Card providers make it easy to change your name on your credit cards. But before you start, you must change all your legal documents first.
While there are many reasons one might change a name on a credit card, marriage and divorce are among the most common. Another common reason is reverting to your maiden name after the death of your spouse. Whatever your reasons, there may come a time in your life when you want to change your name, which means you’ll have to change it anywhere your previous name is on file – including credit cards.
Changing your name on a credit card varies slightly between providers. Before you start, you must first change your name on your Social Insurance Number and government-issued IDs (including passport, driver’s license and health card).
Once completed, you can show your updated government ID and change-of-name document to your credit card issuer when you apply to change your name. The change-of-name documents you use will vary based on the reason you are changing your name:
| Reason for changing your name | Required document |
|---|---|
| Misspelling on your account | Birth certificate |
| Marriage | Marriage certificate |
| Divorce | Divorce decree |
| Legal court order | Legal Change-of-Name Document |
| Adoption | Adoption order |
Canadian banks generally have similar procedures in place for name changes. You’ll usually be required to go into a bank branch so a teller can verify your identity in-person. The process will likely follow these steps:
If you’re one of the many Canadians who has opted to bank with an online bank, like Tangerine for example, the process differs from other banks. You’ll likely be required to call your bank’s customer service representative to begin the name change process. You might be required to mail or fax in copies of any supporting documents, like your ID and change-of-name documents.
If you’re banking with Tangerine, you can call 1-888-826-4374 to change your name.
The name change process will vary depending on the company. Because these companies don’t have branches like banks do, the process usually involves both talking to someone over the phone and faxing in documents, or uploading documents to an online portal.
Changing your name with American Express is fairly easy. Here’s how it works:
You can also mail your completed form and copies of supporting documents to American Express at, Amex Bank of Canada, PO box 3204 STN F, Toronto, ON, M1W 3W7. Alternatively, you can fax the documents to 1-888-843-9523.
Once you have updated your name in all your legal documents and with your card providers, reach out to all two major credit bureaus – Equifax Canada and TransUnion – to make sure they have updated your new name.
Next, you should update your name with all other institutions like banks, insurance companies or other companies you have any relation with.
There are times when you may be held accountable for someone else’s credit card debt. In general, there are three situations where you may be held accountable for someone else’s debt:
You can check whether you are liable for your partner’s debt by confirming that the credit agreement bears your signature. If not, the responsibility to pay the debt will be solely on your partner. However, if you and your spouse own a joint bank account, the credit card company can sue for money from that account.
You could also be forced to pay any credit card debt accrued by an authorized user of your card. An authorized user enjoys the privilege of using the credit card but has no liability to repay any charges they make. If anyone has access to your credit card details, you should be aware of how they use them to protect yourself from misuse of funds and the accumulation of debt you would later have to pay.
Who is responsible for credit card debt after death? It depends but, in general, one of three situations will occur when a loved one passes away and leaves credit card debt:
Another factor in the management of debts for a deceased estate is the type of debt.
No matter the reason for your name change, you can easily update your credit cards with your new name. All you have to do is reach out to your bank and send them copies of legal documents that reflect your name change.
Once that’s settled, you can freely apply for a new credit card and your new name will appear on all of them.
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