7 Best Cards for Authorized Users in 2024

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Adding an authorized user to your credit card can be a win-win situation.

You’ll rack up points and earn welcome bonuses faster, while they’ll build their credit history, enjoy cardholder perks and pay a much-reduced annual fee (if any!).

Yet, just as choosing the right credit card for yourself can be challenging, so too can identifying the best card for you and an authorized user. Not every card offers the same benefits to the authorized user as it does the primary cardholder. Likewise, top-tier premium credit cards normally charge fees for authorized users, while some mid- and low-tier cards allow you to add them free of charge.

Let’s take a look at the seven best credit cards for authorized users in 2024.

What Is an Authorized User?

An authorized user is simply another person who is able to use your credit card. Many cards offer this feature, and may charge an extra fee per user, or a flat rate for a certain number of additional users.

The authorized user will receive their own credit card, which will be linked to your account.

Benefits of Having an Authorized User

Adding an authorized user to your card comes with some significant benefits for both parties. Let’s take a look.

Increased Point Earning

An authorized user’s card is linked to the primary cardholder’s account. This means that when your authorized user uses their card for bonus category purchases, you reap the benefits of accelerated point earning.

All of the authorized user’s spending is linked to your account, which enables you to rack up points at double the speed.

Increased point earning translates into more opportunities for point-funded travel, allowing you to reach your travel goals more quickly than you would be able to without an authorized user boosting your card expenditure.

Boost Your Authorized User’s Credit Score

If one of your family members—perhaps your child or spouse—has a below-average credit score, due to either having little credit history or a history of defaulted payments, adding them as an authorized user can help boost their score.

When you add a person as an authorized user, your credit card account will be added to their credit report. This means that if both you and your authorized user spend responsibly, always pay your bills on time and maintain a low credit utilization ratio, then your authorized user should experience a boost to their credit score.

This is a great way to give the people around you a foothold in the world of points and miles.

Just keep in mind that as the primary cardholder, you are responsible for your authorized users’ spending. Timely bill payment remains your responsibility, and late payments will damage both your credit score and that of your authorized user.

Reach Minimum Spending Thresholds More Quickly

Having your authorized user’s spending linked to your account can help you attain valuable welcome bonuses more easily.

Likewise, some cards have annual minimum spending thresholds that, when met, confer bonuses.

For example, the British Airways Visa Signature® Card from Chase gives you a Travel Together Ticket, valid for two years, when you charge $30,000 in total purchases within a calendar year on your card. By having an authorized user, reaching this minimum spending threshold will be far easier.

Best Cards for Authorized Users in 2024

When it comes to selecting a card that’s optimal for adding authorized users, you want as many of the primary cardholder benefits as possible to also apply to the authorized user.

Perks such as lounge access, hotel benefits, travel insurances and purchase protection should all be available to your authorized user.

Likewise, the authorized user’s spending should earn the same bonus category rates as the primary cardholder’s spending does, so that you rack up points and earn welcome bonuses more quickly.

Lastly, don’t be put off by fees for adding authorized users. Keep in mind that as long as the monetary value of adding an authorized user is higher than the fee you pay to add them, you’re still getting extra value.

Here are the seven best cards for adding authorized users.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

One of the leading travel rewards cards on the market, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card is a great option for authorized users wanting luxury travel benefits.

This card has an annual fee of $550 and charges an extra $75 per authorized user per year.

Despite the hefty annual fee, the card’s benefits can easily offset the cost. Considering the authorized user gets many of the same benefits as the primary cardholder, that extra $75 per year is actually a great deal compared to opening a new Chase Sapphire account and paying the entire annual fee.

