What is an Additional Cardholder?

Another name for an authorized user, this is a secondary user added to a credit card account by the primary cardholder. An additional cardholder receives a credit card of their own and enjoys many of the same account privileges as the primary cardholder; however, they are not allowed to make changes to the account, such as closing it or requesting a credit line increase. An additional cardholder is not responsible for any purchases they make with the credit card—payment is 100 percent the primary cardholder’s responsibility. Depending on the credit card issuer, account activity may be reflected in the credit reports of both the primary and additional cardholder, which could help an additional cardholder build a credit history.