 TITLE: How Does Cosigning Affect Your Credit? CONTENT: What Is the Difference Between an Authorized User and a Cosigner?\n-----------------------------------------------------------------\nMost credit card issuers don't let you cosign for a credit card or accept joint applications. But the primary cardholder may be able to add someone as an authorized user on their card.\nAn authorized user receives a credit card with their name on it, and the card is linked to the primary cardholder's account. The authorized user can then make purchases and, if it's a rewards card, the purchases could increase the account's rewards balance.\nHowever, unlike cosigners, authorized users aren't responsible for the debt. You may have an informal agreement that the authorized user will pay for their purchases, but only the primary cardholder is legally responsible for the entire bill and balance.\nSimilar to cosigning, credit card issuers can report the authorized-user account to the credit bureaus, which can help or hurt their credit. Paying the monthly bill on time and having a low credit utilization ratio may improve both the primary and authorized user's credit. Missed payments and high balances could hurt their credit.\nIf you no longer want to be an authorized user on an account, you may be able to remove yourself from the account and have the account taken off your credit report. Experian also automatically removes delinquent accounts from authorized user's credit reports, as they're not responsible for the past-due debt. END