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Sign-up bonuses are often the fastest way to earn a large stash of points, but they aren’t the only option. Some credit cards also offer bonus points for adding an authorized user — an easy way to earn extra rewards without opening a new account.
These bonuses usually require the authorized user to make a purchase or meet a small spending requirement. Still, they can be worth considering, especially if the card doesn’t charge an authorized user fee or if the added benefits justify the cost.
So, which cards still offer bonuses for adding authorized users? Let’s take a look.
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Cards Offering Bonus Points for Adding an Authorized User
There aren't many cards that still provide authorized user bonuses. Most card issuers either don't offer a bonus at all or only offer authorized user bonuses during infrequent promotions.
| Credit Card | Authorized User Bonus Points & Conditions |
|---|---|
| American Express Platinum Card® | 20,000 Membership Rewards® points after the first Additional Platinum Card Member spends $2,000 on eligible purchases in their first 6 months of card membership. |
| Virgin Atlantic® World Elite MasterCard® | 2,500 Virgin Points when you add a loved one as an additional account user — up to 10,000 points. |
| United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees) | 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open. Targeted offers for existing cardholders are also available. |
| United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees) | 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open. Targeted offers for existing cardholders are also available. |
| United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees) | 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open. Targeted offers for existing cardholders are also available. |
| United Gateway℠ Card (Rates & Fees) | 10,000 bonus miles after you add an authorized user to your account in the first 3 months your account is open. Targeted offers for existing cardholders are also available. |
Amex doesn’t offer an authorized user bonus as standard practice. Occasionally, the issuer sends targeted offers to cardholders, offering bonus points for adding one or more authorized users.
Keep in mind that some American Express cards charge a fee to add authorized users. For example, the American Express Platinum Card® charges $195 for each additional Platinum Card® for Authorized Users (Rates & Fees). American Express® Gold Card holders, on the other hand, can add up to five authorized users without a fee (Rates & Fees). That's reason enough to keep your eye out for one of these targeted bonus offers.
Another thing to consider before adding an authorized user is whether they receive the same benefits as the primary cardholder. If you pay $195 for each additional Platinum Card® for Authorized Users on your Platinum Card®, the authorized user cardholders receive lounge access and other benefits. In addition, every dollar they spend earns you more points.
Benefits of Adding an Authorized User
The benefits of adding an authorized user aren’t just restricted to bonus points.
- Card perks pass on to authorized users: It’s rare for all of a card’s benefits to pass on to authorized user accounts, but authorized users on cards like the Platinum Card® gain lounge access perks. Platinum Card® authorized users get the same elite status privileges as the primary cardholder, as well. However, you’ll pay a fee for authorized users on your Platinum Card® account, so you'll need to weigh the benefits against the cost. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.
- Earn more points: Purchases made by the additional cardholders earn points for the primary account. When adding more than one family member as an authorized user, you can ensure all household spending earns points for your account. The downside to this? You’re responsible for paying back everything the household spends.
- Allows you to transfer points to authorized users: The major banks have tightened guidelines on transferring points to other people's accounts. By adding an authorized user, you can sometimes sidestep the tighter restrictions. For example, it’s possible to move Amex Membership Rewards to someone else's frequent flyer account, but only if that person is an authorized user on your Membership Rewards-earning card — and only if they have been on the account for at least 90 days.
- Helps meet minimum spend and status bonuses: Adding an authorized user can help you meet the minimum spend on new cards sooner by allowing more than one person to charge to the account. It can also help you achieve spending bonuses on a card, such as earning a free night after spending $15,000 on the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card or The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees).
- Boost authorized user cardholders' credit score: If someone close to you is just starting out on their credit journey, you can add them as an authorized user. In exchange, they’ll get a kickback from your higher credit score and the length of your credit history.
- Purchase and travel protections extend to authorized user accounts: Most rewards cards extend the built-in protections to authorized users. This provides a cost-effective way of covering family members and those close to you.
It should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway. You are responsible for any charges incurred by authorized users. Be mindful that their actions may affect your credit score. Only add an authorized user if you have complete trust in that person.
Adding Someone to Your Credit Card
To add someone as an authorized user to your credit card, you'll need information like their name, date of birth, and Social Security Number. You'll also need their mailing address, so they can receive the card. How exactly you add them as an authorized user depends on the bank.
