Credit cards with the greatest value for authorized users

The post is updated with new information on a regular basis.

Adding an authorized user to a credit card account is a good idea. It can help the primary cardholder hit certain spending requirements. It is possible for authorized users to improve their credit scores by benefiting from the primary cardholder's credit score and length of credit history.

Lounge access and statement credits for Global Entry applications can be obtained with certain credit cards.

Adding other cards to your accounts, the best rewards cards for doing so, and the perks given to authorized users are some of the reasons you might want to consider it.

What is an authorized user?

Someone is authorized to use your credit card. Your credit card is linked to the person's physical card. Some of the benefits offered to the primary cardholders can be taken advantage of by authorized users.

Adding family members or spouses as authorized users on your account is a way to share some of the benefits of a card without paying another annual fee.

Should my partner receive their own card or be added as an authorized user?

Adding your child as an authorized user can help build credit history. Each bank has a different minimum age requirement.

Overview of the best cards for authorized users

The following cards will be compared and highlighted why they are the best credit cards for authorizing users.

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These rewards cards have great perks. We will discuss the benefits that apply to additional cards.

Capital One Venture X

The Capital One Venture X shook up the premium rewards credit card market with a much lower annual fee, while still offering luxury benefits comparable to those of more expensive cards. Up to four authorized users can be added for no cost and they are entitled to perks.

Primary cardholder benefits

There are perks for the primary account holder.

The full review of the Venture X card can be found here.

Authorized user benefits

When showing their Capital One card, authorized users can bring up to two complimentary guests and gain their own Priority Pass Select membership for access to 1,300-plus lounges around the world. The authorized user can receive complimentary president's circle elite status through the partnership with Capital One.

Your authorized user will receive important trip and purchase protections when they pay with your card, including trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursement, lost luggage reimbursement, cellphone protection, purchase protection, extended warranty and return protection.

Cardholder fees

There is an annual fee for the Venture X. Up to four authorized users can be added to the account for free.

Adding authorized users to the Capital One Venture X is something that should be done.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Primary card holders can expect a lot of perks, but authorized users can only rely on a few.

Primary cardholder benefits

The primary account holder can get some things.

Check out our full review for more information.

Authorized user benefits

Priority Pass Select memberships give access to airport lounges and restaurants at a number of airports. They don't qualify for the annual travel credit or their own reimbursement. The benefits are shared with the accountholder.

DoorDash DashPass is the only partner benefit that authorized users will enjoy. The last day to take advantage of this benefit is in December.

Cardholder fees

There is an annual fee for the primary account. Each additional card costs $75.

There is a way to maximize earning with the Chase reserve.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

One of the top all-around premium rewards cards offers a lot of perks for the primary cardmember.

Primary cardholder benefits

The primary cardmember is able to get some benefits.

• Welcome offer of 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Some applicants might be eligible for a targeted offer through CardMatch of 125,000 points or 150,000 points after making $6,000 in purchases in the first six months (the targeted offer is subject to change anytime).
• Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (capped at $500,000 of these purchases annually, then 1 point per dollar) and prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel and through Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts, along with benefits such as room upgrades and on-property credits.
• Up to $300 in Equinox statement credits per year.*
• Up to $189 in Clear statement credits each year to reimburse your membership fee.
• Up to $200 in prepaid hotel credits for prepaid bookings with Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection. Note that Hotel Collection bookings require a minimum stay of two nights.
• Up to $240 in digital entertainment credits each year, available as up to $20 per month. This applies to eligible purchases with the Platinum Card at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, the Disney Bundle, New York Times, Sirius XM, Audible and Peacock.*
• Up to $200 in airline fee statement credits each calendar year for incidental fees charged by the airline you select for such things as checked bags or seating assignments.*
• Up to $200 in Uber Cash to use for rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S. each year, available as $15 per month and $35 in December. Add your card as a payment method in your Uber account to receive this benefit.
• Up to $100 refunded in the form of a statement credit for a Global Entry application fee once every four years or up to $85 refunded for one TSA PreCheck application fee once every 4.5 years.
• Up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue statement credits each year, available as up to $50 for purchases from January to June and another $50 from July to December.*
• Up to $300 in an annual SoulCycle statement credit toward an at-home SoulCycle bike, available on up to 15 bikes per calendar year.*
• Up to $155 in annual Walmart+ membership credits to reimburse your monthly membership fee. Plus Ups are excluded.*
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta on same-day flights.
• Cardmembers can enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status.*
• Register for complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred Club and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive memberships.*
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

It is necessary to enroll for certain benefits.

