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If I wanted to take out a personal loan or open a new credit card, would a joint credit card contribute to showing I have established credit?

For example: Lets say I have a $1k limit personal credit card and a $30k limit joint credit card, both completely paid off with 5+ year credit history...

If I apply for a $15k personal loan, would the bank consider the $30k limit joint card as proof of my ability to manage credit (comparable credit) or would I be left with only the $1k card to show for? Do they even see the $30k joint card as any different than my $1k card?

*Assume all other considerations (such as income) are met to be accepted for the loan.

Thanks and any thoughts are welcome!

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    Which country are you in? Have you seen your credit report?
    – Ben Miller
    Dec 7, 2018 at 22:16
  • I am in the US. The $30k card shows up on my credit report as an "authorized account" as opposed to the $1k card which is an "individual account".
    – cheesetaco
    Dec 7, 2018 at 22:58

5 Answers 5

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To answer your question, yes. A joint credit card does show up in your credit report and does contribute to your credit score. This is because you are liable for the balance of that card and are responsible for ensuring it is paid. In general, joint credit cards are indicated as such on your credit report, so banks may know that it is a joint credit card.

Whether or not the bank cares about the fact that this is a joint card or not is up to them, though I have not heard of an instance where a bank denies a loan application on the basis of joint credit card history.

However, this is not necessarily the case if you are an authorized user on a credit card (your comment suggests this is your situation), in which case the card may or may not contribute to your credit score/worthiness depending on the policies of the issuing entity. This is because most policies are set up such that authorized users are not (legally) responsible for the balance of the credit card (but are simply authorized to make purchases with it). Thus it follows that being an authorized user doesn't necessarily contribute to proving you are capable of handling credit.

Make sure you're certain of whether you are an authorized user on a credit card or if you are a joint owner of that card. Beyond the question of applying for this loan, being a joint owner has additional implications for your obligations as a credit card holder.

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    What you said would be true for a real "joint credit card", however that's not what OP has Some banks report credit cards to credit reports of authorized users, but others don't.
    – Ben Voigt
    Dec 8, 2018 at 23:58
  • Yep, missed that. Edited my answer
    – yoyoyango
    Dec 9, 2018 at 0:11
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Yes, they do.

Authorized users do build credit. When you become an authorized user, the account is added to your credit report. You can build an excellent credit score just as an authorized user. On-time payments by the primary cardholder will help you build a good credit history.

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Yes! They may consider the $30K limit joint credit card until and unless you aren't removed as an authorized user from the joint credit card then the lender would see the $30K Limit.

Becoming an authorized user on someone else's credit card account is a common strategy for improving credit quickly. It works best if the primary user's card has a long record of on-time payments and you as an authorized user don't have any recent blemishes on your credit report.

Make sure that you are not removed as an authorized user form the credit account. Once you're removed as an authorized user, the account may be removed from your credit history. If that happens, any effect the account had on your credit score will be reversed.

until and unless you aren't removed as an authorized user from the joint credit card then the lender would see the $30K Limit.

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I found an answer on this forum. Which essentially says an authorized user can help build your credit score but banks ignore authorized user cards when checking if the customer can responsibly manage credit.

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If both credit cards were paid off 5 years ago, you would even lack the required credit history to qualify for a 1k loan.

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    The statement being paid off means not carrying a balance, it doesn't refer to inactivity. Dec 8, 2018 at 12:48
  • Additionally, this doesn't actually address the question being asked (how joint accounts affect credit).
    – glibdud
    Dec 11, 2018 at 13:42

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