With American Express, log in, select your card, and head to “account services” on the main screen. Click on “add someone to your account” for personal cards, or “get additional employee cards” for business cards. Note that you might not see the authorized user offer when you go directly to the application. Instead, first check your American Express offers. If there's an authorized user offer there, you can go to the application through the offer.
For Bank of America, log in and click on the card you want to add someone to. Go to the “Information & Services” tab, then scroll down to find “Add an authorized user.”
With Barclays, navigate to your card, then click “Services” in the top menu. From there, find “Account services,” and you'll see “Authorized users” under that.
To add someone to a Capital One card, click the card in your account after logging in. Next, choose “Control Your Card” and “Add Account User.”
For Chase, log in to your account and click “More” next to the “Pay Card” button. Within the drop-down menu, choose “Account services” and then “Authorized users.”
With a Citi credit card, hover over “services” on the main menu and choose “credit card services.” This reveals the authorized user choice under the “card management” menu.
To add an authorized user to your USAA card, log into your USAA account, select your credit card from the main page, and then click the “menu” button at the top right corner of your credit card account page. In the window that pops out, click “add authorized user.”
On Wells Fargo cards, go to your credit card account and click on “Credit Card Service Center” on the right side. From there, scroll down to “Account management” and find the option for “Add Authorized Users to Your Account.”
A Myth About Adding an Authorized User
Some people think authorized users cannot get the same card themselves as a primary cardmember if they're listed as an authorized user on that card for someone else's account. Others believe you can't receive a welcome bonus for opening a credit card after you've been an authorized user on that type of card. Thankfully, that's not the case.
Being an authorized user on someone else's card account does not preclude you from receiving a bonus on your own account for which you separately applied. So, if you're added as an authorized user on someone else's United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), for example, you can still apply for the card and receive the welcome bonus.
There are some other myths out there, but this is by far the biggest misconception.
- Earn up to 80,000 bonus miles
- $0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150
- NEW! 9x total miles on eligible United flights and 3x miles on all other eligible United® purchases.
- 2x miles on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel. 1x mile on all other purchases.
- Free first checked bag - a savings of up to $160 per roundtrip. Terms Apply. Plus, priority boarding on United® flights.
- 2 United Club one-time passes per year - over a $100 value
- Over $500 in partner credits each year
- NEW! Save at least 10% when booking flights with miles. Premier members earn even more.
- Member FDIC
- 3X miles per $1 spent on purchases from United®*
- 2X miles per $1 spent on dining and hotel stays when booked with the hotel
- 1X mile per $1 spent on all other purchases
Related: Understanding Rewards Credit Card Application Rules and Restrictions
Final Thoughts
Adding an authorized user account is a fast and easy way to collect extra points or miles beyond earning a new card's sign-up bonus. In addition to the extra points, authorized users offer a way to sidestep the more onerous transfer restrictions in some point programs. Ultimately, authorized user accounts let you rack up points much faster on your way to your next dream holiday.
For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: United Gateway℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United℠ Explorer Card (Rates & Fees), United Quest℠ Card (Rates & Fees), United Club℠ Card (Rates & Fees), American Express Platinum Card® (Rates & Fees), American Express® Gold Card (Rates & Fees), and The World of Hyatt Credit Card (Rates & Fees)
do they ask for an SSN when applying for an authorized user?
It depends on the card issuer. Amex does.
I have the IHG card but more than 3 months have passed since I got it. I wish I’d known about it sooner. I’ll just have to monitor benefits more closely. Thanks for the alert.
So if I converted a Chase Sapphire to a Chase Freedom to avoid the annual fee, and received no bonus points for the conversion, can I still get the AU bonus within 3 months of the conversion?
No.
But are there any add user bonuses if the card has been open for more than 3 months?
Not unless someone runs a promotion.
Got it. As you also describe above, that clears up the confusion: these are “ongoing offers”, but only in relation to the opening of a new line of credit.
good summary of the cards.
Easy peasy low hanging fruit!
A good reminder. I always forget about these free miles
Good info, and something to keep an eye out for. Seems to me though that it’s been quite some time since Chase has run one of these LTO’s offering bonus points for adding AU’s, no?
These are standard offerings — not LTOs or other promos.
