Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
Last week, I listed many great Amex Platinum perks and how to maximize value from them (see: Your Platinum card arrived. Here’s what to do next…). And, separately, I analyzed “Which is the best Amex Platinum card?” With any Platinum card, you can add free authorized users, if they get Green or Gold cards. But, a key difference between the various types of Platinum cards is the fee for adding Platinum authorized users. For example, the Business Platinum card charges $300 per authorized user (employee card, really) whereas most personal Platinum cards charge just $175 for up to 3 authorized users. The Morgan Stanley Platinum card, though, offers the first authorized user card for free. And the Ameriprise Platinum card offers up to three free authorized users, but only for the first year.
If you’re thinking of paying more for Platinum authorized users (or saving money by adding authorized users), it’s useful to know what benefits those users will get. Here you go…
Benefits Included for Platinum Authorized Users
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to Authorized Users? |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Lounge Access – Centurion Lounges, Escape Lounges, and Airspace Lounges: Cardholder plus two guests are allowed free. | No need to enroll. Simply show your Platinum card when visiting a Centurion Lounge. | Yes |
| Airport Lounge Access – Delta SkyClubs: Cardholder is allowed free when flying Delta same day. Extra charge for guests. | No need to enroll. Simply show your Platinum card and same day boarding pass when visiting a Delta SkyClub. | Yes |
| Airport Lounge Access – Priority Pass Select Lounges: Priority Pass Select member plus two guests are allowed free entrance. | You must sign up for Priority Pass Select. Go to benefit page and click “Enroll in Priority Pass”. You will receive a membership card by mail. Present Priority Pass card and boarding pass at lounge entrance. | Yes. Each authorized user must separately sign up for Priority Pass Select. |
| Global Entry or TSA Pre fee credit: Full reimbursement for signup fee once every 5 years, per card. Note: signup for Global Entry since that includes TSA Pre. | Sign up for Global Entry here. Pay with your Platinum card. Reimbursement should happen automatically. | Yes. Terms & conditions explicitly state “Additional Cards on eligible Consumer and Business accounts are also eligible for the $100 statement credit”. |
| Hilton HHonors Gold Status: Hilton Gold members receive free breakfast, room upgrades when available, and other perks at Hilton hotels. | The primary cardholder can go to benefit page, find the Hilton HHonors Gold benefit, and click “Enroll Now”. Authorized users may have to call Amex to enable this benefit. | Yes |
| Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Status: Marriott Gold members receive a welcome gift with each stay, room upgrades when available, and other perks at Marriott properties. | The primary cardholder can go to benefit page, find the Marriott Bonvoy Gold benefit, and click to enroll. Authorized users may have to call Amex to enable this benefit. | Yes |
| National Car Rental Executive status: Book midsize cars and select any car from the Executive Aisle for no extra charge. | Click here to enroll. | Yes |
| Hertz Rental Car Privileges: Special elite-like benefits for Platinum cardholders, plus discounts, plus four hour grace period for rental car returns. | Details and enrollment form found here. | Yes |
| Gogo inflight internet passes: 10 passes per calendar year | Available only to Business Platinum cardholders. Click here to enroll. | Yes (Business Platinum only) |
| Boingo Wifi: Free unlimited wifi access at Boingo hotspots worldwide. | Signup here. | Yes |
| Fine Hotels & Resorts, The Hotel Collection: Get elite-like perks and hotel credits by booking through these specialty sites. | Book through Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection | Yes |
| Cruise Benefits: Pay for your cruise with your Platinum card and receive $100 to $300 per stateroom shipboard credit plus additional amenities unique to each cruise line | Participating cruise lines and other info can be found here. | Yes |
| Active Military Fee Waiver: Amex will waive fees (including annual fees) for US active military personnel. | Call the number of the back of your card and tell them you are serving on active duty military and had heard that AMEX offers to handle your account in accordance with the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act | Yes. Primary user must call and can get fees waived for additional cardholders |
| Neiman Marcus In-Circle | Call 1-800-525-3355 to enroll | Yes |
| ShopRunner: Free shipping at a number of merchants. |
Enroll here. | Yes |
| Emergency Medical Transportation Assistance |
Call the Premium Global Assist Hotline: 1-800-333-Amex (toll free), or 1-715-343-7977 (direct-dial collect) | Yes |
Benefits Not Included for Platinum Authorized Users
| Benefit | How to access or enroll | Available to additional cardholders (authorized users, employees)? |
|---|---|---|
| $200 airline fee credit: Amex will automatically reimburse up to $200 per calendar year for airline fees for your selected airline only. Eligible fees include: baggage fees, flight-change fees, in-flight food and beverage purchases, and airport lounge day passes. |
Go to benefit page and click “Select a Qualifying Airline”. For tips on using this benefit, please see: Amex airline fee reimbursements. What still works? |
No. Authorized user cards do not receive their own $200 in fee credits. Spend on authorized user cards does count, but only the primary account is credited. In other words, you cannot increase the $200 limit by adding additional cards. |
|
$200 in Uber Credits: Amex will reimburse $15 per month ($35 in December) for Uber charges. You will also get Uber VIP status. This benefit is known to work with Uber Eats as well. |
This benefit is available for consumer Platinum cards only (i.e. all but the Business Platinum). Simply add your Platinum card number to your Uber account as a payment method. You do not have to pay with the Platinum card in order to get this benefit. | No. Authorized user cards do not receive their own $200 in Uber credits or VIP status. |
| $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue Credits: Up to $50 in credits each year from January through June; and another $50 July through December. | This benefit is available for consumer Platinum cards only (i.e. all but the Business Platinum). Enroll here. Pay with your consumer Platinum card at Saks Fifth Avenue online or at locations in the US and US Territories. | No. Authorized user cards do not receive their own Saks Fifth Avenue credits. |
Want to learn more about miles and points? Subscribe to email updates or check out our podcast on your favorite podcast platform.
