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The short answer
Being added as an authorised user ("authorized user" in US usage) on a relative's credit card can put that card's history on your credit report, which is how about one in ten consumers in a CFPB study first became credit visible. It only helps if the issuer reports authorised users to the bureaus, which the CFPB says not all do, and the cardholder's late payments or high balances can hurt your file too.
Many Nigerians arrive in the US with an aunt, a cousin or an older sibling who has been there for years and holds credit cards with long, clean histories. The common advice in the community is "let them add you to their card". It is sound advice in the right circumstances, and poor advice in others. Here is how it works.
What an authorised user is
An authorised user can make purchases on someone else's credit card account with their own card, but is not the account holder. The CFPB's teaching guide on co-signing and sharing credit sets out the difference between the three common arrangements:
| Authorised user | Joint account holder | Co-signer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Can spend | Yes, on the holder's card | Yes, equal access | Usually not; the borrower uses the loan |
| Legally responsible for the debt | No; only the cardholder | Yes, both | Yes, same as the borrower |
| Who controls the account | Cardholder, who can remove you at any time | Both | Borrower, with the co-signer liable |
How it builds your credit
The CFPB's credit booklet says payment activity typically appears on authorised users' credit reports. When it does, the card's account, including its age, limit and payment record, can show on your file. For someone with no US history, that can be the first item on the report.
The CFPB's 2017 study of how consumers become credit visible found about 9.6% did so through an authorised user account (the paper gives 10.9% in another section, measuring slightly differently). Combined with co-borrowing, about one in four people relied on someone else's creditworthiness to get started.
The condition that matters
The CFPB guide is direct: "Not all banks and card issuers provide authorized users' card payments to the credit reporting bureaus." Before being added, the cardholder should ask the issuer whether it reports authorised users and to which bureaus. If it does not, being added gives you a card to spend on and nothing for your credit file.
The risks, for you and for them
For you
- If the cardholder misses payments or runs high balances, the CFPB says the other person's score can suffer too. You inherit their bad months as well as their good ones.
- Your file may be built on an account you do not control and could lose at any time if they remove you.
- Some lenders may give authorised user accounts less weight than accounts in your own name. Do not rely on it alone.
For the cardholder
- They are legally responsible for everything you spend.
- Your spending raises their balance and their credit utilisation, which the CFPB notes may lower their score.
- Unclear expectations about repayment can strain a family. Agree in writing what you will spend and how you will repay.
A sensible way to do it
- Choose a relative whose card has a long history, a low balance and no late payments.
- Confirm with the issuer that authorised users are reported to the bureaus.
- Agree that you will not use the card, or will use it only for a small agreed amount.
- Open a secured card or credit-builder loan in your own name at the same time, so your file does not rest only on their account.
- Check your reports free at AnnualCreditReport.com after a couple of months to confirm the account appears and is listed accurately as an authorised user account, which the CFPB booklet advises checking.
Leaving the arrangement
Once you have accounts of your own with a year or more of history, you may want to step away, or the cardholder may want their card back to themselves. Either of you can ask the issuer to remove the authorised user. The CFPB guide does not say how removal changes either report, and practice varies by issuer and bureau, so check your reports a month or two afterwards to see what remains. If your file then looks thin, it is a sign to keep building accounts in your own name rather than to look for another card to join.
Worked example
Example only. Bola's uncle in Maryland has a card with a $10,000 limit, a 12-year history and a typical $500 balance (5% utilisation). He adds Bola. If Bola spends $2,500 on furniture and does not repay quickly, the balance becomes $3,000, or 30% of the limit, on both men's reports. Bola's file shows a long account history; his uncle's shows higher utilisation he did not plan for.
For other routes, see building US credit from scratch, secured cards for new immigrants and rent reporting.
Where Pryme fits
Family arrangements around money work better when they are written down. Pryme's Personal Assistant can set reminders for what you agreed and prepare each repayment for you to approve, so nothing moves without you; see the Personal Assistant.
Questions people ask
Does being an authorised user build credit in the US?
It can, if the card issuer reports authorised users to the credit bureaus. The CFPB says not all issuers do, so ask first.
Am I responsible for the debt as an authorised user?
No. The CFPB says only the cardholder is legally responsible for the purchases.
Can the cardholder remove me?
Yes, at any time, according to the CFPB.
Can my relative's late payments hurt my credit?
Yes. If the account is reported on your file, missed payments and high balances can affect your score as well as theirs.
Sources
- CFPB Building Blocks: Cosigning loans and sharing credit (Summer 2022) · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB: Your Money, Your Goals, credit booklet · accessed Oct 2026
- CFPB Data Point: Becoming Credit Visible (June 2017) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.