Here’s a quick rundown of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s features:

• $300 annual statement credit reimbursement for travel purchases charged on your account—per account, not per user
• 5X total points on flights when purchased via Chase Travel℠ (only applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 10X total points on car rentals and hotels when purchased via Chase Travel℠ (only applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 3X points on eligible delivery service purchases, takeout and dining out
• 3X points on travel purchases (only applies after the first $300 is spent on annual travel purchases)
• 10X total points on Chase Dining purchases via Ultimate Rewards
• Redeem points for 50% more value (1.5 cents per point) when used for travel purchases through Chase
• Transfer points at 1:1 ratio to Chase’s 14 airline and hotel partners
• No foreign transaction fees
• $100 statement credit reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, every four years
• $1,200 total value in partner benefits, from two complimentary years of Lyft Pink All Access (enrollment required, must activate by Dec. 31, 2024), to cardmember perks at The Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection^SM
• Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership

Authorized users of the Chase Sapphire Reserve card will earn Ultimate Rewards at the exact same rate for bonus category spending as the primary cardholder. Ultimate Rewards can be redeemed for cash back, airline and hotel partner transfers or for 50% more value when spent on travel through Chase.

When you add an authorized user to your Sapphire Reserve account, they’ll be able to enroll in Priority Pass^TM Select membership. This gives them complimentary access to 1,300+ VIP lounges in more than 500 cities worldwide, at no extra cost. Both the primary cardholder and authorized user are able to bring two additional guests each into airport lounges in the Priority Pass^TM Select network free of charge—per additional guest, your card will be charged $27.

Considering Priority Pass Standard Membership starts at $99 per year plus $35 per visit (or $469 per year for unlimited member visits), this is a massive perk, offsetting the annual fee and authorized user fee significantly.

On top of this, authorized users get access to the following range of travel and consumer insurance protections:

• Lost Luggage Reimbursement—for luggage that is damaged or lost by the carrier, you and your family are covered up to $3,000 per passenger
• Trip Delay Reimbursement—for delays of six hours or more, or those requiring an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for expenses not reimbursed by the airline, from accommodation to meal costs, up to $500 per ticket
• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver—primary coverage for reimbursement up to $75,000 for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad, if you charge the rental cost to your Sapphire card
• Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance—if eligible contextual factors—such as sickness or weather conditions—result in trip cancellation, you can be reimbursed up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per trip for prepaid, non-refundable travel expenses (including tours, passenger fares and hotels)
• Emergency Evacuation and Transport—if you or family member(s) become sick or injured and require medical evacuation while away from home, you can be covered for up to $100,000 in medical and transportation costs
• Extended Warranty Protection—U.S. manufacturer’s warranties will be extended by an additional year, on eligible warranties of three years or less
• Return Protection—eligible items can be reimbursed if the store will not take them back within 90 days of purchase, up to $500 per item and maximum $1,000 per year
• Purchase Protection—protects new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per year

Similarly, authorized users and the primary cardholder can enjoy a 12 month complimentary DashPass each, enabling free delivery and lower service fees on eligible orders from DoorDash and Caviar when you activate your membership by Dec. 31, 2024. Enrollment is required—you’ll need to add your Chase Sapphire card as the default payment method in the Caviar and DoorDash mobile apps, and then click the activation button.

Authorized users will also have access to Guest Privileges at 1,000+ properties in the Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection (LHRC). To be eligible, authorized users must make reservations through an LHRC Travel Specialist or on the LHRC website via Ultimate Rewards. From room upgrades to daily breakfast, this is a great perk for authorized users. 

The Sapphire card also offers a $100 application fee reimbursement every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. It should be noted that this benefit is shared by both users—not per card user.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

If the $550 annual fee (plus the extra $75 fee per authorized user) puts you off the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, fear not—the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card comes with many of the same travel benefits, minus such a hefty annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card charges a comparatively smaller annual fee of $95 and allows you to add authorized users free of charge. Considering the authorized user shares many of the same benefits as the primary cardholder, this is an excellent deal for a competitive rewards card.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card comes with the following benefits:

• Up to $50 in statement credits for hotel stays purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards, every account anniversary year—per account, not user
• 5X total points on travel purchases when purchased through Chase Travel℠ (points will not be earned on hotel purchases that qualify for the $50 annual hotel credit)
• 3X points on eligible delivery service purchases, takeout and dining out
• 3X points on online grocery purchases (excludes Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points on select streaming service purchases
• 2X points on eligible travel purchases
• 1X point on all other purchases
• Earn an annual account anniversary point bonus equivalent to 10% of your total yearly expenditure
• Redeem your points for 25% more value (1.25 cents per point) when purchasing travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards
• No foreign transaction fees
• 1:1 point transfers with Chase airline and hotel partners