Delta Sky Club access does not allow complimentary guests. You will need to spend at least $75,000 a year in order to get complimentary guests into the lounge.

The full review of the Amex Platinum Card can be found here.

Authorized user benefits

The good news first. Users on Platinum Card accounts don't get their own airline, but their spending will count towards the primary card. They won't get their own money. Their cards still earn bonuses on airline and hotel purchases and have access to booking through Fine Hotels + Resorts, along with other benefits.

In addition, authorized users can register for hotel and rental car elite status and get access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection with the same entry privileges as the primary card member.

Amex will charge $50 for most guests and $30 for children in the lounge.

Cardholder fees

You can get up to three more cards for $175 total, but you will have to pay $175 per card after that. The American Express Gold Card is different from the Amex Gold cards. The complimentary Gold card gives 5 points per dollar on flights booked through Amex Travel or directly with airlines and 1 point per dollar on all other spending. Every four years for Global Entry or every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck, there is a statement credit available for each additional card. Air travel fees charged by both additional Platinum and complimentary Gold cardmembers with the primary cardmember's selected airline count towards the primary cardmember's up-to-$200 annual statement credits are incidents. The Amex offers can be received on these cards.

Priority Pass Select memberships are not eligible for these complimentary Gold cards. They don't qualify for other perks such as elite status at rental car agencies. Most of the benefits are available to authorized users with a Platinum card.

The American Express Gold Card has a $250 annual fee, so card members may prefer the free version.

There is a way to maximize your earning with the Amex Platinum.

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

The Amex Business Platinum has some of the same perks as the personal Platinum card, but it does not include some.

Primary cardholder benefits

The following benefits are available to primary card members.

• New cardmembers can earn 120,000 Membership Rewards points after they spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card within the first three months of card membership.
• Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar on flights and prepaid hotel bookings through Amex Travel.
• Earn 1.5 points per dollar on purchases of $5,000 or more or on U.S. purchases from the following types of merchants: construction material and hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers and shipping providers — on up to $2 million of these purchases per year, then 1 point per dollar.
• Get 35% of your points back when redeeming them as Pay with Points through amextravel.com for business- or first-class tickets from any airline or for any class of travel from your preselected preferred airline. There is a maximum of 1 million points back each calendar year.
• Access to Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection.
• Up to $100 refunded in the form of a statement credit for a Global Entry application fee once every four years or up to $85 refunded for one TSA PreCheck application fee once every 4.5 years.
• Up to $400 per calendar year in statement credits toward U.S. Dell purchases, available as up to $200 semiannually.
• Up to $360 in statement credits for Indeed purchases, available as up to $90 in credits each quarter.*
• Up to $189 in annual Clear membership statement credit to reimburse your membership costs.*
• Up to $150 in statement credits for select Adobe purchases each year.*
• Up to $120 in U.S. wireless telephone services statement credit (distributed in $10 increments each month).*
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, including Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Airspace and Escape lounges and Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta on a same-day flight.*
• Cardmembers can enroll for complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status.*
• Register for complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, Avis Preferred Club and National Car Rental Emerald Club Executive memberships.*
• No foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees).

It is necessary to enroll for certain benefits.

Delta Sky Club access does not allow complimentary guests. You will need to spend at least $75,000 a year in order to get complimentary guests into the lounge.

Check out our full review of the Amex Business Platinum Card

Authorized user benefits

Only certain perks are available to additional card holders. Users who are authorized will not get their own fees. If they have a Platinum authorized user card, they are eligible for Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credits, Priority Pass, and Delta Sky Club lounges.

