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Authorized users: what they get, what they cost and what the primary cardholder is responsible for

An authorized user can spend on your account, but the primary cardholder signs up to pay for every charge they make. Several cards state that added users are free; a few premium cards charge $75 to $195 a year per user, and only some of their perks carry over to the extra cards.

Compiled from official sources Published Oct 11, 2026 Last reviewed How we research
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Contents7 sections

Key takeaways

  • The Amex Platinum Card charges $195 for each Additional Platinum Card, and the Chase Sapphire Reserve charges $195 per authorized user per year.⁠1⁠3
  • Capital One Venture X adds cardholders at no fee, but lounge access for each one costs $125 a year.⁠6
  • The Amex, Citi, Capital One, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo and Chase card terms reviewed here all state that the primary cardholder is responsible for authorized users' charges.⁠1⁠9⁠7⁠13⁠14⁠4
  • The CFPB says being an authorized user generally does not obligate you to pay the debt, and that issuers usually report authorized users to the credit bureaus.⁠16

Adding someone to a credit card account gives them a card in their own name that draws on your credit line. The issuer’s terms decide three things: what the extra card costs, which of your card’s benefits the user also gets, and who pays. The answers below come from the issuers’ own pricing terms and product pages, checked on October 10, 2026, and from federal rules published by the CFPB.

What an added card costs

Several cards state that adding a user is free, while some premium travel cards charge for each one.⁠10⁠11⁠12⁠1⁠3⁠8 American Express sets the annual fee for each Additional Platinum Card at $195 and charges no annual fee for Companion Platinum Cards.⁠1 Chase charges $195 per year for each authorized user on the Chase Sapphire Reserve.⁠3 Citi lists a $75 annual fee for each authorized user on the Citi Strata Elite.⁠8

The American Express Gold Card has no annual fee for up to 5 Additional Cards, and its terms state that the annual fee for 6 or more Additional Cards is $35 for each card.⁠2 Capital One splits the cost on the Venture X: adding cardholders without lounge access has no fee, while lounge access for an additional cardholder costs $125 a year.⁠6

Authorized user fees stated in issuer terms (checked October 10, 2026)
Card Fee for an added user
Amex Platinum Card $195 per Additional Platinum Card; no fee for Companion Platinum Cards
Chase Sapphire Reserve $195 per authorized user per year
Citi Strata Elite $75 per authorized user per year
Amex Gold Card None for up to 5 Additional Cards; $35 each for 6 or more
Capital One Venture X No fee to add; $125 a year per person for lounge access
Citi Strata Premier, Double Cash No authorized user fee
Capital One Quicksilver Secured No authorized user fee

Citi says an authorized user can be added to the Citi Strata Premier at no additional cost, and the Citi Double Cash page states there is no authorized user fee.⁠10⁠11 Capital One’s Quicksilver Secured page lists no authorized user fees.⁠12

For many other cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred and the Bank of America, Discover, U.S. Bank and Wells Fargo cards, the pricing terms checked for this article do not state an authorized user fee either way. A missing line in a fee table is not the same as a stated $0, so confirm with the issuer before adding someone.

Which benefits carry over to added cardholders

Whether a perk applies to the extra card depends on how the issuer wrote that benefit. Some benefits name authorized users explicitly; others stay with the primary account holder.

Chase Sapphire Reserve. Primary cardmembers and authorized users get complimentary Priority Pass lounge access, each with up to two guests.⁠4 Authorized users can also activate complimentary DashPass with their own card.⁠4 The Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS credit applies to the first application fee charged to the card by you or an authorized user, with one credit every four years.⁠4 The account earns points on purchases made by you or an authorized user, and you are responsible for how points are used, including if you let authorized users access them.⁠5 Points can be transferred to frequent travel programs belonging to you or to one household member listed on the account as an authorized user.⁠5

Citi Strata Elite. Primary cardmembers and their authorized users receive complimentary Priority Pass Select membership.⁠9 Purchases by both the primary cardmember and authorized users count toward the card’s statement credits.⁠9

