Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.
If you're looking to build credit, becoming an authorized user on someone else's credit card is a great option. But it may not be free.
While you can be added to a no annual fee credit card for no extra cost, some cards with fees may charge over $100 per authorized user. Sometimes the perks authorized users receive are worthwhile, but other times it just doesn't make sense to fork over an additional fee.
However, there are annual fee credit cards that don't charge additional fees for authorized users. Sometimes, these cards also offer bonuses for adding authorized users. This is a win-win: Authorized users can build credit and the primary account holder can save money and earn more rewards.
Below, CNBC Select reviews which annual fee cards don't charge authorized user fees.
Annual fee cards without authorized user fees
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $95
- Authorized user fee: $0
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Rewards
Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers
Balance transfer fee
Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $395
- Authorized user fee: $0
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
10 Miles on hotels per dollar and rental cars, 5 Miles per dollar on flights when booked via Capital One Travel; unlimited 2X miles on all other eligible purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$395
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fees
None
Credit needed
Excellent
Terms apply.
Pro tip: Capital One Venture X authorized users receive many of the same perks as the primary cardholders, including airport lounge access and Complimentary Hertz President Circle status.
Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
United℠ Explorer Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
- Authorized user fee: $0
United℠ Explorer Card
Rewards
2 miles per $1 spent on United purchases; 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, eligible delivery services and hotel stays; 1 mile earned on every $1 spent on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Limited-time offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.
Annual fee
$0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
21.99% - 28.99% Variable
Balance transfer fee
5%, minimum $5
Foreign transaction fees
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Member FDIC. Terms apply.
Pro tip: Targeted United Explorer cardholders may be eligible to earn 2,500 bonus miles for adding an authorized user.
American Express® Gold Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $250*
- Authorized user fee: $0 for up to 5 cards, then $35 per card*
*see rates and fees
American Express® Gold Card
Rewards
4X Membership Rewards® points at Restaurants (plus takeout and delivery in the U.S.) and at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X), 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com, 1X points on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
Annual fee
$250
Intro APR
Not applicable
Regular APR
See Pay Over Time APR
Balance transfer fee
N/A
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
See rates and fees, terms apply.
Read our American Express® Gold Card review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $95
- Authorized user fee: $0
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
5 Miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase
Welcome bonus
Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
N/A for purchases and balance transfers
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% (Variable)
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card*
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $95
- Authorized user fee: $0
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
4% cash back on dining and entertainment, 4% on eligible streaming services, 3% at grocery stores and 1% on all other purchases
Welcome bonus
Earn a one-time $300 cash bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
19.99% - 29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
4% for promotional APR offers; none for balances transferred at regular APR
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $39
- Authorized user fee: $0
Capital One QuicksilverOne Cash Rewards Credit Card
Rewards
Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, up to 6 months of complimentary Uber One membership statement credits through 11/14/2024
Welcome bonus
None
Annual fee
$39
Intro APR
None
Regular APR
29.99% variable
Balance transfer fee
$0 at the Transfer APR, 4% of the amount of each transferred balance that posts to your account at a promotional APR that Capital One may offer to you
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Average, Fair, or Limited
Terms apply.
Pros
- Unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase
- Redeem cash back at anytime and for any amount
- No fee charged on purchases made outside the U.S.
Cons
- $39 annual fee
- High variable APR
- No welcome bonus
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
- Primary cardholder annual fee: $95
- Authorized user fee: $0
Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
Rewards
Earn unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Welcome bonus
Receive 60,000 online bonus points — a $600 value — after you make at least $4,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.
Annual fee
$95
Intro APR
N/A
Regular APR
21.24% - 29.24% variable APR
Balance transfer fee
4% of the amount of each transaction
Foreign transaction fee
None
Credit needed
Excellent/Good
Terms apply.
Information about the Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
What benefits do authorized users get?
The biggest perk is the opportunity to build credit or improve your credit score. Any purchases made by authorized users earn points toward the primary account.
But some cardholder benefits are only available to the primary cardholder and not authorized users. If a card has annual statement credits, for example, those generally only apply once to the primary account. For example, the American Express® Gold Card offers an annual $120 dining statement credit (up to $10 per month; enrollment required), but authorized users don't get their own additional $120 credit.
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Why trust CNBC Select?
At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit card products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards for authorized users.
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Read more
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.
*Information about the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