Like with the Reserve card, the Chase Sapphire Preferred offers authorized users similar travel and consumer protection insurances. The terms of Extended Warranty Protection and Trip Cancellation/Interruption insurance remain the same between the two cards. However, there are some notable, minor differences for the following insurances:

• Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver—primary coverage for reimbursement up to the cash value of the car for theft and collision damage for rental cars in the U.S. and abroad, if you charge the rental cost to your Sapphire card
• Baggage Delay Insurance—reimburses you for baggage delays in excess of 6 hours containing essential items (for example, toiletries and clothing) for up to $100 per day for five days
• Trip Delay Reimbursement—for delays of 12 hours or more, or those requiring an overnight stay, you and your family are covered for expenses not reimbursed by the airline, from accommodation to meal costs, up to $500 per ticket
• Travel and Emergency Assistance Services—you can contact the Benefit Administrator for medical and legal referrals if you experience problems away from home (you will be responsible for paying the cost of any goods or services received)
• Purchase Protection—new purchases will be covered for up to 120 days against damage or theft, up to $500 per claim and $50,000 per account

These insurance protections are still of excellent value, considering authorized users can hold the card free of any additional charge.

The Preferred card also comes with the same complimentary DashPass subscription as the Reserve card, (must enroll and activate by Dec. 31, 2024).

While the Chase Sapphire Preferred may offer less in the way of luxury travel benefits when compared to the Reserve card, it remains an outstanding deal for authorized users wanting competitive travel and consumer protections, as well as the ability to earn and redeem Ultimate Rewards for no extra fees. 

The Platinum Card® from American Express

If your top priority is a card with luxury travel perks and premium lounge access, and you’re ready to use these benefits to the maximum to offset the annual fee, then the Platinum Card® from American Express is an excellent option.

The Platinum Card from American Express charges an annual fee of $695 (see rates and fees), and an additional $195 per year per authorized user.

The Platinum Card from American Express offers the following benefits:

• 5X points on eligible flights booked with American Express Travel or directly with the airline, on up to $500,000 in charges per calendar year
• 5X points on eligible prepaid hotel reservations when booked with American Express Travel
• Up to $200 hotel credit given as statement credit on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection (minimum two-night stay required) bookings through American Express Travel 
• Up to $240 digital entertainment credit, issued in $20 monthly statement credits for eligible purchases on Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock and the New York Times (enrollment required)
• Up to $300 Equinox credit
• Up to $189 per year in statement credits toward a CLEAR® Plus membership
• Up to $200 airline fee credit given as statement credit
• Up to $200 Uber Cash, issued in increments of $15 per month with a bonus $20 in Dec.
• Either a $100 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your American Express Card. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
• Complimentary premium status for numerous car rental companies (enrollment required)
• No foreign transaction fees
• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, consisting of 1,400 lounges across 140 countries (including Airspace Lounge, The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Business and Senator Lounges, Plaza Premium and Priority Pass Select)
• Access to the American Express International Airline Program (for discounted airfares)
• Access to the Fine Hotels and Resort Collection for bookings made through American Express Travel
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold elite status (enrollment required)

Authorized users will benefit from some of the most luxurious travel perks available. 

From complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold and Hilton Honors Gold elite status, to access to the American Express Global Lounge collection (enrollment required for Priority Pass^TM Select), the combined perks can easily offset the annual fee for this card.

Likewise, this card offers authorized users Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance,* Trip Delay Insurance** and Car Rental Loss or Damage Insurance.

As the primary Platinum cardholder, it costs $50 extra per guest ($30 for children aged two to 17) to bring additional guests into Centurion lounges. If we consider this cost in isolation, your authorized user would need to visit Centurion Lounges at least four times in a year to offset the cost of carrying this card.

Likewise, your authorized user could offset the annual fee by using the Fine Hotel and Resorts Collection benefit or Marriott Bonvoy Gold or Hilton Honors elite status at least once.

If they don’t use these perks, the extra carrying fee may cost you more than you’ll earn in return.

