Understanding personal credit card user roles

Adding a user to your personal credit card account has several benefits. It enables someone to use your account when needed and allows you to provide someone access to funds when you may not be available.

The most commonly added user roles are account manager and authorized user. An account manager has wide account access. This role is ideal for a partner or trusted individual. An authorized user, on the other hand, has more limited account access. 

It’s important to understand the roles of users, including what they’re responsible for and have permissions to do.

The primary user, also called primary account holder or cardholder, is legally responsible for the account. Primary users have full account access and are financially responsible for the spending on the credit card—no matter who on the account made the purchases.

An authorized user has limited access to the account. Some of their permissions include:

• Setting up an online profile (if they are over the age of 18 with a verified Social Security number)

• Updating their personal information 

• Making purchases on their card

• Initiating cash advances on their card

• Making one-time payments 

• Reporting fraud and filing disputes for their transactions

• Requesting replacement cards

• Viewing, downloading and printing their account activity

• Earning (but not redeeming) rewards for the account (if the account is eligible)

• Using Capital One Dining

• Booking trips through Capital One Travel

• Requesting to be removed from the account

Account managers have close to full access and can share the management of your credit card account, but they’re not financially responsible for the account. Account managers have the same access authorized users have, as well as some additional permissions, including:

• Viewing all account transactions

• Setting up AutoPay

• Reporting fraud and filing disputes on all cards on the account

• Adding and managing authorized users

• Requesting replacement cards for all cards on the account

• Sharing account information with third parties

• Redeeming rewards

• Using Capital One Entertainment

The act of adding an authorized user or account manager won’t impact the primary cardholder’s credit score, but how the card is used after being added could impact the primary cardholder’s credit score. Giving someone a role on their account can be an effective credit building tactic for the added user, but it does come with risks.

The primary account holder remains responsible for all account activity, regardless of who makes purchases. To encourage responsible use, primary users can track and limit the spending of other users, enable instant purchase notifications and sort purchases by category in the mobile app. They can also lock or unlock user cards at any time.

From the added user’s perspective, the act of being added may impact their credit score, so it’s important to consider the overall account history before consenting or asking to be added to someone’s card account.

By requesting to add an authorized user or account manager, you confirm that:

• You have a relationship with the individual 

• Their information is correct

• You have their consent

To add an authorized user to your account, you must be the primary cardholder, have power of attorney or be an account manager. You will need their:

• Full legal name

• Email address

• Phone number

• Date of birth

To add an account manager to your account, you must be the primary cardholder or power of attorney. You’ll need their:

• Full legal name

• Email address

• Phone number

• Date of birth

• Social Security number

In certain circumstances, the following user roles may be relevant to primary cardholders and other account users.

Guarantor: A guarantor is usually someone who promises to pay a debt if someone defaults on the amount owed. A guarantor is financially liable for the debt, with certain rights and responsibilities for an account, but without charging privileges.

Power of attorney: A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document that enables one person to make decisions or take action on behalf of another person. A financial POA gives permission to the individual given the authority to act on behalf of someone, in this case, the primary account holder.