Being added as an authorised (or "additional") user on someone else's credit card — often a parent, partner or close family member — is sometimes suggested as a shortcut to building credit history. In the UK, whether it actually helps depends heavily on the specific card provider's reporting practices.
What an authorised user actually is
An authorised user is someone given a card linked to another person's credit account, able to make purchases on it, without being the primary account holder responsible for the debt. The primary cardholder remains legally responsible for repaying the balance in full, regardless of who made the purchases.
Does it show up on the authorised user's credit file?
When it can genuinely help
- The card provider does report authorised user activity to the credit reference agencies
- The primary cardholder has a long, well-established, positive payment history on that specific account
- The account maintains consistently low utilisation relative to its credit limit
- The authorised user has a thin or non-existent credit file of their own, where even a modest addition can be proportionally more impactful — see our guide on building a thin credit file
When it can actually hurt
The relationship works both ways where it's reported: if the primary cardholder later misses payments, runs up high utilisation, or defaults, that negative activity can appear on the authorised user's file too, even though they have no legal responsibility for the debt and may have no ability to influence how the primary holder manages the account going forward.
Removing authorised user status
If the arrangement stops working well — for example, if the primary cardholder's behaviour starts negatively affecting the authorised user's own file — the authorised user can typically be removed from the account by the primary cardholder contacting the provider directly. It's worth checking afterwards that this is correctly reflected on the credit file too.
How this compares to other credit-building options
| Option | Requires someone else's cooperation? | Risk if things go wrong |
|---|---|---|
| Authorised user | Yes | Their negative behaviour can affect you (if reported) |
| Credit-builder card (your own) | No | Only your own behaviour is reflected |
| Rent or utility reporting | Sometimes (landlord/provider) | Your own missed payments only |
Questions worth asking before agreeing to it
- Does this specific provider report authorised users to Experian, Equifax and TransUnion?
- How long has the primary account been open, and what's its payment and utilisation history like?
- Is there a clear, mutual understanding about spending limits and expectations on the card?
- Would a credit-builder card in your own name achieve a similar or better result with less dependency on someone else's behaviour?
Related reading: The Pros and Cons of Credit-Builder Cards.
The bottom line
Becoming an authorised user can genuinely help build credit history in the UK, but only where the provider actually reports it and the primary account has a strong, consistent track record — and it carries a real, if less commonly discussed, downside if that account is later mismanaged. For most people, it's best considered alongside, rather than instead of, building credit independently in your own name.