, authorized users will also be blocked.
-
Old/inactive primary accounts: Dormant or very old accounts often stop reporting detailed user data to bureaus.
If it’s been over 60 days, call the issuer to confirm the authorized user addition went through properly on their end first. Then verify directly with the credit bureaus.
How to Check If You’re on the Report
To verify authorized user status is showing on your credit reports:
-
Check online monitoring tools like CreditKarma if you have accounts linked. This is often fastest.
-
Pull official reports from AnnualCreditReport.com. Look for the primary account under your “Accounts” list.
-
Call the card issuer and ask if they show you on the primary account.
-
Review the primary cardholder’s statements for your name.
-
Confirm with all three bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) separately. Reporting times vary.
If it’s been more than 60 days with no sign of the account, it’s time to escalate with the issuer. Politely ask them to recheck everything was processed properly on their end.
Real-World Timelines Reported
Based on credit forum threads and surveys, 30-45 days is the most common timeline for authorized users to appear. However, experiences vary wildly:
-
7-14 days: Fast reporters like Amex or Capital One. Requires near-instant processing.
-
10-21 days: About 1-2 billing cycles for average issuers like Citi or Chase.
-
30-45 days: Typical for most major banks when counting both issuer and bureau delays.
-
45-60+ days: Smaller banks and credit unions, often due to manual review.
-
Never: In rare cases, authorized user status fails to report at all after months. This is usually due to errors or issuer restrictions.
Delays are longer on weekends and holidays as both issuers and bureaus take breaks from processing updates.
If your authorized user status is still missing after 60 days, it’s wise to call the issuer and check each bureau directly to investigate further.
Tips for Following Up on Missing Authorized User Status
If it’s been over 2 months and your authorized user account still isn’t appearing, here are some steps to take:
-
Confirm with the primary cardholder that you were added properly as an authorized user on their end. Verify they entered your SSN and other info completely.
-
Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion directly. See if the primary account appears on any bureau yet.
-
Call the card issuer to validate they have you listed on the account as an authorized user. Ask for confirmation they’ve reported your status to bureaus.
-
Review recent account statements to see if your name is printed as an authorized user. Statements often update before bureaus.
-
Check your credit monitoring tools like CreditKarma if you have the primary account linked. See if your authorized user status is reported there.
-
Consider asking the issuer to re-process the addition if errors are found. Politely ask for expedited processing due to your credit needs.
With multiple touchpoints, you can get to the bottom of any reporting delays. Most authorized users show within 45 days, but longer timelines of 60+ days are not unheard of for some banks and credit unions. With a slow issuer, patience and friendly persistence is key.
The Takeaway
For most major issuers, it takes 30-45 days for authorized user tradelines to appear on your credit reports after being added. However, timeframes range from as fast as 7 days to over 60 days depending on the bank and credit bureau.
To get authorized user accounts to report quickly, choose fast-reporting issuers like Amex, provide complete user details, and follow up with bureaus directly to monitor updates. If your status is still missing after 60 days, politely verify with the issuer that everything is in order on their system. With good communication, persistence, and a little patience, you can get authorized user accounts posting timely.
What Are the Risks of Being an Authorized User?
There are at least two potential drawbacks to becoming an authorized user on someone elses credit card: one involving the primary cardholders credit habits, and the other concerning your own.
Sharing a credit card with a less-than-reliable credit user could hurt you: If the account owner missed a scheduled payment by 30 days or more in the recent past (or might do so in the future), their credit scores will likely suffer and yours could as well.
Experian doesnt include negative information such as late payments on authorized users credit reports, so in this scenario, credit scores based on your Experian data wouldnt hurt youâbut scores based on data from other credit bureaus might. Credit utilization, however, is noted on your reports and could have a positive or negative effect.
If a friend or loved one offers to make you an authorized user on their account, consider asking if they will let you see their credit report first, to make sure youre not going to inherit a checkered account history. If thats not possible, choose someone you know is very responsible with money and credit (and remember, you can always remove yourself from the account if you choose).
Becoming an authorized user can mean a major increase in your credit limit, and all that newfound purchasing power can be hard for some people to resist. A major buying spree that runs up the utilization rate on the card could have negative consequences for the primary cardholders credit, for your relationship with the cardholder and, possibly, for your own credit.
If you have trouble setting boundaries on your buying urges, be sure to talk with the primary cardholder about spending guidelines and consider becoming an authorized user on someones card that allows the primary owner to set spending limits for authorized users.
