If my mom adds me as a registered user on her credit card, will that card activity affect my credit score too?

I recently found out that there is going to be a policy change at my job that will require me to have my own credit card to charge all of my travel and other work-related expenses to and get reimbursed later. Up until now, we have had a company debit card to use. The problem is that I can't get a credit card due to bad credit. I am thinking of having my mom add me to one of her cards as a registered user and use that card (I have to determine first if that will work for rental cars). I heard that this would help my credit score and not just hers since I would have a lot of expenses each month that would get paid off immediately. However, this is basically the same thing I was doing with the company card--the account was in the company's name and I was a registered user, but this did not show on my credit report.

Public Comments

1. ask your mom or banker but i think the answer is yes.
2. YES!!! Parents can screw your credit as much as you can screw theirs.
3. Not as of September 1st it wont .
4. no only the person responsible for the bill usually builds credit you and mom would have to get a joint credit card listing both of your names as responsible as opposed to you being a user of her account
5. Well you said the company gave you a debit card, a debit card is not credit and it doesn't show up. But being a registered user won't show either. Your mom had to qualify for the account, not you. Anyone can get a credit card in their name and ask for 'Joe Blow' to be a user, but thats all he is doing, is using the card. It isn't his account, won't show on a credit report.
6. Talk to your employer. If they require you to have a card, and you can't or don't want to get one yourself, they should have to provide you with one. They can't require such a thing.
7. It depends upon whether the credit card company reports to the credit agencies each month or not - some do, some don't. And yes, if you did this, it would affect both your and your mom's credit if they do report it. Good luck! (:
8. Used to be that way but as of September 1st FICO is changing the way credit scores are calculated and authorized users will no longer get any additional points. So, your Mom would have to add you as either a joint signer or co-signer to do you any good credit wise.