Really? Is there a landing page for them that spells out the terms? I didn’t see any mention of these offers when looking at the ‘add AU’ tab for any of my Chase cards which appear on this list.
You’ll see the terms on any of the card details page right before you click an apply now link.
Yes, I was aware of that that these offers were aware at the time of primary application. However, when you mentioned ongoing, I took it as meaning subsequent-to-application, so I would have hoped to see the terms reiterated on the ‘add AU’ page.
In any event, if one elects not to add an AU at the time of application, but wishes to add an AU, say, 8 months later, adding that AU will still earn the bonus?
As long as you add and meet the requirement within the first 3 months of card membership it works — but past that initial 3 month period of being a new cardmember, you wouldn’t get an AU bonus — so 8 months after, you would not.
Don’t forget that when you add authorized users you are responsible for charges they make. Add wisely!
I’ve found this works really well! The only thing is you better trust that other person because your credit is on the line when they spend.
Nice compilation, thanks for the post!
This is awesome news! I’ll have to look into my cards. I just got an email for my AAdvantage Aviator Red World Elite Mastercard to get 3k bonus when I added a autho user! So I did and got an email confirming it. So now I’m just waiting. Very excited about seeing it in my account, once it goes in!
I added my wife to my Marriott cards.
Thanks. I’ve been wondering if there were other ‘family sharing’; options like Jet Blue has, and I see your information about moving AMEX Membership rewards points to an authorized users frequent flyer account.
not a good strategy when they are counted under 5/24 rule. headache to call and justify. why bother.
Another great and useful compilation. Thanks!
Great consolidated summary on this. This post should come in handy.
Good info, thanks for sharing. We’ll definitely keep this in mind next time we open a new account and before adding AUs.
There may also be perks for the authorized users themselves. I have the Citi AAdvantage Executive Card with Admirals Club access. Authorized users are free and they also get Club access, even when they are not traveling with me. Being able to give Club access to the whole family makes the annual fee much more palatable.
Absolutely; we’ll be covering these types of benefits as well. The Citi Exec, Ritz and Amex Platinum are three of our favorites for this reason. While the Amex Plat authorized users aren’t free, it’s still a sweet deal.
Wow, a lot of bonus points out there if you know how to get them!
Great info,looks my extended family are now all members!
This is quite value to me, I didn’t know that:
Boost AU cardholders’ credit score – If someone close to you is just starting out on their credit journey, you can add them as an authorized user, and they’ll get a kickback from your higher credit score and the length of your credit history.
Does American Air Master Card offer an added authorized user bonus?
No. The AAdvantage® Aviator™ Red World Elite Mastercard® does not offer a bonus for authorized users.
I just added myself to my wife’s new IHG account That replenishes the 5K points I used for a point saver stay. Thanks for the reminder.
Great tips! Love coming to the comments and seeing all my questions already answered!
Nice to have these options to add more bonus points.
I had a pop up offer to upgrade my UA card for 3k miles the other day. Not enough for the higher annual fee.
Thanks for dispelling these myths
I love when adding authorized users net bonus miles. Such an easy way to add miles.
Does this effect 5/24 for the added authorized user?
Yes, it does. However, there have been many data points where after a discussion with a credit analyst, they’re willing to take the cards out of the count in making a decision as authorized users aren’t ultimately responsible for the card.
I never knew that I could get points for another user. Great article!
I forgot about this for my IHG card from Chase. I will need to add a second user to get the bonus points.
Thanks
It’s a shame they all require spending in the first 3 months, while all of my cards on this list are much older than that.
Unfortunately I don’t have sufficient family members for this.
If you have one…I’ve found benefit with just my mother a my only relative.
Does the authorized user get their credit history pulled/get impact to their credit history?
Authorized users do not have a hard credit pull when added. As for impact: https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/do-authorized-users-build-credit/
This is a great post. Who would’ve thought that adding authorized users would give a nice bonus?
Great summary of all the offers!
but does adding one count against chase’s 5/24 rule? I’ve heard it does, which stinks.
While it does, in many cases people have reported that after having a brief discussion these cards have been able to be taken out of the count.
Yes – 5/24 headache
what is chase’s 5/24 rule?
Details here: https://awardwallet.com/credit-cards/chase-5-24-rule/
good summary of options with these cards