An authorized user is a second person given a card on someone else's account, whose spending the primary cardholder is liable for.
An authorized user is a second person given a card on someone else’s account, whose spending the primary cardholder is liable for.
Also called: Additional cardholder, Supplementary card.
How it works#
Points accrue to one shared account, and some card benefits extend to the additional card, though insurance cover and lounge access often do not. Liability stays with the primary cardholder no matter who made the purchase. Where the arrangement is reported to credit bureaus, it can move the second person’s credit file in either direction.
Not to be confused with#
An authorized user is not the same as a cardholder in their own right: there is no separate contract, no separate credit line and usually no separate welcome bonus.
In German#
The German term is Zusatzkarte. German version of this term
Related terms#
- Credit limit: A credit limit is the maximum balance a card account may carry between statements.
- Credit utilization: Credit utilization is the ratio between the balance on a card and its credit limit, expressed as a percentage.
- Card fraud: Card fraud is a payment made without the cardholder’s authorisation, for example using stolen card details.
Articles that use this term#
TopicEvery article and term onCards and money.