Family Credit Card Strategy: Add Authorized User Or Apply Outright?

The only time I'm on the fence about adding an authorized user on a "sock drawer" card is when they're offering something like 5-10,000 points to add an authorized user and make a purchase or in some cases spend $100-1,000.

The Platinum Card is a card that I've been waffling on as my wife and I merge our finances on. I think we should just get a second card outright rather than adding an authorized user, there are just too many statement credits (Uber, Saks, Airline, digital, etc) she'd be missing out on if we just add her as an authorized user to my card -- and those credits alone will offset the additional $525 it would cost over the authorized user fee for one additional card.

An interesting addition to this post, Ben, that I'd love to see is: are you going to add Miles (your new son, congrats again!) as an authorized user to any of your cards just for the sake of building his credit history -- and which cards you're going to do it on?

Authorized user charges take advantage of all the Amex Plat credits.

Unless you’re going crazy with those credits, just make her an AU.

While the intent of this article is slightly different, I’ve made the young Doubts authorized users on all the family cards. (Amex Plat is the only one that charges extra).

They’re welcome to any credit history benefit that gets them.

Not sure if it was addressed, but the chase 5/24 limit is also something to be aware of when you add authorized users to personal cards because they count as part of the limt. One trick to get around this is instead of getting an authroized user card, just add the card to a person's apple wallet, and then they can use your card.

Amex had a decent bonus the last few months: 20k MR when authorized user spends $2k in 6 months

Is there an age limit for added authorized users? Can I add on my new born baby as one?

We have a Citi American Airlines AAdvantage Platinum Select with me as the primary cardholder and my wife as an authorized user. One thing we found is that if she is traveling alone, she did not qualify for the free checked bag as it is only for the primary cardholder plus additional people traveling on the same itinerary.

Has anyone else had this issue or found a way around it?

@Jordy It's best to open an account in your wife's name and add yourself as an authorized user on her card. Take advantage of the welcome bonus miles now she will have the free bags for herself and up to 4 companions, so between the both of you you can get free bags for up to 8 people on the same reservation. Choose one of you to concentrate your status with American because now your companion will be upgraded as well. Hope this helps.

It could also make sense to apply first as a primary card member so you get the welcome bonus and then cancel it and become an Authorized User. That way you can get the welcome bonus if its high (ex: the Amex Platinum at 100K), even if you don't have the need to be a Primary Holder (and you can still apply for the card again, just without the welcome bonus).

I believe the Amex Platinum AU age minimum was 13.

None of the other cards we have asked for birthdates/ages, so to answer your question, yes for many.

Big question is - Are the benefits enough to be worth paying another annual fee? If there are not enough benefits for the person to have their own card, then you might as well add them to yours so you can accumulate the rewards in one account. With some airline or hotel cards it may be worth getting a separate account if there is a need to build their status (more so for hotels), for example.