Amex Platinum Authorized User: Benefits And Costs 2024

You can add anyone 13 years of age and over to help them learn good financial behaviors, and for those who are 18 years or older, you can also help them start building credit. However, do make sure they are trustworthy because you are liable for payment on purchases they make.

Adding authorized users to your Platinum account may come with substantial fees, but it can be a cost-effective way for families and frequent travelers to maximize the benefits of the card, granting their authorized users access to airport lounges, share in on some credits and even some travel related elite status. Forbes Advisor looked at the main ones to help you weigh in the benefits of adding additional users to your account.

Lounge Access

Authorized users are extended the same lounge benefits the primary cardholder is, gaining access to more than 1,200 lounges at over 500 airports around the globe. The Amex lounge network includes access to:

• The Centurion® Lounge
• Delta SkyClub®
• Priority Pass™ Select
• Airspace
• Escape Lounges – The Centurion® Studio Partner
• Plaza Premium
• Lufthansa Lounges
• Additional Global Lounge Collection Partner Lounges

This became particularly valuable as, since February 2023, primary Amex Platinum cardholders can no longer bring guests into Centurion Lounges for free, instead being charged a $50 per person, per visit fee. A person with their own authorized user Platinum card means they have access to lounges on their own without needing to be guested.

Credits

The American Express Platinum Card offers numerous credits. In most cases, authorized users are not granted their own credit, but the authorized user’s qualifying purchases will trigger the primary account holder’s credit.

• $200 hotel credit: Although authorized users do not get their own allocation of credits, purchases that qualify under the prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection booked through American Express Travel will trigger the up to $200 in statement credits every year.
• $200 airline fee credit: While authorized users cannot make their own preferred airline selection to use the airline fee credit, they will trigger up to $200 in statement credits when charging incidental fees like checked bags or in-flight food and beverages to their cards. The overall credit for the account is $200 independent of how many authorized users are on that account.
• $300 Equinox credit and SoulCycle at-home bike credit: After cardmember enrollment, if any of your authorized users pays for an Equinox+ or any Equinox club memberships or purchases a SoulCycle at-home Bike purchase in full with their card, they will trigger this credit. Once again, the authorized user does not have their own $300 credit but instead shares it with the cardmember.
• $100 Saks Fifth Avenue credit: After the primary cardholder enrolls in this benefit, any purchase at Saks Fifth Avenue—including those initiated by the authorized users—will be eligible for up to $50 dollars on a semi-annual basis for up to $100 annually in statement credits.
• CLEAR® Plus credit: Upon enrollment in the benefit, anyone on the account who charges a CLEAR® Plus membership to their card will trigger up to $189 in statement credits per year when using their card to pay for it. The total credit for the account is $189, which is the full cost of a year membership to CLEAR® Plus, meaning only one person can take advantage of this credit.
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit: Perhaps the most valuable benefits for those who intend to travel in groups. The primary cardholder and each of their authorized users will receive a statement credit covering the full membership to either Global Entry (membership costs $100 for five years) every four years or a membership to TSA PreCheck® (membership costs $85 for five years) every 4.5 years when they use their cards to pay for the subscription.
• Walmart+ monthly membership credit: When you or your authorized users charge a monthly Walmart+ membership using the Amex Platinum, your account will be credited up to $12.95 plus local applicable sales tax to cover the full cost of one membership per account.
• $240 digital entertainment credit: Upon enrollment, if you or any of your authorized users pays for eligible purchases from Audible, Disney+, The Disney Bundle, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, and The New York Times, your account will receive a statement credit of up to $20 per month.
• $200 Uber Cash: Get $15 in Uber Cash* for orders with Uber Eats or rides with Uber each month, plus an additional $20 in December, for up to $200 in Uber credits annually. Just add your Platinum card as a form of payment to your Uber account to start receiving the monthly Uber cash. This is a once-per-account benefit, so only one user -primary or authorized user- can take advantage of the credits at a time. Terms Apply.
• ShopRunner: Just by enrolling, you and your authorized users can receive free 2-day shipping on eligible items at more than 100 online stores thanks to a complimentary membership with ShopRunner.

Elite Status

American Express Platinum cardholders also qualify for many elite statuses, and authorized users also do typically qualify for their own elite status benefits.

• Hilton Honors Gold Status: By simply enrolling, authorized users can receive automatic Hilton Honors Gold status to enjoy all the perks of the program whenever staying at a Hilton property and earn rewards on their stays.
• Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status: Authorized users can receive Marriott Bonvoy® Gold Elite Status just by enrolling to start enjoying the perks of being an elite with the hotel chain whenever they stay at a hotel within the Marriott family.
• Hertz Gold Plus Rewards®: Upon enrollment, authorized users will be granted Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® so they can start enjoying upgrades, discounts and priority service when renting a car from Hertz.
• Avis Preferred®: Get discounts, upgrades and more when enrolling with and renting cars from Avis and receiving automatic Avis Preferred® status.
• National Car Rental® Emerald Club: Enjoy all the perks of being elite with National when renting a car with them. Requires enrollment to trigger this automatic status.
• Fine Hotels & Resorts® Program: When booking Fine Hotels + Resorts® with American Express Travel, you or your authorized users can receive the following benefits:
  • Daily breakfast for two
  • Room upgrade upon arrival if available
  • $100 amenity (varies by property)
  • Guaranteed 4PM late checkout
  • Noon check-in if available
  • Complimentary wi-fi

Amex Offers

All authorized users will have the ability to add their own Amex Offers to their accounts, enabling you to receive either additional Membership Rewards, discounts or cash back on purchases. As each cardmember can add their own offers, there is some potential to take advantage of the same offer multiple times.

What Benefits Are Not Included?

One of the main drawbacks of adding authorized users to your account is that they do not earn a separate welcome bonus like a primary cardholder would once approved. However, as they are effectively spending through the same account, they do help earn rewards towards the same Membership Rewards account, thus helping you accrue rewards faster.

As mentioned through the benefits, additional authorized users do not get their own individual allotment of the multiple credits given to primary cardholders, so if you were expecting to be able to multiply those credits based on the amount of authorized users, you will be disappointed.

There’s an annual fee of $195 for each additional Platinum card. This fee is relatively steep, but when contrasted with the $695 annual fee it would take to become a primary cardholder and looking at the benefits, it becomes much easier to rationalize, especially for a family that usually travels together.

To add an authorized user to your account, log in to the American Express website and navigate to ‘Account Services’ on the main menu, then click on ‘Add Someone to Your Account’. If you have multiple Amex cards, you will be prompted to select the card you want to add them to.

You will be asked to select whether you want to grant them an additional Platinum Card or an additional Gold card, and then you will need to provide the full name, email address, social security number, date of birth and home address of the authorized user.

Authorized users under your Amex Platinum get many of the same benefits the primary cardholder gets, but for a portion of the normal hefty annual fee. From Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership waivers to lounge access and even some elite status to take advantage of when traveling and more. If what you’re looking for instead is extending a more limited list of benefits and helping your family members build credit without having to pay an annual fee, you can always opt to give them a Gold card instead.

To view rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.