What is an Authorized User?

Also known as an "additional cardholder," this is a secondary user added to a credit card account by the primary cardholder. An authorized user receives a credit card of their own and enjoys many of the same account privileges as the primary cardholder; however, they are not allowed to make any changes to the account, such as closing it or requesting a credit line increase. An authorized user is not responsible for any purchases they make with the credit card—payment is 100 percent the primary cardholder’s responsibility. Depending on the credit card issuer, account activity may be reflected in the credit reports of both the primary cardholder and authorized user, which could help an authorized user build a credit history.