You might want to add authorized users to your travel credit cards for many reasons. For example, your authorized users can help you hit a minimum spending requirement to earn a welcome offer, or you might want to build your child’s credit history early on.

But some cards also offer authorized users many of the same benefits as the primary cardmember — one of the most popular being The Platinum Card® from American Express.

In this guide, we’ll consider the various perks that could still make adding authorized users to your Amex Platinum worthwhile.

Overview of Amex Platinum authorized users

The Amex Platinum comes with a $895 annual fee (see rates and fees) and has so many benefits that it’s often referred to as a “membership card” (in some circles) — a card that you keep for its benefits rather than its earning potential.

Right now, you can find out your offer and see if you’re eligible for as high as 175,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

However, unlike some other premium travel cards, adding authorized users to the Amex Platinum incurs an additional cost.

You can add children as authorized users, but American Express requires them to be at least 13 years old.

Amex also offers additional non-Platinum cards, known as companion Platinum cards, that you can add to your account. These cards don’t incur annual costs (see rates and fees) but feature very limited benefits.

Adding authorized users to your Amex Platinum will incur an additional $195 annual fee per authorized user (see rates and fees). Let’s explore the perks authorized users enjoy to determine whether this cost is worth it.

Related: Authorized user on a company credit card: What to know

Which Amex Platinum benefits apply to additional cardmembers?

Here’s a rundown of the key benefits that additional Amex Platinum cardmembers will enjoy. As noted above, these only apply to authorized user Amex Platinum cards, not companion cards.

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

Lounge access

The first key benefit that extends to additional Amex Platinum cardmembers is lounge access, even when traveling without the primary cardmember.

The American Express Global Lounge Collection includes several networks for eligible cardmembers, including American Express Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass™ lounges, Delta Sky Clubs on same-day Delta flights (limited to 10 annual visits), Plaza Premium lounges and various other types of lounge access. (You can view a full list of participating locations at this link.)

American Express doesn’t allow most Amex Platinum cardmembers to bring in two complimentary guests when visiting Centurion Lounges. Instead, it’ll cost you $50 for each adult guest over 18, and $30 for each child between the ages of 2 and 17 (children under two are still free).

There are two ways to avoid this guest fee. First, you can charge $75,000 on your Platinum Card in a calendar year, unlocking the previous benefit of bringing in two guests.

Alternatively, if you frequently travel with your spouse (or children over 12), you can add them as authorized users.

Note that Centurion Lounges aren’t the only ones that can be difficult or expensive to access for Platinum cardmembers. If you hold the Amex Platinum, you can enter the Sky Club if you’re traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight (limited to 10 annual visits). The fee for bringing guests with you is $50 each time you visit — part of Delta’s efforts to combat lounge overcrowding.

However, you can avoid these charges altogether when adding additional Platinum cardmembers to your account.

If you think Centurion or Sky Club lounge access is worth the $50 charge for guests, you will cover the $195 annual fee for authorized users after four visits each year.

Of course, this won’t help families with children under 12 (like mine). My 8-year-old daughter can’t become an authorized user on my card. However, the $50 guest fee at Delta Sky Clubs should trigger my Platinum Card’s up to $200 per calendar year airline fee statement credit since I’ve designated Delta as my eligible carrier.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that you must enroll in Priority Pass to be eligible to access Priority Pass lounges (you can get into the other lounges in the American Express Global Lounge Collection by simply showing your Platinum Card). Additional cardmembers can’t enroll online; they need to call the number on the back of their Amex Platinum to enroll.

Related: The 10 best Priority Pass lounges around the world

Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Another great perk that extends to additional Amex Platinum cardmembers is the statement credit for Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck (up to $85) application fees.

Just like the benefit provided to primary cardmembers, each authorized user can use this benefit once every four years for Global Entry or once every 4½ years for TSA PreCheck. Also, you don’t even need to use the credit for your own membership — any qualifying charge for a friend or family member will trigger the credit.

