Is The Authorized User Of A Credit Card Responsible For The Bill?
By Kevin Gipson, New Orleans Bankruptcy Attorney on Aug 20, 2007 in General Bankruptcy Information, Louisiana
The authorized user of a credit card is not responsible for payment of the bill. Only the account holder who signed the agreement is responsible for paying the bill.
If the credit card holder fails to pay the bill or files for bankruptcy, you have no obligation to pay. This is true even if you made purchases on the credit card for your own use.
Now that’s the good news.
The bad news is that if the credit card holder makes late payments or files for bankruptcy, the non-payment of the bill will be reported on your credit report and will likely have a negative impact on your credit rating.
If you believe that someone who has named you as an authorized user of a credit card may be late paying on their card, get a copy of your credit report. If the debt is being reported negatively on your credit report, you will want to contact the credit card company and have your name removed as an authorized user.
Also, you will want to place a response into your credit report making it clear that you are an authorized user only.
If a debt collector contacts you and states that you are personally responsible, do not pay them.
Instead, contact an attorney with experience with the rights of debtors.
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