Authorized user (AU) with Chase after charge off?

[bigmistake22]

Good morning,

I was curious to see if anyone had input on my current situation. I was chatting about a different thread/topic and they suggested I become an AU. I think this is a great way to bump me up a bit but wanted to see if anyone has experienced this specific issue. The commenter gave me great advice but, since our discussion was nestled into a different topic/forum and this issues is  pretty specific, I thought I would try here before requesting to be added as AU. 

I had a Chase CC go south in 2019. They finally charged off in 2020.  Since the CO will remain on my account through 2025, last week I chose to pay/settled for less. This CO is newly paid but, I've called to confirm, it is officially paid. 

My husband's chase CC has a $5400 limit, he's never been late. Utilization is about 6% and he does not carry a balance. It is his only CC (we are working on getting him another one)

Considering my recent Chase CO, would I still approved as a AU? 

Has anyone else tried this with Chase and been successful? I'm curious on whether I should wait (which I really do not want to do) or am I beating a dead horse b/c its Chase?  I know that Amex, minus a few exceptions that slipped through the cracks, will deny an AUs if they have previously had a charge off or somehow burned Amex previously. I don't see anything in the groups about that with Chase. 

Any suggestions or guidance will be appreciated! 

*additional info: My credit issues bring me to around 630 - consist of unpaid medical collections (I'm dealing with them today), Chase (paid) and Navient CO (unpaid), thin file (1 CareCredit CC opened in March with $4900 limit, mortgage on time payments). My husband's is about 730, 2 unpaid medical collections for less than $100, 1 Chase Card w 6% utilization, onetime since 2007 (we are looking into an additional 2 cards to expand his file), on time mortgage, on time student loans (about 7 of them). Being added as an AU will definitely help me - I won't be using the card except to put utilities, bills to show usage. 

 

[BackFromTheDebt]

There are several factors to consider:

1. AUs usually show up on the credit report, but not always.  It could bump you up a little bit, but not a lot, depending on the utilization of the card.  
 

2.  Being an AU means you get the bad with the good.  If there are bad things on the card, it hurts the AU as well.  
 

Extreme example — my wife and I were both sued for a Cap 1 card where my wife was the AU.  
 

More interesting example — a former coworker got divorced.  His ex-wife ran up a bunch of CC bills where he was the AU.  He got sued and had his wages garnished.  This is a community property state, so that could be part of the problem.  I don’t know the details.  
 

Tl;dr — being an AU on your husband’s account might help you if he pays on time and has low utilization on the card. 

[bigmistake22]

22 hours ago, BackFromTheDebt said:

There are several factors to consider:

1. AUs usually show up on the credit report, but not always.  It could bump you up a little bit, but not a lot, depending on the utilization of the card.  
 

2.  Being an AU means you get the bad with the good.  If there are bad things on the card, it hurts the AU as well.  
 

Extreme example — my wife and I were both sued for a Cap 1 card where my wife was the AU.  
 

More interesting example — a former coworker got divorced.  His ex-wife ran up a bunch of CC bills where he was the AU.  He got sued and had his wages garnished.  This is a community property state, so that could be part of the problem.  I don’t know the details.  
 

Tl;dr — being an AU on your husband’s account might help you if he pays on time and has low utilization on the card. 

Thanks, @BackFromTheDebt - I missed the notification on this, sorry for the slow response!

This info is helpful information! We did consider my husband's account - he's in a much better place with his Chase CC that I am/was. When things started spiraling out of control, we made sure that one of us paid on time each month, even when the other could not. We kept him his credit as clean as possible and I took the hit. He has "Paid on time" going back to 2013 (and farther but that's as far as we see on the credit reports). We keep utilization low - it's been at 10% to less (but closer to 6%) - for at least the past 6 months (maybe longer, I'd have to check). It hasn't been over 30% utilization for over a year - which is when we started digging out of this hole. I think, for that reason, it will help me to be added (esp considering I only have one CC at the moment and it's brand new)

I think the biggest concern is would they allow me to be an AU on a chase card considering I have a recent Chase charge charge off (Oct 2019) that was paid in March 2022 (2 weeks ago). Maybe I'll wait for the CO to show as Paid with the CRAs and then ask to be added as AU. If Chase checks, for any reason, they can confirm it's paid in the their accout but it will make me feel better to see that Paid before asking for anything again.  

The plan is to put our monthly bills on the CC and drive up utilization during the month but pay it down to almost 0 before the statement is issued. From what I've been reading/advised, this will show the CA that we have low utilization but show the CC company that we need the credit. Hopefully this will encourage an auto CLI. If not, then we can ask for it and, hopefully, our utilization will show we could use the CLI and can pay. 

I had no clue you both could be sued on a CC when you have an AU. I keep reading (and I think Chase site even says) that Primary Cardholder is financially responsible.  That sounds crazy - how did it resolve? Did you both have to fight/pay it? 

 

Thanks again, you have been so helpful!

 

[BackFromTheDebt]

Chase has its own records. 
 

My wife had an old WaMu card which converted to Chase.  She defaulted on the card.  Their records were really bad then; they never sued.  
 

She is now the AU for 3 different Chase cards I have. Admittedly all were after her Chase account fell off the credit report. 
 

OTOH I defaulted on some BOA cards. They rejected me the one time I tried to open a BOA card since then.  
 

You might as well try. Your strategy seems reasonable. 
 

My wife and I had a number of cards we defaulted on in the old days.  We were AUs on SOME of each other’s cards, but not all.  Also, we are in a community property state which can complicate things.  I was sued 3 times, and once she was sued as the AU.  
 

That was a Cap 1 card and we beat them.  Admittedly we probably had the most consumer friendly judge in one of the most consumer friendly states   
 

There was another one of my cards I took to arbitration before being sued. I filed first so she wasn’t involved.  One of her cards threatened to sue and she filed in JAMS before suit.  I was not an AU.  As part of the settlement she cannot ever use that card, so I have one of them without her as an AU.  There is another card company I am banned from as part of a settlement.  She has a card with them now and I am not an AU