Should you get your own Amex Platinum or be an authorized user on someone else’s account?

One of the most popular premium cards is The Platinum Card® from American Express. While it has a high annual fee (see rates and fees), it can offer a ton of value for the right kind of traveler.

It costs $195 for each additional Platinum cardmember you add to your account (see rates and fees). Nevertheless, these additional cardmembers may be asking an important question: Should I stay as an authorized user or get a Platinum Card of my own?

Here's some guidance to help you make that decision.

Overview of Amex Platinum fees

The Amex Platinum has an annual fee of $895. If you have an authorized user, you'll pay an additional $195 in annual fees.

It is important to weigh the cost difference between holding your own Amex Platinum and being an authorized user on someone else's account. As a result, you may want to crunch the numbers to see which makes the most sense.

When you should get your own Amex Platinum

There are several arguments in favor of having your own Amex Platinum. Not surprisingly, they start with the welcome offer.

You won't earn your own welcome offer when you're added as an authorized user.

However, if you apply (and are approved) for the Platinum Card as the primary cardmember, you can earn a welcome bonus. Find out your offer and see if you are eligible to earn as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on purchases within the first six months of cardmembership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. This bonus is worth up to $3,500 based on TPG's January 2025 valuations, thanks to the array of valuable ways to use Amex points.

The welcome offer is a one-time perk only for the first year. Beyond that, there are a few important benefits on the Amex Platinum that are granted once per account. If you can maximize any of the following, you could be a good candidate for getting your own Platinum Card:

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• Monthly Uber Cash: Get up to $15 in monthly Uber Cash (plus a $20 bonus in December), when you add your Amex Platinum as a payment method to your Uber account. The credit can be used for Uber rides and Uber Eats orders in the U.S. Even if you're an occasional Uber customer, this can result in up to $200 in total value each year. Once your Amex Platinum is added to your Uber account, you can redeem Uber Cash with any Amex card at payment.
• Uber One membership: Up to a $120 statement credit that fully covers an auto-renewing $96 annual or $9.99 monthly membership
• Digital entertainment credit: The Amex Platinum gives you up to $25 in statement credits each month when you use the card for subscriptions to select digital entertainment providers, including newcomers Paramount+, YouTube TV and YouTube Premium. If you max out these credits, you'll enjoy up to $300 in value per calendar year.
• Clear Plus statement credit: Get up to $209 in annual statement credits when you charge the cost of a Clear Plus membership to your Amex Platinum. Subject to auto-renewal.
• Hotel statement credit: As an Amex Platinum cardmember, you can access luxury hotel perks through Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection (the latter of which requires a two-night minimum stay). When you make a prepaid reservation with a participating property in either of these programs, you'll enjoy up to $600 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $300 semi-annually).
• Airline statement credit: The Amex Platinum also comes with up to $200 in annual statement credits for incidental fees charged to your card with an airline you designate per calendar year. This can cover baggage fees, seat assignments, or guest passes to visit an airline lounge.

Enrollment required for select benefits

While your spending as an authorized user can trigger these perks for the primary Platinum Card account, you don't get your own set as an additional Platinum cardmember. If you're regularly using these perks, it might be worth getting your own Platinum card.

Put a concrete dollar amount to these benefits based on your own usage over the next 12 months. If that number is greater than $700, you're a good candidate for getting your own Platinum Card.

Between the welcome offer and these statement credits — including some that allow you to double up in year one — now may be a great time to become a primary cardmember on the Amex Platinum.

Related: 10 things to do when you get the Amex Platinum

When you should be an authorized user

Being an authorized user can still make sense in some situations.

Most obviously, if you're under the age of 18, your only real option is to be an additional Platinum cardmember. And even when you turn 18, the Amex Platinum has some pretty strict requirements to get approved. Recent high school graduates with limited credit histories will likely need to be authorized users for several years (and build up their own credit score) before considering getting the Amex Platinum in their own right.

Beyond that, staying (or becoming) an authorized user likely makes the most sense for those who highly value the perks that extend to additional Platinum cardmembers — but don't care about the above benefits. After all, access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection, the statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, and complimentary Gold status with Marriott Bonvoy and Hilton Honors all extend to authorized users. And for frequent lounge visitors or regular Marriott and Hilton guests, paying $195 a year can still be a bargain. Enrollment required; terms apply for select benefits.

If you're still on the fence, crunch the numbers by putting dollar amounts to these benefits. For example, how much would you pay to enter an Amex Centurion Lounge? Guests of the primary Platinum cardmember are $50 (unless they unlock guest privileges by spending $75,000 on the card in a calendar year), so if you agree with that value, you can more than cover the $195 authorized user annual fee with four (or more) visits.

Related: Is the Amex Platinum worth the annual fee?

When neither option makes sense

Of course, for some customers, neither one of these makes sense. Maybe you previously had the Amex Platinum and thus aren't eligible for a welcome offer. Perhaps you only access an airport lounge a few times a year or use the hotel elite status perks infrequently.

Again, crunch the numbers based on the real-world value you get from each year's included benefits. If the value is under $195, you're better off canceling your authorized user card.

Bottom line

The Platinum Card from American Express charges $195 for authorized users, and while some may consider removing additional Platinum cards from their accounts, others may want to consider when it makes sense to become a primary cardmember.

Start by looking at the welcome offer, especially if you're targeted for an elevated offer. Then, identify the value of those additional perks you'd unlock with your own Amex Platinum Card — keeping in mind that some are based on a calendar year. No matter what you choose, make sure you're getting enough value to justify the cost.

To learn more about the card, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.

Apply here: Amex Platinum

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.