Jump to section Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Copy URL Email The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don’t cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information. Editor's Note This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers. Adding an authorized user to your credit card account can be a great way to meet spending requirements, accrue more points and even help a beginner build their credit history. That said, there are also risks associated with adding an authorized credit card user.
It's important to choose someone who is responsible and able to repay their debts, even if they're not legally obligated to do so. That's just the tip of the iceberg, so here is everything you need to know about authorized credit card users.
An authorized user is a person who has been added to a primary credit card holder's account. Authorized users receive cards with their names on them, linked to the primary cardholder's account. They can use those cards to make purchases just like they would with their own cards.
Adding authorized credit card users can benefit both the primary cardholder and the authorized user for a few reasons. An authorized user can help meet spending requirements on the primary cardholder's account and establish a credit history early on.
Perhaps the best reason to add an authorized user is to take advantage of the various card benefits they offer .
Credit card issuers and products have various costs and extended benefits for authorized cardholders.
For example, you can add up to three authorized users for $175 (and then $175 for each additional authorized user after that) on the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees ). This card grants each of them (plus two guests or immediate family members) access to Admirals Club lounges when flying American Airlines or its partners with a same-day boarding pass.
However, Admirals Club access for authorized users is more limited than the membership the primary cardholder receives.
Additionally, if you have authorized users on your Chase account, you can transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards points to the authorized user's loyalty program accounts. For example, this is great if you have a stash of Ultimate Rewards points you want to transfer to a family member's United MileagePlus account.
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United Airlines charges a fee to transfer miles between MileagePlus accounts. By transferring Ultimate Rewards points directly to an authorized user's United MileagePlus account, you can avoid that fee.
While Chase allows household members to transfer Ultimate Rewards points to each other, in order to transfer Ultimate Rewards points directly to another loyalty account, the other account must be held by…