American Express does offer the ability to add authorized users free of charge by issuing them Companion Platinum cards (formerly, and somewhat confusingly, known as Gold cards). However, these cards are limited in the way of perks compared to actual Platinum cards, omitting many benefits such as hotel elite status, access to the Fine Hotel and Resort Collection and airport lounge access—some of the best features of the Platinum card.

The standard authorized user fee of $195, on top of the already large annual fee, is something to consider. It’s somewhat higher compared to other cards, and you need to ensure that you and your authorized user are getting a return value greater than $890 to offset the fees and make it financially worthwhile.

Offsetting the fee is entirely possible—it’s simply a question of how much you’ll take advantage of the cardholder perks and benefits.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

If the high annual fees of the Platinum Card from American Express or the Chase Sapphire Reserve are too much to justify, the Capital One Venture X Rewards credit card might just be what you’re looking for.

It’s a premium card with a comparatively low annual fee of $395—especially when considering the benefits it comes with. Even more appealing is the fact that you can add up to four authorized users to your account for no fee.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards card offers the following:

• Complimentary access for you and up to two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Priority Pass, Capital One Lounges and Plaza Premium Group (enrollment required)
• 10X miles on rental cars and hotels when booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles on all other purchases
• Ability to transfer your Venture X miles to more than 15 travel loyalty programs
• Cardholder benefits, from experience credit to room upgrades, when staying with the Premier or Lifestyle Collections 
• Up to $300 annual statement credit when booking travel through Capital One Travel—per account, not per user
• No foreign transaction fees
• 10,000 bonus miles every year on your account anniversary—per account, not per user

One of the biggest perks of this card is complimentary Capital One, Priority Pass and Plaza Premium Group airport lounge access for authorized users. Let’s briefly consider the value of this perk.

You can add up to four authorized users to your Capital One Venture X Rewards card for free, each of whom can bring up to two additional guests into participating airport lounges free of charge. That means a family of up to 15 people could get into an airport lounge, for an unlimited amount of times during the year, all for the original annual fee of $395.

This perk alone, if used to its maximum potential, could offset the annual fee by a large margin, making this one of the best deals for authorized users.

The Venture X card also confers complimentary Hertz President’s Circle elite status to primary cardholders and authorized users (enrollment required). This comes with:

• One-class car upgrades
• 50% bonus points on all rental cars
• Access to a wider variety of cars
• Customer service hotline access***

Considering it is the highest level of status with Hertz, this benefit carries a massive value for both the primary cardholder and authorized user if used.

Lastly, being a Visa Infinite Card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards card comes with a host of consumer and travel insurance protections for the authorized user.****

Overall, this card comes out as one of the best and most affordable premium travel credit cards for authorized users.

American Express® Gold Card

If you want a card that rewards everyday spending while giving you access to a range of travel perks, the American Express® Gold Card is a great choice.

This card has an annual fee of $250 (see rates and fees) and allows you to add up to five additional users free of charge ($35 per user thereafter).

Here’s what it has to offer:

• $120 Uber Cash annually, issued in $10 monthly increments, when you add your Gold Card to your Uber account for Uber Eats order or Uber rides in the U.S.
• $120 annual dining credit, issued in $10 monthly statement credits, when you pay with your Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations (enrollment required)
• Receive a $100 experience credit (minimum stay of two nights required) when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel
• Earn 4X points at restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Earn 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X thereafter)
• Earn 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or through amextravel.com
• No foreign transaction fees

With the Gold card’s generous bonus category earning rates, you and your authorized user can quickly rack up thousands of points on everyday purchases, from grocery shopping to dining, including takeout and delivery, in the U.S. 

And when the time comes to redeem your Membership Rewards points for travel, this card has both you and your authorized user covered. During stays of two nights or more, you’ll receive a $100 experience credit (per account, not per user) when you book The Hotel Collection through American Express Travel.

Membership Rewards points are likewise a valuable currency when it comes to making point transfers for airfares. So having an authorized user to accelerate Membership Rewards point earning is a great way of making point-funded travel a reality.

Citi Premier® Card

If you want to earn points on everyday spending and benefit from Mastercard World Elite status, the Citi Premier® card is an excellent choice for authorized users.

