Good evening everyone, happy (almost) Friday. I was reviewing my recent American Express Business Platinum Card statement and saw this upcoming change. Effective June 1, 2022, if you have or add an authorized user / employee Platinum card, the cost will increase from $300 per card to $350 per card. I believe the only real benefit of having an authorized user / employee Platinum card is the ability to get into Centurion Lounges when they are travelling by themselves.
Also, if you are a servicemember (thank you for your service), you will still be eligible for the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) which waives all annual fees on American Express credit cards.
The cost for authorized user / employee cards varies depending on which card you get. It is $350 for each Business Platinum Card, $200 for each Executive Business Card (no idea what card this is, is it new?), $45 for each Business Gold Rewards Card, and $0 for each Business Green Card. The best thing about the Business Green Card is that they get the $100 Global Entry / TSA PreCheck reimbursement.
The new price is prominently shown when you go through the process of requesting an authorized user / employee card. The Executive Business Card is not shown here, so I’m not sure if it is a new card that is coming out in the future or if it is only for AMEX corporate businesses. Anyone know?
This change is a bummer since starting February 1, 2023, Business Platinum members will not be able to bring in 2 free guests to Centurion Lounges unless you spend $75,000 on your card in 2022. You could pay $50 per guest you bring in. So the math is simple. If you plan on bringing in a guest more than 7 times in 2023, you should get them their own authorized user / employee card. If you anticipate bringing in a guest less than 7 times in 2023, you will come out ahead by paying $50 per visit. I wonder if the $300 incidental travel credit from the JPMorgan Chase Ritz Carlton Credit Card could be used to pay the $50 fee. I assume you will need to pay with the Business Platinum, but we will need to wait and find out.
As far as I know, there is no change to the fee when you add authorized users on the Personal Platinum, Charles Schwab Platinum, or Morgan Stanley Platinum. Read this Frequent Miler post to learn about the different flavors of the Platinum card.
If you have any questions about the American Express Business Platinum Card, please leave a comment below. Have a great evening everyone!