To remove yourself as an authorized user on a credit card, call the card issuer’s customer service line and ask to be taken off the account. You don’t need the primary cardholder’s permission or involvement, and most issuers will process the request during that single call. Because an authorized user has no legal responsibility for the balance, the issuer has little reason to hold you on the account.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I Was an Authorized User on My Deceased Relative’s Credit Card Account — Am I Liable to Repay the Debt? The right applies even if the account is delinquent or in collections.
First, Confirm You’re Actually an Authorized User
Authorized users and joint account holders both get to use the card, but the roles are legally different. A joint account holder shares full responsibility for the balance and cannot simply call to be removed. That kind of separation usually requires the issuer’s approval, a credit review, and sometimes refinancing the balance.
An authorized user carries no repayment obligation and can generally leave with one request.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I Was an Authorized User on My Deceased Relative’s Credit Card Account — Am I Liable to Repay the Debt? If you’re unsure which role you hold, pull your credit report. Authorized user accounts are labeled differently from accounts where you’re the primary or a joint owner.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Identity verification goes faster if you have this in front of you:
- Your full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number (some issuers only ask for the last four digits)
- The credit card account number, or at least the last four digits, plus the primary cardholder’s name as it appears on the account
- The customer service number printed on the back of your card, or listed on the issuer’s website
Making the Request
By Phone
Call the issuer’s customer service line, tell the representative you want to be removed as an authorized user, and let them verify your identity. The call rarely takes more than a few minutes. Before you hang up, ask for a confirmation number or reference code. You’ll want it if the account doesn’t come off your credit report on schedule.
Online
Some issuers let you manage authorized user status through their website or mobile app under account settings or card management. This feature is more commonly offered to primary cardholders than to authorized users, so if you don’t see the option, fall back to a phone call.
By Mail
Some issuers accept written removal requests. Include the same identifying details you’d give over the phone, state clearly that you’re requesting removal as an authorized user, and keep a copy for your records.
How Removal Affects Your Credit Score
Taking your name off the account can move your score in either direction, depending on the account.
- Credit history length: if the authorized user account is one of your oldest credit lines, removing it shortens the average age of your accounts. Length of credit history is roughly 15 percent of a FICO score, so losing a long-standing account can cause a noticeable dip.
- Credit utilization: the account’s credit limit counts toward your total available credit. Removing it lowers that total and can push your utilization ratio higher even though your own balances haven’t changed. Utilization is about 30 percent of a FICO score, so this factor often has the biggest immediate effect.
- Negative history: if the account carried late payments, high balances, or other negative marks, removing yourself should help your score once the tradeline drops off.
If the account has a clean payment history, a high credit limit, and several years of age, weigh the short-term drop against your reason for leaving. If the account is dragging your profile down, removal generally helps.
Checking Your Credit Reports After Removal
The change won’t appear on your credit report right away. Issuers report to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion in batches, usually once per billing cycle, so the account may still show for 30 to 45 days after your request.
You can pull free reports from each bureau at AnnualCreditReport.com. Check all three about six weeks after your removal request. Not every issuer reports to all three bureaus, so the account may not have shown up on every report to begin with.
If the Account Still Appears After Two Billing Cycles
You can file a dispute directly with each credit bureau that still shows the account. Authorized users can also ask a bureau to remove the tradeline without waiting for the issuer to update its records.
In your dispute, include the confirmation number from the issuer, your identifying information, and a clear statement that you’ve been removed as an authorized user. Under federal law, the bureau generally has to investigate within 30 days and notify you of the results within five business days after finishing. If you send additional information during the investigation, the bureau can extend the timeline by up to 15 more days.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Long Does It Take to Repair an Error on a Credit Report You can file online, by phone, or by mail. Online disputes are usually processed fastest.
If the Primary Cardholder Has Died
Stop using the card immediately. Purchases made after the cardholder’s death can be treated as fraud, even if you were a legitimate authorized user while they were alive. Don’t make payments on the account either, because that could be read as accepting responsibility for the balance.
Call the issuer, tell them the cardholder has died, and ask to be removed as an authorized user. The issuer will typically close or freeze the account as part of the estate settlement process. The estate, not you, is responsible for the remaining balance.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I Was an Authorized User on My Deceased Relative’s Credit Card Account — Am I Liable to Repay the Debt? If a debt collector contacts you about the balance, you can show your credit report to demonstrate you were only an authorized user, not a co-signer or joint holder. After the account closes, check your credit reports and dispute the tradeline with each bureau if it lingers with inaccurate information.