Cardholder fees

Business Platinum cardmembers can add additional cards for $350 each, which is not as good a deal as the personal card, but is still worth considering. If you add a Gold Card with an annual fee of $45 or a Green Card with no annual fee, you won't be able to get lounge access.

There is a way to maximize your earning with the Amex Business Platinum.

Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card

Both the personal and business versions of this card offer the same benefits. The personal card has an annual fee of $550, while the business card has an annual fee of $450.

Primary cardholder benefits

The primary cardmember can use some of the benefits.

• New applicants for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card can earn 50,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
• New applicants for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve Business American Express Card can earn 60,000 bonus miles and 10,000 Medallion® Qualification Miles (MQMs) after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months of card membership.
• Both cards earn 3 miles per dollar spent on eligible Delta purchases and 1 mile per dollar on all other eligible purchases. The business version also earns 1.5 miles per dollar spent on all purchases after you make $150,000 or more in purchases in a calendar year.
• Cardholders are eligible for an application fee waiver for TSA PreCheck (every 4.5 years) or Global Entry (every four years).
• Cardmembers receive Delta Sky Club access when traveling on same-day Delta flights and can purchase additional guest passes for $50.
• Cardmembers have access to American Express Centurion Lounges when flying Delta with a ticket purchased on the card (up to two guests may also enter for a fee of $50 each).
• Other travel benefits include priority boarding, a free checked bag for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation and 20% savings on inflight food, beverage and headset purchases on Delta flights.
• Cardholders can earn 15,000 additional MQMs toward Delta Medallion status after each $30,000 of purchases on the card — up to $120,000 of spending in a calendar year for a maximum of 60,000 MQMs.
• Delta Reserve and Delta Reserve Business cardholders receive a companion certificate each cardmember year redeemable for one round-trip itinerary within the 48 contiguous United States (cardholders in Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands can originate there) in main cabin, Delta Comfort+ or first class. Taxes and fees are capped at $80.
• Ability to earn a Medallion Qualification Dollar (MQDs) waiver up to Platinum status by making $25,000 in purchases on eligible Delta credit cards each year; the spending requirement for an MQD waiver to Diamond Medallion status is $250,000 of credit card spending.

Check out our full review of the Amex Delta Reserve.

Authorized user benefits

Most of the benefits don't go to additional cards. When they travel on flights marketed and operated by Delta and present a same-day Delta boarding pass, they get access to Delta Sky clubs and Amex Centurion lounges.

Cardholder fees

Each additional card costs $175 per year for the Reserve and Reserve Business.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard

The American Airlines co branded card from Citi has an annual fee. Multiple value-added benefits are included in the fee.

Primary cardholder benefits

The primary account holders can get some benefits.

• Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
• Full Admirals Club membership, including access to partner lounges. The cardholder can bring immediate family members or up to two guests for free with a same-day boarding pass on American Airlines or partner airlines.
• Earn 2 miles per dollar spent on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases, plus earn 1 Loyalty Point per dollar spent. These help you earn American Airlines elite status.
• First checked bag free and priority boarding for the cardholder and up to eight companions on the same reservation on domestic flights marketed and operated by American Airlines.
• 25% off inflight purchases of food and beverages.
• Receive a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement once every five years (up to $100).
• 10,000 bonus Loyalty Points after spending $40,000 on purchases during the AA qualifying year (which runs from the beginning of March to the end of February each year).
• No foreign transaction fees.

Check out our full review of the card.

Authorized user benefits

The best feature of this credit card is that it can be used to get additional people into the lounge for free, with the exception of immediate family members. Since an individual annual Admirals Club membership costs up to $650 a year, it makes sense to pay the main card's annual fee.

The bonus Loyalty Points are earned by authorized users who spend their inflight discount money. They don't get priority boarding or free checked bags when traveling without a primary cardmember. They aren't eligible for their own application fee reimbursement.

Cardholder fees

Up to 10 authorized users can be added to the card, each of whom can bring in guests. You can get 10 memberships for less than the price of one if you open this card.

Does adding authorized users affect your credit score?

