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Applying for Credit with Household Income

An applicant who shares household income may have options even without a separate paycheck. That is different from applying jointly or becoming responsible for another person's charges. Understand what income an issuer may consider, what information it may request, and who will be legally responsible for the resulting account before choosing how to apply.

The questions below use selected Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance, adapted and organized by Fynoptic. Source links and the dates displayed by those sources are provided at the end.

I am a stay-at-home spouse or partner without a separate income. I share income and expenses with my spouse or partner. Can I still get a credit card in my own name?

Before giving you a credit card, credit card companies have to make sure you have the ability to make your payments. If you're over 21 years old with a spouse or partner, a credit card issuer can choose to look at your ability to pay either as an individual or as a couple.

It depends on whether a credit card issuer looks at whether you can pay for the card on your own. Before giving you a credit card, credit card companies have to make sure you have the ability to make your payments. If you are at least 21 years old and have a spouse or partner, a credit card issuer can choose to look at your ability to pay in two ways:

  • As an individual, where they look only at your personal assets or income; or
  • As part of a couple, where they look at you and your spouse’s or partner’s combined assets or income.

Example:Let’s say you’re a married, stay-at-home parent who is at least 21 years old, and you apply for a credit card with Company A. Company A turns you down and says its decision is based on your lack of income. Next, you apply for a credit card with Company B and they accept your application. This could be because Company A looked only at your personal, individual income, while Company B looked at your combined income with your spouse.

Warning: If you’re under 21, credit card companies have to look only at your individual income even if you have a spouse or partner 21 or older. In this case your individual income and/or assets could include:

  • Income you earn yourself (such as your salary);
  • Income or assets you earned from a company or property that you own independently or jointly with someone else; and/or
  • Income or assets someone else regularly deposits into an account on which you are an account holder (like an individual deposit account or a joint account).

You can still have someone 21 or older, including your spouse or partner, co-sign with you on a credit card. When you do this, credit card companies will look at both yours and your co-signer’s assets or income.

No matter how a credit card company looks at your ability to pay, they must do so in a way that is fair and does not discriminate against you.

What information is a card issuer not allowed to base decisions on when I apply for credit?

It’s against the law for the card issuer to discriminate based on age, sex, marital status, race, color, religion, and national origin. This applies whether they are deciding about extending credit to you, about the terms (such as the interest rate or credit limit), or about any other aspect of a credit transaction.

The Equal Credit Opportunity Act does not guarantee that your credit card application will be approved. You must meet the card issuer’s standards for your credit score and history.

It’s also generally against the law to discriminate because you receive public assistance income, or because you exercise your rights under certain federal credit laws (such as filing a billing dispute with a card issuer).

This protection means that a card issuer may not use any of the above grounds as a reason to do the following:

  • Discourage you from applying for a card
  • Refuse you a card if you qualify
  • Provide you credit on terms different from those granted another person with similar income, credit history, and other characteristics
  • Close your existing account

Credit card issuers collect information about you when opening a new account, including your name, date of birth, residential or work street address, and taxpayer or other identification number. The information may be collected from you or from a third-party source.

A lender is allowed to consider immigration and residency information, and other information that could affect the lender's ability under the law to make sure the loan is repaid. They also are allowed to take into account laws, regulations, and executive orders that limit dealings with citizens of certain countries. But they cannot use immigration status to justify discriminating against you based on your national origin, race, or other protected characteristics.

Learn more about fair lending.

Submit a complaint with the CFPB

If you believe a lender has discriminated against you for any reason, you can submit a complaint with the CFPB online or by calling (855) 411-CFPB (2372). You’ll need the dates, amounts, and other details about your complaint before submitting. We’ll provide you a way to monitor the status and progress of your complaint.

Can a credit card company consider my age when deciding to lend me a card?

Age can't generally be used to make lending decisions, but in most cases, you’re required to be at least 21 to get a credit card.

Under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, lenders can’t use age to discriminate against you when making lending decisions. Credit card companies, however, can consider age if:

  • The applicant has the capacity to enter into a binding contract
  • The age of an elderly applicant is used in the applicant’s favor

According to the Truth in Lending Act, credit card companies generally can’t issue credit cards to anyone under 21 years old, unless they can show an independent ability to meet payment obligations or someone over 21 years old co-signs the account, agreeing to be held financially responsible if you’re unable to make your payments.

Learn more about the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and what information credit card issuers are not allowed to consider. If you believe you have been the victim of credit discrimination or that a creditor violated fair lending laws, you can submit a complaint with the CFPB.

Can the card issuer request information about my income, my age, and my Social Security Number when I apply for a credit card?

Yes. Before granting credit to you the card issuer may ask about your income so they know whether you can pay the required minimum periodic payment.

The card issuer may also ask about your age so they know you are old enough to have the legal ability to enter into a contract. Also, the card issuer may ask for your social security number to get your credit report.

Am I responsible for charges on a joint credit card account if I didn’t make them?

Yes. When you have a joint account, each account holder is responsible for the full amount of the balance. The credit card company can seek to collect the amount due from either account holder.

If you no longer want to be responsible for the joint account, contact your credit card company to learn your options. You may have to close the account to avoid being responsible for future charges. If you close the account, each of the joint account holders will be responsible to repay the entire balance when you close the account.

Sources and further reading

The CFPB source passages are U.S. government work in the public domain. Fynoptic has selected, organized, and adapted the material for this guide, including corrections identified through the additional sources listed above. Sources accessed October 27, 2026. This use does not imply agency endorsement or affiliation.

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