Establish or Extend Payment History
Payment history is the single most important influence on credit scores, responsible for about 35% of your FICO® ScoreÎ, the score used by 90% of top lenders. When an account to which youve been added as an authorized user appears on your credit reports, so does its payment history. If you are a relatively new credit user, an authorized-user account can add years of payments to your credit history, and if those payments were all made on time, they can benefit your credit scores significantly.
The percentage of your available revolving credit tied up in outstanding balances is known as credit utilization rate, and its responsible for about 30% of your FICO® Score. Credit scoring systems such as the FICO® Score and VantageScore® consider the utilization rate for each of your credit cards and other revolving accounts, as well as your total utilizationâthe sum of all your revolving credit balances as a percentage of the sum of your credit limits. If any of those rates exceeds about 30%, it can tend to hurt your credit scores.
If you have balances on credit cards of your own, adding an authorized user account with a high credit limit and/or a low balance could lower your utilization rate and benefit your credit score: The total amount of credit available to you will increase by the amount of the unused credit on the card (and your total outstanding balance will increase by the amount of any balance on the authorized-user account).
Heres an example of how that could work. Lets say you have two credit cards in your own name: Card A has a $2,000 credit limit and an outstanding balance of $300, while Card B has a $3,000 credit limit and an outstanding balance of $900.
- Utilization on Card A: $500 / $2,000 = 25%
- Utilization on Card B: $800 / $3,000 = 27%
- Total utilization: ($500 + $800) / ($2,000 + $3,000) = $1,300 / $5,000 = 26%
In this situation, credit utilization rates on both cards and your overall utilization rate are nearing the 30% guideline.
Heres how your credit utilization rate would be affected if you were added as an authorized user on Card C, with a $10,000 credit limit and a balance of $1,000:
- Utilization on Card A: $500 / $2,000 = 25%
- Utilization on Card B: $800 / $3,000 = 27%
- Utilization on Card C: $1,000 / $10,000 = 10%
- Total utilization: ($500 + $800 + $1,000) / ($2,000 + $3,000 + $10,000) = $2,300 / $15,000 = 15%
Becoming an authorized user doesnt affect the balances on your other cards, but, in this example, it causes overall utilization rate to drop significantlyâeven though the balance on the authorized-user card is greater than the one on either of your own cards.
How Long Does An Authorized User Take To Show Up? – CreditGuide360.com
FAQ
How long does it take an authorized user to show up on a credit report?
As with any new credit, it typically takes a month or two after you’ve been named an authorized user for the account to appear on your credit reports.Apr 30, 2024
How much does your credit score go up when you’re an authorized user?
For individuals who had bad credit (a credit score below 550), becoming an authorized user improved their credit score by 10% in just 30 days.
Will being added as an authorized user help my credit?
If you cannot qualify for a credit card on your own, being an authorized user can help you beef up your credit history and help with credit age, or how long you’ve been using credit.
Will removing myself as an authorized user hurt my credit?
How long does an authorized user account take to show up?
Before you’re added as an authorized user, you may want the primary account holder to ask their credit card issuer whether it reports authorized user accounts to the three major credit bureaus. If the card issuer reports to the bureaus, then the account will typically show up on your credit reports within 30 to 45 days.
How long does it take to see authorized user activity on credit report?
The time it takes to see your authorized user activity appear on your credit report can vary. Experian, one of the three major credit bureaus, says it can take a couple months for the account to show on your credit report. But if you don’t already have a credit file, it might take up to six months to get a credit score.
When does an authorized user report a new account?
An authorized user’s credit report will show a new account by the end of the next billing cycle. Typically, an authorized user’s account will report within 30 days of account opening. How much will my credit score go up if I become an authorized user?
Do authorized users show on my credit report?
Authorized users won’t show on your credit report. In a nutshell, an authorized user is simply someone who holds a card from your account in their name but is not a primary or joint account holder. They can make purchases, but they have no obligation to make payments.
How long does it take a credit card to show up?
If the card issuer reports to the bureaus, then the account will typically show up on your credit reports within 30 to 45 days. But keep in mind that not all issuers report to all three bureaus — and if they do, the timing of when issuers report to credit bureaus can vary.
How does an authorized user build credit?
An authorized user builds credit when the credit account holder maintains responsible credit habits that help a credit score grow, such as making on-time payments and paying off balances in full. How long does it take for an authorized user to show up on credit report?