Amex Platinum Authorized Users: Benefits & Cost

The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) are popular premium cards. Many people pick up these cards not because of the return they offer on everyday spending, but rather because of all of the perks of being a cardmember.

For perks-rich cards, there’s often value in adding authorized users, so that you can share your benefits with loved ones and close friends. So in this post I wanted to take a close look at the value proposition of adding Amex Platinum authorized users — how much does it cost, and what does it get you?

Amex Platinum authorized users cost

The value of adding authorized users varies slightly, depending on whether you’re looking at the personal or business version of the card:

• On the Amex Platinum Personal Card, each authorized user will cost you $195 per year (Rates & Fees)
• On the Amex Business Platinum Card, each authorized user will cost you $300 per year (Rates & Fees)

When deciding whether to add authorized users, also keep in mind that the primary cardmember is responsible for any charges they make, so only add people that you can trust.

Amex Platinum authorized user benefits

If you add authorized users to the Amex Personal Platinum or Amex Business Platinum, what benefits should you expect that they’ll receive?

For one, authorized users get the full suite of airport lounge access perks, which I’d argue are the best offered by any premium credit card. This includes:

• Access to Amex Centurion Lounges; guests cost $50 each, unless you spend at least $75,000 on the card per calendar year, in which case you can bring two guests for free
• Access to Delta Sky Clubs when flying Delta on the same day; you can bring guests for $50 each
• A Priority Pass membership (Enrollment required), giving you access to 1,300+ lounges around the world; you can guest up to two people at no additional cost
• Access to Plaza Premium Lounges; you can guest up to one person at no additional cost
• Access to Escape Lounges and select Lufthansa Lounges

I’d say the lounge access is the most substantial perk, though there are other useful perks for being an authorized user on the Amex Platinum (Enrollment is required for select benefits), including:

• A TSA PreCheck or Global Entry fee credit for each authorized user (every 4.5 years for the application fee for TSA PreCheck, or every four years for the application fee for Global Entry)
• Complimentary hotel status with Hilton Honors and Marriott Bonvoy
• Complimentary car rental status with Avis, Hertz, and National
• Access to the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR), where you can get additional benefits for stays at many luxury hotels
• Access to the Amex International Airline Program (IAP), offering savings on international tickets
• Authorized user spending will earn points at the same rate as the primary cardmember (like the personal card offering 5x points on airfare on up to $500,000 of flight purchases per calendar year and then 1x), though the primary cardmember will earn the points, and will also be responsible for paying the bill

There’s one other often overlooked perk. The Amex Platinum earns Membership Rewards points, and those points can be transferred to airline & hotel partners, which I consider to be the best use of these points. However, they can only be transferred to a loyalty program account in the name of a cardmember. If you add an authorized user, you’ll be able to transfer points to one of their airline or hotel accounts after 90 days, which gives a lot more flexibility.

Just to be thorough, what benefits don’t get Amex Platinum authorized users get? Aside from the Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, authorized users don’t get any of the additional credits that primary cardmembers receive, whether it’s the airline fee credit, Uber credit, digital entertainment credit, CLEAR credit, Equinox credit, Saks credit, etc.

How do you add Amex Platinum authorized users?

The process of adding authorized users on the Amex Platinum is easy, and potentially even rewarding. Log into your Amex account, and then scroll down to the “Amex Offers & Benefits” section. You should see the “Add a Card Member” option listed there.

While this won’t always be the case, in some instances you may even see a reward for doing so.

You’ll have to provide the name and date of birth of the authorized user you want to add. You also have the option of adding their social security number — if you don’t add it at this point, you’ll have to add it within 60 days of the card being issued.

Note that authorized users on the Amex Platinum must be at least 13 years old.

Is adding Amex Platinum authorized users worth it?

The incremental perks for authorized users between the personal and business versions of the card are very similar, though obviously the costs are different. On the Amex Personal Platinum you’ll pay $195 per authorized user, while on the Amex Business Platinum you’ll pay $300 per authorized user.

Personally I feel like an aspect of maximizing the Amex Platinum is adding authorized users, given the rich benefits.

Bottom line

There are lots of incredible perks to the Amex Platinum Card, and I’d argue that one of the best ways to maximize value with the card is to add authorized users.

If you have the Amex Platinum, have you added authorized users to the card?

The following links will direct you to the rates and fees for mentioned American Express Cards. These include: The Business Platinum® Card from American Express (Rates & Fees), and The Platinum Card® from American Express (Rates & Fees).