If you add an authorized user who applies for Global Entry in the first year, you’ll receive $120 worth of benefits right off the bat, which covers almost all of the $195 authorized user annual fee.

Related: Top credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck

Hotel elite status

Amex Platinum authorized users can also take advantage of complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors, plus Leaders Club Sterling Status from The Leading Hotels of the World.

Both the primary cardmember and authorized users should be able to enroll for these statuses online. If you frequent Marriott, Hilton or Leading Hotels of the World properties, this can bring you room upgrades (when available), bonus points and additional on-property perks.

Keep in mind that there are other ways to get Marriott and Hilton status through credit cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card. Alternatively, you can earn it on the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card (see rates and fees) through the end of the next calendar year after spending $35,000 on purchases in a calendar year.
• Marriott Bonvoy® Platinum Elite comes with the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card.
• Hilton Honors Gold comes with the Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card and The Hilton Honors American Express Business Card.
• Hilton Honors Diamond comes with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card.

Still, having an authorized-user Platinum Card covers both programs and may be easier than maintaining multiple other cards.

Related: Guide to Marriott and Hilton elite status with the Amex Platinum and Business Platinum

Access to the Fine Hotels + Resorts and Hotel Collection

As an additional Amex Platinum cardmember, you can also use the Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection benefits on the card (minimum two-night stay required for The Hotel Collection).

When you book a prepaid stay through the Fine Hotels + Resorts program, you’ll earn 5 points per dollar spent and get access to the program’s elitelike benefits.

These benefits include a room upgrade upon arrival (when available), daily breakfast for two, guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout, noon check-in (when available), complimentary Wi-Fi and a $100 experience credit.

Related: 10 hotels where your Amex Platinum hotel credit covers half (or more) of your stay

Car rental elite status

Additional Platinum cardmembers receive complimentary Hertz Gold Plus Rewards President’s Circle, Avis Preferred Plus and National Emerald Club Executive status. You can enroll in each of these memberships on Amex’s website.

Related: How you can redeem points and miles for car rentals

Other benefits

Amex Platinum authorized users can also access the following benefits:

• Amex Offers
• Cruise Privileges
• International Airline Programs

Which Amex Platinum benefits are shared among cardmembers?

Beyond the above perks, primary and additional cardmembers share several Amex Platinum benefits. In other words, these perks are granted once per account — but purchases by any card on the account will trigger them. Enrollment is required for select benefits.

• Up to $600 statement credit each calendar year (up to $300 semi-annually) on prepaid bookings at Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection properties made through American Express Travel® (minimum two-night stay requirement for The Hotel Collection)
• Up to $300 per calendar year (up to $25 monthly) in digital entertainment statement credits for select merchants, including The Disney+ Bundle, Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, Peacock, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Paramount+, YouTube Premium and YouTube TV
• Up to $209 Clear Plus statement credit per calendar year for a Clear Plus membership (subject to auto-renewal)
• Airline fee statement credit of up to $200 per calendar year, provided as statement credits for incidental fees charged by the airline you select
• Up to $300 Equinox statement credit each calendar year to eligible Equinox memberships or access to the Equinox+ app (subject to auto-renewal)
• Up to $155 in Walmart+ statement credits per calendar year, where you can receive a statement credit each month that covers the full cost of one $12.95 (plus tax) Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal). Plus Up Benefits not eligible
• Up to $100 Saks statement credit (up to $50 semi-annually)
• Up to $300 Lululemon statement credit each calendar year (up to $75 each quarter; U.S. stores and online only; outlets excluded)

This is a great way to ensure you maximize these statement credits. For example, you may not want to use the Equinox credit if you use a different gym or fitness provider.

However, if your authorized user charges an Equinox membership to the card, those purchases will trigger the statement credit until the $300 per calendar year maximum is reached.

What benefits are not included?

Note that a few benefits aren’t granted to authorized users.