Amex Platinum Card. Additional Platinum Card Members can enroll in complimentary Hilton Honors Gold status and are eligible for the card’s car rental status benefit.⁠1 Companion Platinum Cards on consumer Platinum accounts are not eligible for the Delta Sky Club benefit or for the Additional Global Lounge Collection partner lounges.⁠1 Several statement credits, such as the CLEAR+ and Resy credits, count purchases made with Additional Cards, but the terms say the Basic Card Member earns the credit.⁠1

Amex Gold Card. Basic Card Members earn Membership Rewards points on eligible purchases made with Additional Cards on their account.⁠2 The Resy and Dunkin’ credits also count purchases on Additional Cards.⁠2

Capital One Venture X. Additional cardholders, including account managers and authorized users, do not have complimentary lounge access.⁠6 The primary cardholder or an account manager can buy it for $125 per additional cardholder per year, which covers Capital One Lounges, Capital One Landings and participating Priority Pass lounges.⁠6 Up to 4 additional cardholders can be added to a Venture X account.⁠6 To be eligible for the paid lounge access, an additional cardholder must be at least 18 and eligible for a Capital One online account, which requires Social Security number verification.⁠6 The fee is charged to the primary cardholder’s card and renews automatically unless canceled.⁠6 If the user is removed, or if the primary account is closed or changed to another product, the paid lounge access ends immediately.⁠6

What the primary cardholder is responsible for

The terms reviewed for each issuer place the bill on the primary account holder:

  • American Express (Platinum and Gold terms). You are responsible for all use of your account by Additional Card Members and anyone they allow to use it; Additional Card Members must be at least 13, and an account can have up to 10.⁠1⁠2
  • Chase (Sapphire Reserve page). The primary cardmember is responsible for repaying all balances; authorized users have the same charging privileges but are not financially responsible.⁠4
  • Citi (Strata Elite terms). You are responsible for all charges made or allowed by the authorized user, and authorized users have access to your account information.⁠9
  • Capital One (Venture X page). The primary account holder is responsible for all charges made by an account manager or authorized user.⁠7
  • U.S. Bank (Cash+ benefits page). You agree to be responsible for all transactions the authorized user makes; the minimum age is 13.⁠13 Authorized users can make payments and request information such as the balance and credit limit, but cannot close the account.⁠13
  • Wells Fargo (Active Cash terms). You are financially liable for any amount you charge or authorize another to charge, including amounts charged by authorized users.⁠14

Fraud protections do not cover a user you authorized who overspends.⁠4⁠15 Chase states that its Zero Liability Protection does not apply to use of an account by an authorized user without the primary cardmember’s approval.⁠4 Federal rules point the same way. Regulation Z defines unauthorized use as use by someone other than the cardholder who does not have actual, implied or apparent authority, and from which the cardholder receives no benefit.⁠15 The CFPB’s official interpretation adds that if you give a card to a family member or coworker who then exceeds the authority you gave, you are liable for those transactions unless you have notified the issuer that the person’s use is no longer authorized.⁠15

What it means for the user’s credit report

For the person being added, the CFPB states that being an authorized user generally does not obligate them to pay the debt.⁠16 It also notes that issuers usually report authorized users’ status to the credit bureaus.⁠16 Chase says it provides account information to the credit reporting agencies for all account users, and that this information could affect an authorized user’s credit score.⁠4 Citi requires the primary cardholder to tell an authorized user, before adding them, that Citi may report account performance in the authorized user’s name.⁠9

For spouses, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act’s Regulation B sets a specific reporting rule. A creditor that furnishes credit information must designate a new account to reflect both spouses’ participation if the applicant’s spouse is permitted to use it or is contractually liable on it.⁠17 For an existing account, the creditor must do so within 90 days after receiving a written request from one of the spouses.⁠17 When reporting such an account routinely, the creditor must furnish the information so the credit bureau can make it available in each spouse’s name.⁠17 The official interpretation notes that changing how an account is reported does not change either spouse’s legal liability on it.⁠17

Cards and issuers mentioned: Amex Platinum, Capital One, Chase, Citi, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo. For lounge rules across cards, see airport lounge access.

Cards in this article

Sources

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