This card charges an annual fee of $95, and it’s free to add authorized users. 

Here’s what the Citi Premier card has to offer:

• 3X points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel and hotels
• 1X points on all other purchases
• $100 annual credit for hotel stays greater than $500, excluding taxes and fees, when you book through thankyou.com via the Citi Travel^SM site or 1-800-THANKYOU, using your card
• Transfer points to 17 different hotel loyalty and frequent flyer programs
• No foreign transaction fees

If the fees associated with the American Express® Gold Card put you off, the Citi Premier is a cheaper alternative that packs some great travel related perks.

This card allows the authorized user to earn 3X Citi ThankYou Points per dollar on many everyday spending categories, from restaurants and supermarkets to gas stations.

Citi ThankYou Points are another valuable rewards currency which can be transferred to up to 17 different frequent flyer and hotel loyalty programs, from Wyndham Rewards and ALL Accor Live Limitless to the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Emirates Skywards.

You and your authorized user will also benefit from the shared annual $100 credit toward hotel stays of $500 or more, when you book through thankyou.com via the Citi Travel^SM site or 1-800-THANKYOU using your Premier card.

Likewise, when it comes to travel, you and your authorized user will enjoy the privileges of World Elite Mastercard® status. You’ll have the following perks at 4,000+ luxury four- and five-star hotels (subject to availability):

• Complimentary daily breakfast for two
• Late check-out and early check-in
• Room upgrades where available

World Elite Mastercard status also comes with additional perks and protections, from World Elite Concierge and ID Theft protection to exclusive discounts on DoorDash, Lyft, Fandango and ShopRunner.

Overall, considering the low annual fee and the fact that authorized users can be added free of charge, the Citi Premier card has some excellent premium benefits when it comes to travel and earning on everyday purchases.

Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®

If your travel goals revolve around frequent flights with American Airlines, the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® could be the card for you.

This card has an annual fee of $595 and charges $175 each for up to three authorized users ($175 per authorized user thereafter).

Here’s a rundown of what this card has to offer:

• Complimentary Admirals Club® membership (a value of up to $850) 
• $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit every four years
• First checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to eight travel companions on the same reservation
• Priority check-in, screening and boarding when flying with American Airlines
• 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases on American Airlines flights when paid using your card
• 1X Loyalty Point per eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases
• No foreign transaction fees
• 4X AAdvantage® Miles on American Airlines Purchases
• 10X AAdvantage® Miles on Hotels booked through aa.com/hotels

The outstanding benefit of this card is the complimentary Admirals Club membership, which is valued at $850. Even with the primary cardholder annual fee of $595 plus the authorized user fee of $175, you’re still saving $930 compared to paying the normal membership fee for two.

It should be noted that authorized users aren’t granted the full gamut of Admirals Club membership privileges that the primary cardholder enjoys. Namely, authorized users aren’t provided special access privileges to the Arrivals Lounge, International First Class Lounges, Flagship® Lounge facilities or other airline lounges with whom American Airlines shares reciprocal lounge access. Likewise, authorized users don’t receive special boarding privileges or the first checked bag for free.

Instead, authorized users will receive full access privileges to Admirals Club® lounges only, with the ability to bring up to two guests free of charge.

Nevertheless, you still come out ahead as an authorized user who flies American Airlines frequently, making this card an excellent choice.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to choosing a credit card—with or without an authorized user—you need to ensure its bonus categories and perks align with your spending habits and lifestyle. If it does match your spending and lifestyle, any annual fees and marginal charges for authorized users will be offset easily by the value you get in return.

If you’re set on premium cards with luxury travel benefits, the Platinum Card from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve are hard to beat.

If luxury travel remains a priority, but you want to keep annual fees down, the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture X Rewards card offer a good balance between lower annual costs and competitive benefits.

Alternatively, for point earning on everyday purchases and redemptions on travel, the American Express Gold Card and Citi Premier card are a good fit.

Lastly, if you and your authorized user want Admiral Club Membership for a heavily reduced price, the Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard would be the go-to choice.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

**Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.

***Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

****For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.