The Target Credit Card does not offer an authorized user bonus, currently. Some credit cards give a bonus for adding an authorized user, though this is a relatively rare feature and the Target Credit Card is not among the cards offering it.
Adding an authorized user to your Target Credit Card still has benefits, though. To start, the authorized user is able to build credit, if they are age 18 or older. In addition, an authorized users’ purchases will earn rewards at the same rate as the primary cardholder’s purchases. Only the primary cardholder is able to redeem rewards earned by any user on the card, though.
To add a Target Credit Card authorized user, log in to your online account and click the “Accounts Summary” tab, or call customer service at 1 (888) 561-8861. You will need to provide their full name and birth date to add them as an authorized user.
A primary cardholder can make anyone a Target Credit Card authorized user, as there are no minimum age requirements.… read full answer
How to Add a Target Credit Card Authorized User Online
Click “Authorized user" under the “Manage credit cards" menu.
Enter the user’s full name and birth date.
Click “Continue.”
When you add a a Target Credit Card authorized user, they will receive their own credit card, sent to your mailing address, within 7-10 business days of being added to the account. The authorized user’s credit card will be linked to your account and will have full access to the account’s credit limit. TD Bank authorized users are able to make purchases and earn rewards. However, they cannot ask for credit limit increases, access the account online, set spending limits, or close the account.
In addition, any purchases an authorized user makes on the account will appear on your statement, and as the primary cardholder, you are responsible for all purchases on the account. TD Bank reports account information to all three of the major credit bureaus, which affects not only the user’s credit history, but also the primary cardholder’s. Authorized users may be removed from an account at the user’s or primary cardholder’s request at any time, and for any reason.
Yes, the Target Credit Card does a hard pull on each applicant's credit reports. When credit cards like the Target Card do a hard pull, or hard inquiry, they check an applicant's credit reports to confirm their creditworthiness.
Unfortunately, pre-qualifying with only a soft pull isn’t an option. And since you’ll need to have at least fair credit to be considered eligible for the Target Red Card, make sure you have … read full answerthe credit needed to avoid an unnecessary hard pull on your credit.
Yes, authorized users do build credit. You can actually build a good or excellent credit score just as an authorized user on a credit card. When you become an authorized user, the account is added to your credit report, which means on-time payments by the primary cardholder will help you build good credit history. But because authorized users are not responsible for paying the bills, credit scores don’t give authorized user accounts as much weight. So you won’t … read full answerbuild credit as fast as an authorized as you would with your own credit card account.
Still, the fact that most credit card companies don’t have a minimum age for authorized users, means becoming one is a great way to build credit before you can get your own account. But there are a few positives and negatives you should know about before becoming an authorized user.
Here’s how authorized users build credit:
A friend or family member adds you to their credit card account as an authorized user.
The credit card account gets added to your credit reports, just like if it were your own account.
The issuer gives updated account information to the credit bureaus on a monthly basis.
Your credit standing improves if the account owner has on-time payments, low credit utilization and other signs of financial responsibility.
Your credit gets hurt if the account holder behaves irresponsibly.
You can get an account with negative information removed from your report, since you aren’t responsible for making payments.
Authorized users do build credit, but that credit can be good or bad, depending on how the primary accountholder manages balances and bill payments. So you only want to become an authorized user on an account owned by someone responsible.
But in the event that an authorized user account does end up hurting your credit, you can dispute the account to get it removed from your credit report. That’s because any mistakes made won’t be your responsibility.
Finally, you’ll build credit faster if you also have your own credit card account that you use responsibly. You can get a starter credit card once you turn 18 years old, as long as you have enough money to pay the bills.
If you have bad credit and are worried you won’t get approved, try applying for a secured credit card. Secured cards require security deposits, but they have the highest approval odds of all credit cards and accept people with bad credit.
WalletHub Answers is a free service that helps consumers access financial information. Information on WalletHub Answers is provided “as is” and should not be considered financial, legal or investment advice. WalletHub is not a financial advisor, law firm, “lawyer referral service,” or a substitute for a financial advisor, attorney, or law firm. You may want to hire a professional before making any decision. WalletHub does not endorse any particular contributors and cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of any information posted. The helpfulness of a financial advisor's answer is not indicative of future advisor performance.
WalletHub members have a wealth of knowledge to share, and we encourage everyone to do so while respecting our content guidelines. This question was posted by WalletHub. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not a financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered.
Ad Disclosure: Certain offers that appear on this site originate from paying advertisers, and this will be noted on an offer’s details page using the designation "Sponsored", where applicable. Advertising may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). At WalletHub we try to present a wide array of offers, but our offers do not represent all financial services companies or products.