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If you have a credit card, you will definitely have noticed the name mentioned on the front of your card. This name is valuable when making an online purchase as it is your digital identity. This information is fed into the chip, which is the main frame of the card. Your name is also put into the bank server, signifying to whom the credit card belongs. Suppose, for some reason, you want to change your name on a card. Changing the name on a credit card can be a long-winded process, but this article covers all the main steps that you have to take to change the name on the credit card.
There are many reasons for changing the name on the card. You may have changed your official or birth name permanently or got married or divorced, making you think about changing names on credit cards. Circumstances like these may prompt you to wonder “how do I change my name on my credit cards?” or “ how to change my name on a credit card? Is it even possible?“
Don’t worry! You’ve come to the right place! We will answer your question through this article, which will take you through the step-by-step process of changing the name on your credit card.
Steps to Change Your Name on Your Credit Card
Changing your name on card is more complex. There are a few steps you must go through if you have to change name on credit card.
1. Change the Name on Your Social Security
The first step to changing the name on a credit card is to change the name on your social security number. Since its inception, social security has become a de-facto card for keeping track of taxes, banking history, and credit scores. It has also become an indispensable identification card that citizens divulge to open a bank account, tax applications, schools, colleges, and other government services. So changing the name of social security is the first step to changing the name on the card. Here are the steps to change the name on your social security card.
- Take out a hard copy of the application for social security. It’s available online.
- You must have appropriate documents to substantiate your claims for a name change. This may be your marriage certificate, divorce certificate, medical certificate for gender-affirming care, or court’s written order. All these are accepted as legitimate documents for approving the name change.
- You must submit your government-approved Id, like a driver’s license or a passport.
- You must provide citizenship proof or proof of immigration status, if applicable.
- You are required to provide evidence of your age. In this case, a birth certificate or a naturalization document will also work. A driver’s license can also serve as proof of age.
How to Complete the Application
You will need guidance on completing this application to know how to change name on credit card. Here are a few pointers to remember while filling out this form:
- Provide the day, month, and year total as 4-digit, like 1996.
- If you are a legal alien who is not allowed to work, you must provide the necessary documents outlining why you require a social security number. You can also start by saying that you fulfill all requirements of specific government services.
- Providing racial or ethnic identity is optional and depends upon the prerogative of the applicants.
- The applicant can sign the form if he/she/they are 18 years and above. If the applicant is below 18 years, the parents or legal guardians can sign the applications.
2. Change Your Name on Your Government ID
The next step for changing names on credit cards is to update your name on your government ID. The most government ID is a driver’s license, and here are the steps to update your name on the government ID. Some states have different methods of approving applications, but more or less, the following steps are the same.
- Go to the DMV and get an application.
- Submit your legal documents, such as a marriage, divorce, or medical certificate for gender-affirming care or a legitimate court order.
- You must also produce your current driver’s license.
3. Change Your Name on Your Credit Card
Now that you have completed both of the above steps, this is the last step you need to do to change name on credit card. Here are the steps:
- Research in-depth about changing names on credit cards, and proceed accordingly.
- Gather all the documents necessary to initiate the application, such as your social security card, government ID card, driver’s license, etc.
- You need to contact your credit card company or bank. Some financial institutions are open to filling up forms online, but for some, you have to post them via mail or approach the nearest branch.
- The next step is to wait for your new credit card to arrive.
Possible Reasons to Change Your Name on Your Credit Card
You may have a plethora of reasons for changing name on card. You may have changed your name permanently, or you may have gotten married or gotten a divorce, which may have prompted you to change the name on your credit card. Alternatively, you could have undergone gender-affirming surgery to change your gender, and no longer wish to be referred to by your dead name.
Then, you will have to update your name to the current name that you’re using. Change name credit card can also occur if you have been adopted or faced foster-family changes. Here are some common reasons why people change name on cards:
- For marital purposes.
- After getting a divorce.
- Undergoing gender-affirming care or surgery.
- To convert to a different religion.
- To combine surnames.
- To choose an easy-to-pronounce name.
