
Changing your name on a credit card can be a piece of cake – or it can be as difficult as baking a cake… It really depends on why you’re changing your name. Changes due to things like marriage or divorce are usually easily accomplished, but if you’re non-binary or transitioning, or you simply just want a new name on your accounts, there might be a few more steps to take. Just remember, banks have been through this before. Though the idea of going to your bank and asking for a name change may seem daunting, keep in mind that you’re not the first person to need to change a name on an account. While there are a few steps involved, changing your name on your credit cards is generally a relatively simple process.
Steps to complete a credit card name change request
While your credit card doesn’t have to match your legal name, it’s generally recommended. Many issuers allow preferred names, but as merchants may ask for ID and discrepancies can cause confusion, for simplicity, using your legal name is often the best approach.
Before making a request with your bank, you’ll want to make sure you’ve met your state’s legal requirements for changing your name and have updated your government-issued IDs. Before trying to change your name on your credit card you’ll want to make sure your legal name has been updated on your Social Security card and driver’s license, state-issued ID or passport. Each bank is different, but other documents such as a marriage certificate or divorce decree might also be required.
To get started, contact your card issuer at the number on the back of your card for more information, as procedures can vary by bank. For example, some issuers might allow you to make the request online, while others might require you print the request form, and mail it in, or visit a branch directly to handle the request.
If you’re submitting a request for personal reasons, such as your given legal name doesn’t match your chosen identity, be aware that there are programs to help non-binary, transgender and transitioning cardholders. For example, Mastercard has a program called True Name, in which they promote “being your true self” stating that through the program “cardholders can embrace their true selves and personalize their first names to proudly display their True Name.” On their website they say:
“For many in the LGBTQIA+ community, the name on their credit, debit or prepaid card does not reflect their true identity, causing painful daily reminders of a conflict between their true name and the name on their card. In 2019, we worked to ease this pain point by creating True Name, a first-of-its-kind feature that makes secure payments truly available for all.”
“Visa has something similar in nature, but I don’t think it’s quite as good,” says Ashley Brundage, the founder of Empowering Differences, a Tampa, Florida-based professional development consultancy that works with organizations to improve business performance. She is also a former national vice president of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at PNC Bank and started transitioning in 2008.
Brundage is referring to the Visa Daylight card, which lets cardholders choose their preferred name on their card, even if that doesn’t match what their legal identification says.
“I’d say banks are at a 6.5 to 7, if we grade them from a 1 to 10,” she says. “Banks and credit cards understand that people change their names, for lots of different reasons, so their infrastructure is already built for name changes.” She adds that if you’re transitioning and changing your name on your credit cards, you may have some hurdles to jump through, but nothing too major. Still, the reason she wouldn’t grade credit cards and banks a 10 is due to “unconscious bias.”
Unconscious bias is one thing since the person doesn’t realize how they’re coming off, but if you encounter someone on the phone or in person who is openly biased toward you, Brundage suggests you escalate the situation as you would any time you have a customer service issue: Ask to speak to someone higher up.
One other thing Brundage says to expect are a lot of identity theft related questions. It’s often easier to get your name on your card changed if you visit a bank in person instead of making the request over the phone, she says, as on the phone, it’s easier for the customer service representative to suspect an attempt at identity theft.
In the past, on the phone, Brundage says that instead of a couple questions to confirm her identity, she has received almost a dozen authentication questions, so she can prove who she is.
Finally, she says in her experience, bigger banks have been easier to work with than smaller ones. “If it’s a bigger bank, they’ve probably had enough customers going through this, that there’s a policy in place,” she says.
Does a credit card name change affect your credit score?
Thankfully, because your credit score is tied to your Social Security number, changing your name on your credit card does not affect your credit score or credit history. That said, you should still keep a close eye on your credit report in the weeks and months that follow the switch, to ensure nothing looks out of place on your report. This is a good bit of advice for all credit card users, especially any time there’s a major life event that could cause any potential confusion on your reports.