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Adding authorized users (aka extra cardholders) to a primary credit card account is a great way to spread the wealth of select credit card benefits. While authorized users typically don’t get the full suite of perks, they are entitled to select travel benefits in many instances, including airport lounge access independent of the primary cardholder, elite status with specific hotel programs, and a TSA/Global Entry credit per cardholder. Additionally, any implicit travel insurance and shopping protection of a credit card (e.g., trip cancellation and interruption insurance, baggage delay protection, and/or extended warranty coverage—depending on the card) apply to purchases made by authorized users.
Although authorized users generally come with an annual fee (albeit far lower than the annual fee of the primary card), one premium travel credit card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, still permits up to four additional users for free. Each gets their own Priority Pass membership (and complimentary access to 1,600+ lounges worldwide, across 145 countries in over 600 cities) and access to Capital One’s growing network of proprietary airport lounges.
Here’s everything you need to know about the basics of adding authorized users to your account in today’s rapidly changing credit card landscape, plus the five best credit cards that offer excellent benefits for additional cardholders.
The basics of having authorized users on your credit card
There’s both risk and reward in adding authorized users to your primary credit card account. The risk: putting your credit line in the hands of another. The reward: lots more points for you, the primary cardholder and, in some cases, travel benefits aplenty for both you and your additional cardholders.
If you’re a couple or family who shares finances or an employer who trusts your employees, having one primary account with multiple authorized users can be a smart and cost-effective credit card choice. You’ll reign as master of the points balance, and your crew scores the best travel perks without each person having to pay an annual fee upwards of $600. Everyone wins.
When you apply for a credit card in your name, you are the primary cardmember and account holder. Under the line of credit obtained, you can add authorized users—or additional cardholders—to your primary account. But all charges and payments ultimately remain your financial responsibility if your authorized users don’t cough up the money by the due date. It’s also the primary cardholder’s credit score that will be affected by on-time (or late) and complete (or incomplete) payments across all accounts. Meanwhile, the additional cardholders’ credit may also be affected by the health of the overall credit card account because the account does appear on each secondary member’s credit report.
In terms of earning points and miles, the primary cardholder banks all points and miles earned from his or her own purchases, plus those of authorized users.
Married couples, parents with kids, and employers often partake in this model of primary account plus authorized users, especially now that credit card companies have made it easy to control spending limits on sub-accounts directly from their apps or websites. It’s also enticing that the annual fees for additional cardholders are far lower than those of the primary cardmember.
Few consumer credit cards impress when it comes to additional cardholder benefits, but there are five exceptions. Here, we break down the fees and key perks for authorized users of these cards, starting with the best:
Five cards with great authorized user benefits, ranked
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (annual fee: $395) is the only premium travel credit card that allows additional cardholders at no cost. Considering that the card comes out to only $95 a year (after the $395 annual fee is offset by the $300 annual travel credit), this presents an exceptional value, granting a total of five cardholders—the primary plus four others—highly coveted lounge access and Priority Pass membership.
Additional cardholder fee: $0 each, up to four users
Airport lounge access: Access to Capital One lounges with two guests. Each user also gets a Priority Pass membership, allowing access to 1,600+ lounges worldwide with two guests. (Do the extreme math: A family of five cardholders travels together with a group. That’s a total of 15 guests entering a lounge for free!)
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits: None
Hotel benefits: Access to Capital One Travel’s Premier Collection, a highly curated selection of top hotels, resorts and vacation rentals globally plus its boutique-driven Lifestyle Collection, both of which give cardholders perks like experience credits and space-available room upgrades.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
The Chase Sapphire Reserve (annual fee: $550) charges a very reasonable $75 for additional cardholders. Chase’s new lounges are some of the best out there, and Reserve cardholders can access them (alongside two guests) whenever they travel. Plus, each user gets their own Priority Pass membership.