Leaving Your Old Name On Your Card: Should You?
The credit card name-changing process is an arduous process. If you have one card, it may be easy to do. For someone with multiple cards, however, it becomes nothing short of a torturous waste of time. Changing name on credit card has multiple steps. The first step to changing the name on a credit card is to change the name on your social security number.
Since its inception, social security has become a de-facto card for keeping track of taxes, banking history, and credit scores. It has also become an indispensable identification card that citizens present for important administrative purposes such as opening bank accounts, filing tax applications, applying to schools, and colleges, utilizing government services, etc.
So, changing the name on the social security account is the first step to changing the name on the card. The next step for is to update your name on your government ID. Some states have different procedures, but the basic steps are the same. Now that you have done both, do your research and move accordingly. Gather all the documents necessary to initiate the application, such as your social security card and government ID card, such as your driver’s license.
This entire process of your credit card finally arriving, can take days or weeks. So, a name change on a credit card is probably not a good idea if you are in a hurry. However, sometimes changing names on credit cards becomes unavoidable. For example, when the name on your card is wrong, when you have received gender-affirming care, or when you have changed your name on religious grounds, you may inevitably have to change name on credit card.
How Long Do You Have to Wait for the Corrected Credit Cards?
Now that we have covered how to change your name on credit cards, we need to consider how long you have to wait for the credit card to be issued. Well, different banks have different timings when it comes to releasing your credit card. Generally, the card takes 7-8 days to reach your home address. It depends on the application procedure and its requirements.
An original no-deposit guaranteed approval credit card takes about 10-14 days to arrive. If you applied for a credit card with no annual fee, it could take a little longer. However, if you haven’t received the card in fourteen days, you should visit the nearest branch to report the problem and seek a resolution.
Does Change Name on Card Affect Credit Score?
Many people need clarification on whether the name change credit card will affect their credit score. Well, it will not. Changing the name on the card will not change your credit score. Credit scores are measured by the frequency at which a debtor returns their debt. It has nothing to do with the name mentioned on the credit card. So, you don’t need to fret about your credit score during the process of changing the name on your credit card.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Changing Your Name on Credit Cards?
As such, there are no such drawbacks to changing your name on your credit card. The process can be a bit hassling, though. You have to go through multiple steps, such as changing the name on your driver’s license, passport, social security card, etc., and then applying for a name change on the card. This information is fed into the chip, which is the mainframe of the card. Your name is also fed into the bank server, signifying to whom this credit card belongs. You may have many multiple reasons for changing the name on the card. You may have changed your name permanently, or you may have had a marriage or a divorce. This may prompt you to change the name on your credit card. You might have to wait 10-14 days before your card arrives. But other than that, there are no drawbacks to changing names on credit cards.
Changing the name on card will not change or affect your credit score. The credit score is measured by the frequency at which you return your debt. It has nothing to do with the name mentioned on the credit card. So the user doesn’t need to worry about their credit score.
FAQs
Q1. Does changing the name on my credit card lower my credit score?
Changing names on your credit card doesn’t lower your credit score. The credit score is measured by the frequency at which you return your debt. It has nothing to do with the name mentioned on the credit card. So the user doesn’t need to worry about their credit score.
Q2. Does the name on the credit card have to match the legal name?
Yes, the legal name and the name on the user’s card have to match. Credit cards are issued based on the documents submitted. You have to mention the correct name during online purchases. Otherwise, the system will say the card declined.
Q3. Does the name matter on credit cards?
The name signifies the user of the card. Credit cards are not used as an identification but can cause problems during online purchases.
Conclusion
Changing names on credit cards is an arduous and time-consuming process. Changing your name on card is more complex. If you have one card, it may be easy to do. But for someone with multiple cards, it will be nothing short of harassment and a waste of time. Changing the name on a credit card takes multiple steps. However, sometimes this process becomes unavoidable. If the name of your card is wrong or you have undergone gender-affirming care, or you have changed your name under religious grounds, you might have to change the name on your credit card. While it can be difficult and time-consuming, it can be manageable and beneficial in the long run.
