Can Authorized Users Still Earn Credit Card Welcome Bonuses?

This is a question that often trips people up. If you’re listed as an authorized user on someone else’s credit card, can you still apply for that same card in your own name and earn the welcome bonus? The short answer is yes, and the rules are fairly simple.

Authorized users can still qualify for bonuses

Many credit cards come with large introductory offers that reward you with bonus points after meeting a spending requirement within a set period. Although each bank sets its own application rules, most issuers limit welcome bonuses to people who are not already primary cardmembers on that account.

So what happens if you’re only an authorized user? Even if you have access to someone else’s card, you can still submit your own application as the primary cardmember and receive the bonus. Being an authorized user does not block you from qualifying.

In this context, when credit card terms refer to an existing cardmember, they are generally referring to the primary account holder, not an authorized user.

You also do not need to close your authorized user card first. For instance, if you’re an authorized user on your spouse’s Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, Citi Strata Premier® Card, or Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, you could keep that status and still apply on your own and earn the welcome offer.

Is it better to be an authorized user or apply separately?

For couples, deciding whether one person should be added as an authorized user or whether both should apply separately can be tricky. Each approach has its own advantages and drawbacks.

Adding someone as an authorized user can help keep fees lower, since many cards charge reduced fees, or no fee at all, for authorized users compared with primary cardmembers. On the other hand, having both people apply separately can be worthwhile because of large welcome bonuses and because some cards offer enough ongoing value to justify their annual fee.

Here are two examples:

• The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Legend Mastercard® is one card where I’d consider adding a spouse as an authorized user. It includes Admirals Club membership for the primary cardmember, and up to three authorized users can be added for a total of $175, with Admirals Club access included for them as well.
• The IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card is one where I think a spouse may be better off applying separately, since the card’s ongoing benefits are strong. It has a $150 annual fee, but also includes an anniversary free night certificate, IHG One Rewards Gold status, Platinum status with $15,000 in spending, a fourth night free on award stays, up to $50 in annual United credits, and more.

For more on this, see my discussion of the best credit card strategy for families.

Bottom line

Although many credit cards offer attractive welcome bonuses, those offers are usually limited to people who do not already hold the card. The good news is that being an authorized user on someone else’s account does not prevent you from applying for the card yourself and earning the bonus, as long as you meet the other eligibility rules.

That means the real question is whether applying separately makes sense based on the value of the card for your situation.