Last reviewed: 3 October 2026
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Authorized users, joint accounts and closing a card: what the CFPB says
A joint credit card account affects both owners' credit scores.[1] An authorized user is different from a joint owner: the CFPB says being an authorized user generally does not obligate you to pay the debt.[2][3] Closing a card can lower a score, though the CFPB says the change may be temporary or minor and depends on your situation.[4] This page sets out what the government sources say and where they stop.
The short version
- Joint account: it affects both of your credit scores.[1]
- Authorized user: the CFPB says this is different from a joint account owner,[3] and that being one generally does not obligate you to pay the debt.[2]
- Someone else's score: your spouse's credit score does not affect yours. If you apply for a loan together, lenders look at both scores.[5]
- Closing a card: it can raise your credit utilization ratio, which can lower a score. The effect depends on your whole profile.[4]
Two kinds of account holder
In plain terms, a joint account owner shares the account and the debt with the other owner. An authorized user is a person the account owner has allowed to use the account. The CFPB treats them as different.[3] The differences the CFPB describes:
| Joint account owner | Authorized user | |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on credit scores | Joint accounts, like a joint credit card, affect both people's credit scores.[1] | The sources we used do not say how an authorized-user account is counted in a score. See "What this page does not cover." |
| Responsibility for the debt | The CFPB lists being a joint account holder on a credit card as a way a person can be responsible for a spouse's debt after the spouse dies, unlike an authorized user.[6] | Being an authorized user generally does not obligate you to pay the debt. (The CFPB's answer is about a deceased relative's card; the sentence itself is general.)[2] |
| What shows on credit reports | Not addressed in the sources we used. | Credit card issuers usually report authorized users' status to the credit bureaus.[2] |
| How the relationship ends | The CFPB says to contact the card issuer to find out its policy for removing a joint account holder.[3] | The CFPB says to call customer service and ask that the authorized user be removed, and to consider asking whether you should get a new card with a new number. Afterward, let the authorized user know they have been removed.[3] |
If a debt collector says you co-signed an account but you were only an authorized user, the CFPB says you may ask for evidence such as a copy of a contract you signed, and you may be able to show the relevant part of your credit report.[2] For cosigning, see the FTC's Credit Practices Rule and cosigners.
Your spouse's score and applying together
The CFPB says scores are calculated from an individual's own credit history, so a spouse's bad credit score will not affect yours. If you apply for a loan together, lenders look at both scores. A poor score on either counts against both of you and could affect the outcome. The CFPB adds that you may get better loan terms by applying under the individual with the better score.[5] Whether that fits your situation is for you and the lender to work out; this page does not advise on it.
Closing a credit card
The CFPB says closing a card may be a good financial step in some cases, but you should not assume it will improve your score.[4] It lists, side by side:
| Reasons the CFPB gives for closing a card | Reasons the CFPB gives for keeping it open |
|---|---|
| The card has annual fees or poor terms that outweigh the benefits. It helps you avoid building debt you cannot pay off. You are not planning to apply for credit in the near future.[4] | Some people keep an old account with a positive payment history open, because that may help maintain a higher score. Closing an existing card could decrease your score. The change may be temporary or minor, and the full effect depends on your credit profile.[4] |
The CFPB explains the mechanism: part of a score is based on how much credit you are using divided by the total available, called your credit utilization ratio. Closing a card can raise that ratio and lower your score.[4] The CFPB also says that closing some cards and putting most or all of your balances on one card may hurt your score if it means you use a high percentage of your total limit.[7] If you keep an unused card open, the CFPB says to watch your statements for identity theft and unexpected fees.[4] For how the ratio is calculated, see credit utilization, explained.
How to verify this yourself
- Read the CFPB answers cited below on joint accounts,[1] authorized users,[2][3] spouses[5][6] and closing a card.[4]
- Get your free reports at annualcreditreport.com and see which accounts list you, and in what role.
- Ask the card issuer, in writing, how it reports an account to the credit bureaus and what its policy is for removing an owner or user.[3]
What this page does not cover
It does not say whether adding someone as an authorized user raises or lowers their score. The CFPB and FTC pages we used do not say how scoring models count authorized-user accounts, and the FTC says scoring systems calculate scores in different ways.[8] It does not recommend adding an authorized user, opening a joint account or closing a card. It does not cover state marital-property rules, which can affect who owes a debt. See the CFPB's spouse page for the community property and "necessaries" statute examples it lists.[6] It is general information, not legal advice. Paying to be added to a stranger's account is a different matter; see "renting" a tradeline.
Your next step
Before you add a user, open a joint account or close a card, read the account agreement and ask the issuer what it reports. To see what is on your file now, use the credit report audit checklist. For building a history from scratch, see secured cards and credit-builder loans. Our Standard checks credit repair companies; the Register shows how we apply it.
When we will update this page
We revisit it when the CFPB changes these answers. Sources last read 2 October 2026.
What you can do next
- Find a company — see which specific US companies we checked and what we could verify.
- How we check — the rules and sources behind each result.
- More credit help guides
- Report an error on this page or in a result.