Heads up: Marriott is listed twice here. Thanks!
Thanks! Fixed.
What about evacuation insurance? That is a big one and perhaps the most underrated benefit on the Platinum Reserve. Currently your immediate family is only covered if they travel on the same itinerary as you. Wondering if this would cover them if they travel separately if they are an authorized user.
Yes, each Platinum AU has emergency evacuation coverage.
Greg, do the plat authorized users get their own priority pass select memberships? If so, does each au get free entry to priority pass lounge for themselves and two additional guests, just like the primary cardholder?
Yes and yes
I read the article, but am still unclear on the benefits an authorized user (assuming I get the authorized user the gold card instead of platinum) gets if the authorized user has a Gold, not the Platinum card.
Specifically, does the Gold AU get global entry fee waived? Does the AU earn 3x, 2x, 1x like the regular gold card does because it is a gold card? Or does it earn under the platinum structure?
No, Gold AUs do not get their own global entry fee reimbursements. And, no they don’t earn 3X, and 2X like the Business Gold Rewards card. The earnings are the same as the Platinum card.
Thank you for posting! I’m considering doing this with my 4 friends.
We have 2 kids and need the Global Entry credit for them. I have the AMEX Platinum and my husband the Chase Reserve (so our GE Entry is covered). Can I add my husband as both an authorized user on my AMEX Platinum (for $175) and an additional gold card for him also (free), so that we get $200 in GE Entry credit for our kids?
You can add up to 3 authorized users for the same $175 price, so if you’re thinking of adding one, you might as well add three. How old are your kids? If 13 or above, you can get each of them a Platinum card (you don’t actually have to give them the cards). That way they’ll get their own global entry credits and a number of other perks as listed above.
Alternatively, consider having both you and your husband sign up for the no-fee PenFed Pathfinder Rewards card so that you’ll have two more global entry reimbursements plus $100 per year (each) of airline fee credits. More here: https://frequentmiler.com/penfed-pathfinder-rewards-american-express-card-complete-guide/
[…] Which Amex Platinum benefits work for authorized users? […]
[…] I was actually thinking about this the other day…Which Amex Platinum benefits work for authorized users? […]
Slightly off topic but does anyone know if the charges made for the $200 airline incidentals which are then refunded count towards the $5K min spend?
I think the $200 counts but personally I wouldn’t risk it
I have the business platinum, and I *cannot* add Gold card AU for free. That’s only with the non-business card. The gold card authorized users for the business platinum must still pay an annual fee. Green card AU are free though. Might want to check into that and update the post.
Thanks. I’ll try to make that more clear in the text
Please advise….My Platinum annual fee is due Jan 7. I will be calling to cancel the card on Jan 7. Do you think I can still get the airline credit by purchasing $200 of airline gift cards on Jan. 1st?
Yes, you should be able to. The credit works based on calendar year, so you should have it available for 2018 on January 1st.
Lordy, am I grateful you published this today!
I’d only used $35 of my $200 airline reimbursement for 2017.
THANK YOU!!!
Anita
I am authorized user on AMEX Platinum. I have set up my own on-line access & log-in. When I click on benefits, it does NOT have an ENROLL button for Hilton Gold or SPG Gold. Do you have to call Hilton / SPG? Thanks.
That’s odd. Are you sure that your AU card is a Platinum card and not Green or Gold? Online it will appear as Platinun either way but the physical card would look different
Same exact thing happened to me. I just called and gave AMEX my Hilton and SPG account numbers. Worked with no problems at all.
Adding to Jason’s response: When I added my wife as an AU on my Platinum card a couple of years ago, I can’t recall whether or not there was a button online to enroll in Hilton Gold/SPG Gold, but I just had her call the number on the back of the card and do it with Amex over the phone. It was painless and quick.
I’ve updated the post to say to call as an AU to activate Hilton Gold and SPG Gold. Are there any other benefits that don’t show up online for AUs?
Could you explain how the AU is to use the Hilton Honors Gold status as an example? Does the primary user have to book the room under their Gold status or do both the primary and AU get gold status on their respective Hilton Honors Membership. If its the latter, I see no where on the “Benefits” section to sign up an AU and AU’s don’t have separate login’s that I’m aware of.
The AU gets Gold status themselves. An AU can setup their own log-in
typo in the chart, under Delta SkyClub, “when visiting a Centurion lounge”
ShopRunner is also a benefit for AUs
Thanks, fixed the SkyClub. I didn’t list ShopRunner since that’s a benefit available to all Amex cards, not just Platinum. This is intended to be a list of Platinum benefits that AUs can get.
Great list! Thanks for doing this. Always enjoy reading your page