Additional cardholder fee: $75 each
Airport lounge access: Access to Chase lounges with two guests. Each gets a Priority Pass membership, allowing access to 1,600+ lounges worldwide with two guests. Due to a relationship between Chase lounges and Priority Pass, there’s an interesting caveat for entering Chase lounges. It’s only Priority Pass holders through the Chase Sapphire Reserve who have full access to Chase lounges (and can bring guests). Other Priority Pass members can enter each U.S. lounge only once per calendar year, free of charge (subsequent visits cost $75 per visit, which also applies to guests).
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits: None
Hotel benefits: None
3. The Platinum Card® from American Express
The Platinum Card from American Express (annual fee: $695, see rates and fees) charges $195 per additional cardholder. While additional Platinum cardholders receive more benefits overall than authorized users of other premium cards, at $195 per user it’s worth doing a cost-benefit analysis on how many users to actually add.
Additional cardholder fee: $195 each
Airport lounge access: Access to 50+ Centurion Lounges for users and Escape Lounges – The Centurion Studio Partner for users and up to two guests. Access to Delta Sky Club airline lounges for users (no guests). Each also gets a Priority Pass membership, allowing access to 1,600+ lounges around the world with two guests.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits: Yes, up to $120 per user every four years.
Hotel benefits: Each user can get Gold status in Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy (enrollment required) plus access to Fine Hotels & Resorts and the Hotel Collection from American Express, granting cardholders travel perks like dining credits, late checkout, and space-available upgrades.
4. Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
The best perk of the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (annual fee: $595) is complimentary membership in American Airlines Admirals Club, a network of 50+ American Airlines–branded lounges around the world, with the majority in the United States. If purchased outright, Admirals Club membership costs $850 annually. This benefit of Admirals Club membership extends to additional cardholders at a surprisingly reasonable rate (see below). However, full Club membership, which includes access to 60+ oneworld Alliance partner lounges around the globe, is reserved exclusively for the primary cardholder.
Additional cardholder fee: Up to three cardholders can be added for a total of $175 (less than $60 apiece). Additional cardholders beyond the initial three cost $175 each.
Airport lounge access: Each user receives access privileges to American Airlines Admirals Club lounges with two guests, but not access to oneworld partner lounges.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits: None
Hotel benefits: None
5. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card (annual fee $650, rates and fees) comes with the best perks portfolio of all Delta consumer cards and enough benefits to outweigh a hefty annual fee, including extensive lounge access. Additional cardholders, which can be added for $175 each, also can obtain lounge access. However, there are plenty of rules to note.
Additional cardholder fee: $175 each
Airport lounge access: Read carefully. At press time, cardholders, both primary and additional, gain access to Delta Sky Clubs at no cost when traveling on a Delta-marketed or -operated flight and access to American Express Centurion Lounges when booking a Delta flight on the card. Space depending, guests may be able to enter for a fee. Effective February 1, 2025, Reserve cardmembers, both primary and additional, will be limited to 15 visits per year to the Delta Sky Club. However, cardholders can earn unlimited Club access after hitting $75,000 across all cards in a calendar year. This unlimited access will be valid for the primary and additional cardholders the year in which the spending occurs plus the following calendar year. Also note that the primary cardholder receives four Delta Sky Club One-Time Guest Passes each year but additional cardholders do not. Overall, it’s a lot to digest. For better (and easier) lounge access to Delta Sky Clubs and Centurion Lounges, consider getting The Platinum Card from American Express and adding authorized users to that card.
Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credits: None
Hotel benefits: None
Takeaways
Airport lounge access typically costs a pretty penny, but some premium credit cards are practically giving it away to additional cardholders. If paid outright, Priority Pass Select membership, the tier offered through Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Chase Sapphire Reserve, and The Platinum Card from American Express, is $469 annually with a fee of $35 per guest per visit. Access to American Express’s full lounge portfolio (Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, plus Priority Pass membership) is worth even more. The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the only premium travel credit card that allows additional cardholders at no cost—and we aren’t sure how long this exceptional, fee-free perk will remain.
Suffice to say, for the family, close friends, or work team that travels—and sometimes does so separately—it makes financial sense for everyone to come together for card membership. Appoint a primary account holder and decide on additional cardholders to maximize snazzy travel benefits at minimum cost.
While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
