If you want to add a young child to your credit card account, four major issuers set no minimum age at all: Capital One, Bank of America, Citi, and Wells Fargo. Among credit cards with no age limit for authorized users, Capital One is the one most often cited by parents adding infants and toddlers, because its policy is explicit. American Express requires authorized users to be at least 13, Discover requires 15, and Chase’s educational materials describe 13 as a general norm without committing to it as a firm rule.1Chase. What Is an Authorized User on a Credit Card?
Which Issuers Set No Minimum Age
No federal rule tells banks how young an authorized user can be, so each issuer writes its own policy. The ones that currently publish no age floor:
- Capital One. No minimum age. The only age-linked restriction is that an authorized user has to be 18 and have a Social Security number to set up their own online account access.
- Bank of America. No stated minimum age.
- Citi. No stated minimum age.
- Wells Fargo. No stated minimum age.
These policies are internal and can change without notice, so confirm with the issuer before you assume a child qualifies. The card member agreement for your specific card is the binding document.
Which Issuers Do Set a Minimum
If you were planning to use one of these cards for a young child, it won’t work:
- American Express. Authorized users must be at least 13, and cannot have previously defaulted on an American Express account.2American Express. About the American Express Additional Card
- Discover. Authorized users must be at least 15.3Discover. Can You Build Credit as an Authorized User on a Credit Card?
- Chase. Describes 13 as a general industry norm rather than a Chase-specific rule. If you want to add someone younger to a Chase card, calling customer service about your specific card is the safest approach.
What You’ll Need to Add a Young Child
Every issuer needs the authorized user’s full legal name and date of birth. Beyond that, requirements differ:
- Capital One asks for name, date of birth, and phone number. A Social Security number is not required to add an authorized user, though it is required for account managers.4Capital One. Adding an Account User to Your Card
- Chase asks for name, date of birth, address, and relationship to the primary cardholder.
- American Express asks for name, date of birth, and email address.5American Express. Additional Card Member FAQs and Support
An SSN is often optional just to add the user. It matters, though, if you want the account activity reported under the child’s name. Without an SSN, the issuer may have no way to link the account to the child’s credit file, which defeats the point if credit building is the goal. Some issuers will add a young child without an SSN and let you provide it later once one is issued.
Most issuers let you add a user through the website or mobile app under account settings. By phone, call the number on the back of your card; a representative can also answer questions about younger minors that aren’t spelled out online. The physical card typically arrives within seven to ten business days.
How This Affects Your Child’s Credit
Most major issuers report authorized user accounts to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. They aren’t required to, and they can pick which bureaus they report to, or skip reporting authorized users entirely.6Experian. Are Authorized-User Accounts Reported to All Three Bureaus? If the issuer doesn’t report, the arrangement does nothing for your child’s credit, good or bad.
When it is reported, your behavior on the account drives your child’s result. On-time payments and low balances relative to the credit limit can help their score. Missed payments or high utilization will show up on their report the same way.7Equifax. What Is an Authorized User on a Credit Card? That is the real risk of adding a child young: if you fall behind, you damage their credit before they have ever used it.
Spending Controls and Liability
Here is where parents often get caught off guard. Most consumer credit cards do not let you set a spending limit on an authorized user. The user can charge up to the full credit limit on the card, and the issuer won’t stop them. If you add a teenager to a card with a $10,000 limit, that teenager can technically spend $10,000.
A few issuers offer controls on consumer cards. American Express lets primary cardholders set per-user spending limits as low as $200. Barclays allows per-transaction limits rather than overall caps. Citi offers spending limits only on its Costco Anywhere Visa, not on its other consumer cards. For most other issuers, spending limits exist only on business cards.
The practical workaround is transaction alerts. Most issuers offer push notifications, texts, or emails when a charge posts. Chase, for example, offers charge and refund alerts, though they aren’t broken out by cardholder.8Chase. Manage Account Alerts Alerts won’t block a purchase, but they let you catch unexpected spending fast.
You, the primary cardholder, are legally responsible for every charge the authorized user makes, plus interest and fees. Any informal agreement about what the authorized user is “allowed” to spend carries no weight with the bank.7Equifax. What Is an Authorized User on a Credit Card? Authorized users can make purchases and request replacement cards for themselves, but typically cannot request credit limit increases, change the billing address, close the account, or add other users.9Capital One. Understanding Personal Credit Card User Roles
Fees to Check Before You Add a Child
Most basic credit cards charge nothing to add an authorized user. Premium cards are different. The Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, charges $195 a year per authorized user on top of its $795 primary annual fee.10Chase. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card If credit building for a young child is the whole point, a no-fee card makes much more sense than paying for travel benefits the child won’t use.
Removing an Authorized User Later
Removal is straightforward. The primary cardholder can call the issuer, or with many banks handle it in the online dashboard or app. The change usually takes effect immediately, cutting off the user’s ability to make new purchases. Destroy the physical card afterward, and move any recurring charges to a different payment method.
The issuer should then notify the credit bureaus, and the account should drop off the authorized user’s credit report, typically within 30 to 60 days. If it still appears after that window, the former authorized user can dispute it directly with each bureau, specifying authorized user status rather than joint ownership. The bureaus are required to investigate and correct account status codes when disputed.