Most importantly, there’s no additional welcome offer. While all purchases count toward the spending requirement for the primary card’s welcome offer, it’s a single deposit of points.

In addition, the Amex Platinum includes Uber VIP status (where available) and up to $200 in Uber Cash each calendar year — split into monthly up to $15 deposits for U.S. rides or U.S. Uber Eats orders, plus a bonus of up to $20 in December.

However, this Uber Cash will only be deposited into one Uber account when you add the Amex Platinum Card as a payment method and redeem with any Amex card. To use it in an authorized user’s Uber account, you must delete the card from the original account and reenroll using your authorized user’s account.

Related: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison

Is it still worth adding authorized users to your Amex Platinum?

The annual fee structure for additional Amex Platinum cardmembers has existing customers questioning whether it’s worth it. More casual travelers may not benefit enough to warrant the $195 annual fee for each additional Amex Platinum cardmember.

If you’re thinking about adding new authorized users (or looking ahead to your next renewal and considering removing existing authorized users), here are some questions to ask:

• Will your authorized users sign up for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck? If so, that can be an immediate up to $120 in benefits, depending on which service your authorized user enrolls in. However, this isn’t an annual perk.
• How frequently will your authorized users use the card’s hotel perks? Semifrequent travelers who won’t earn Gold status with Marriott or Hilton or Sterling status from The Leading Hotels of the World in their own right could still get hundreds of dollars in value from these benefits each year. The same holds true for stays at Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection properties. A single FHR stay for your additional Platinum cardmember (with complimentary breakfast and an on-property credit) could cover the $195 annual fee all by itself.
• How valuable is lounge access for your authorized users? As noted earlier, it’ll cost you $50 per visit to bring guests into Centurion Lounges and Sky Clubs as a Platinum cardmember unless you meet certain spending requirements. At face value, you’d need at least four visits per year to cover this added cost. However, this may be less valuable if you rarely visit these locations (or can offset Sky Club guest fees with the Platinum’s up to $200 per calendar year airline fee credit).

Use these questions to estimate the yearly value your additional Platinum cardmember will get. If that’s significantly higher than the new $195 annual fee, it’s worth it. Otherwise, you may want to reconsider.

Other key considerations

Of course, adding an authorized user is not as simple as gaining access to additional benefits. As the primary cardmember, you are responsible for all charges on your account, including those charged by others.

For this reason, you should only add other cardmembers you trust to avoid running up your balance. Remember, too, that you must pay your Amex Platinum‘s balance in full each month (though you should really do this with all credit cards).

If done right, adding an authorized user to your card can be a great way to build someone’s credit history. This can go a long way toward helping a friend or family member with poor credit, since American Express will report the on-time payment history for every cardmember on your account to the respective credit bureaus.

Again, make sure the authorized user is someone you can trust.

Related: Quick Points: The benefits of adding a relative as an authorized user

How to add additional cardmembers

If you’ve decided to add additional cardmembers to your Amex Platinum account, the process is relatively simple:

1. Log in to the dashboard for your Amex Platinum account
2. Click on the “Account Services” link at the top
3. Click “Manage Other Users” on the left-hand side
4. Click “Add Someone to Your Account”
5. Ensure you have the Amex Platinum selected, then click “Continue”
6. Choose the type of card you want to add (Platinum or companion), enter the user’s information, then click Agree & Submit

Note that you don’t have to immediately enter the new authorized user’s Social Security number or date of birth, but Amex requires that information within 60 days of the card being issued. Otherwise, the card will be canceled.

Related: How to maximize benefits with the Amex Platinum Card

Bottom line

Having additional cardmembers can expand your earning potential, and on certain cards, it can unlock a variety of perks for your authorized users as well.

On the Amex Platinum, it costs $195 for each new authorized user, but given the array of benefits they’ll enjoy, this can be a solid option under the right circumstances. Just be sure that this additional cost is worth it.

To learn more, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.

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Apply here: The Platinum Card® from American Express

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For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.