Your credit score won't be affected by adding an authorized user. You are responsible for that person's expenditures. You will be responsible for the balance, associated fees and interest charges if the user overspends on the card. The behavior of your authorized users can have a negative effect on your credit score.

Adding your children as authorized users is related.

Reasons to add authorized users

There are many reasons to add authorized users to your account. Here are the most important decisions.

Offers of bonus points

Bonus points are offered for adding authorized users.

The American Express Gold Card and the American Express Platinum Card have been targeted by American Express. If the user spent $500 to $2,000 on their card in the first three months, you could earn 5,000 Membership Reward points for every authorized user you added. Targeted offers are subject to change at any time, but the bonuses were capped at 20,000 points.

Rack up rewards faster

All the rewards points or miles that are earned through everyday spending are credited to the primary card, which is one of the best things about having additional cards. The primary card is responsible for paying off all those purchases. If your authorized users are those you trust, this shouldn't be a problem.

Hit spending thresholds

Spending on an authorized user's card will count towards the primary cardholder's spending activity and help them hit the spending requirements for earning a sign up bonus. Having someone else help you meet the spending requirements is useful if you are working on a large welcome bonus

There are a number of spending-based annual benefits that can be achieved with the help of additional cards, such as a free weekend night with the American Express Surpass Card or the Delta SkyMiles Qualification card.

Help others build credit

One of the best reasons to add authorized users to your credit card account is to help them build their own credit and improve their credit score. For someone with bad or damaged credit or a teenager who is just starting their credit journey, this can be helpful.

The account is added to the person's credit report when they are added as an authorized user. All the factors that can boost your score with your own accounts, such as on-time payments, low amounts owed, etc., will eventually increase the authorized user's score as well.

There are 6 best starter cards for credit.

It isn't always applicable to American Express credit cards. Your authorized user's credit report will show the original account opening date when you add someone to your credit card. Credit history can be added to that person's report. The account history for authorized users has stopped being reported by American Express cards. The authorized user's date is listed on the credit report. If that's a concern, this can add positive activity but not any longevity to the user's credit report.

Additional account transfer options

Adding a friend or relative as an authorized user allows you to share points and miles.

If you use points from a business credit card to combine your Ultimate rewards points, you can do it with Chase credit cards. You can transfer these points to that person's loyalty program.

Membership rewards can't be moved from your account to someone else's account with American Express. After someone has been authorized to use your card for at least 90 days, you can transfer your points to their loyalty account at one of Amex's hotel or airline partners.

Caveats

Adding authorized users to your credit card accounts can be a bit of a hassle. You should only add someone you trust and put in place any spending controls you deem necessary since the primary card is responsible for paying off all purchases. Primary cards will be able to track spending and limit spending on additional accounts.

Some cards come at a price. Do you know if you will have to pay annual fees to add users to your account?

Credit cards don't give the same benefits to authorized users as they do to the primary user. Benefits such as free checked bags and preferred boarding can be activated by traveling with an authorized user.

You should be able to maximize their value if you know the requirements and limitations of taking on additional cards.

Bottom line

There are many reasons to add an authorized user to your account. It can help someone build their credit and improve their score, net you extra points on a sign-up bonus, and it can extend the use of your points to more friends or family members.

Lounge access, Global Entry reimbursements and inflight purchase discounts are some of the value-added benefits on certain high-end credit cards. Look at your spending habits and needs and determine if you will get enough value out of adding authorized users to justify any annual fees you might incur.

The Capital One Venture X application is official. There is an official application link. You can apply for the Amex Platinum Card. You can apply for the Amex Business Platinum Card. You can apply for the Delta SkyMiles Reserve. There is an official application link for Delta Skymiles Reserve Business. You can apply via the official link: Citi/ AAdvantage Executive.

Additional reporting was done by Ryan Smith.

Click here to find the Amex Platinum Card's rates and fees. Click here for the Amex Gold Card rates. Click here to find the Amex Business Platinum Card's rates and fees. Click here to find the rates and fees of the Delta Reserve card. Click here to find the Amex Delta Reserve Business card's rates and fees.