How do I get off my parents' credit card without ruining my credit?
Being added as an authorized user on a family member's credit card can suddenly saddle you with thousands in debt and tank your utilization rate and credit score without your knowledge. People facing this right before turning 18 are left wondering how to remove themselves from the account and protect their financial standing before moving out.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1making payments more than once a month to keep balances under the limit
- 2cutting out take-out food and canceling unused subscriptions
- 3limiting amazon usage and switching to in-network pharmacies
- 4Calling the card company to ask to be removed as an authorized user
- 5Getting the card closed or taking your name off of it
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“So my mom opened a credit card with me as an *authorized user* 11 years ago so I'd have a good credit score early on, at least that's what she told me.”source ↗
“suddenly there's over 6000+ in debt on this card?”source ↗
“I'm 17 but turn 18 in just a few months and have grown increasingly stressed about not only moving out but the credit score dropping from 840+ to 744 and the utilization rate has climbed to 55%.”source ↗
“Do I call the bank and ask to be removed from the card before I turn 18?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 4How to pay credit card debt with no job and leaving the country
- 3Why is it so hard to find a debt-focused budgeting app?
- 2How to handle massive debt while still in school
- 10How to save money on a low income when expenses feel non-negotiable
- 17How to pay for large emergency expenses without using credit
- 9How to start fixing overwhelming credit card debt