Here’s a topic that seems cause confusion among many. If you’re an authorized user on someone else’s credit card, are you eligible for the bonus on that card if you apply outright?
Continue reading: Are Authorized Users Eligible For Credit Card Bonuses?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
If I am currently an authorized user on a card, and I am planning to apply for it myself to be a primary cardmember, would I be able to "upgrade" my existing Authorized User card to be a Primary Cardholder to get the bonus but still be able to maintain the age of the account (being when I was first added as an authorized user)? I am asking because I am currently an AU on the Amex Gold, which was also my first ever card under my own name. As a result, the age of the account is quite old and helps increase my average age of accounts for my credit score significantly. The primary card member on my authorized user card is planning to cancel the card in the next few months. I wanted to upgrade mine to be a full primary card member and get the bonus. Is it possible to do this and also maintain my account age?
What if your an authorized user on a card, but you want to now get that card as a primary cardmember with the welcome bonus, but you also want to retain the account history/account age with your authorized user card on your credit score (and are looking to close the authorized user card)?
Basically, I have a family member who is an authorized user to my Amex Platinum card (and has been for a while). That account adds a lot of weight to their average age of accounts for their credit score (for the ones that count AU accounts). They want to get the Platinum for themselves, and they would ideally like the welcome bonus as well. However, they would also ideally like to retain the account history (meaning the account age on your credit score). If they get their own Platinum, we will cancel the AU card (because we don't want to pay an extra AF for that card). Is it possible for them to get all three? How would you go about this?
The title of this article is a little confusing - banks typically don’t give authorized users a sign up bonus afaik, though they occasionally give the primary card holder a referral bonus. I realize now that this article is supposed to be about an authorized user opening a separate account.