search for: credit_card_id

...nvalid. taking the validates_associated :credit_card out of Organization lets the whole operation complete normally, using the same input data. i have a model structure roughly like so: User id, etc... BusinessUser id, etc... user_id Organization id, etc... primary_business_user_id credit_card_id CreditCard id, etc... and a business_user_controller to create it all: def create @user = User.new(params[:user]) @business_user = BusinessUser.new(params[:business_user]) @business_user.user = @user @organization = Organization.new(params[:organization]) @organization.primary_user...