The internet was on fire with the recent 100,000 miles sign up mileage offer for the Sapphire Preferred card.
And with good reason. This card has a litany of fantastic perks for an annual fee of $95, with points earned in the Chase Ultimate Reward system which is one of the best redemption systems in the game with 11 Airline transfer Partners and 3 Hotel transfer Partners.
The card is a fantastic value, and it has continued to be a staple in my wallet. But one of the most incredible features of this card is something that does not garner much attention, and that is the option to add unlimited authorized users at no additional cost.
As a quick recap on Authorized Users, they are people that can be added to a credit card account without having to apply individually for the card themselves. Although authorized users do not need to be kin, you do want to ensure they are trustworthy additions as the account holder will be on the hook for whatever purchases are made on the account. On the flip side, the points earned for those purchases will funnel into the account holder’s Ultimate Rewards Account so additional authorized user can quickly multiply the earnings.
Being an authorized user on an account also helps to build credit and establish credit history.
I have several friends whose parents were savvy enough to have added them as authorized users as children (unsure if that physical card was ever actually given to them), so by the time they graduated high school and were looking for apartments they had inherited their parents stellar credit and credit history likely older than themselves.
Another benefit of being an authorized user is having access to all the additional travel insurance, warranty extensions, and purchase protections that come with holding cards in the Chase Sapphire card family. For travel protections such as trip delay, trip cancellation, bag delay, and accident insurance booked with the credit card, these protections will cover the authorized user and immediate family traveling on the same booking.
For a card with a $95 annual fee, especially with the recent 100,000 point sign up bonus, adding this card into your collection is a no brainer.
Although it lacks more premium features such as Lounge access and elevated hotel credit, this card remains an excellent choice to add to your wallet.
Compared to the Chase Sapphire Reserve that charges $95 for each additional authorized user, the Preferred knocks it out of the park, especially since it still includes many of the travel protections and warranties offered for the Reserve. The Reserve continues to be the premium credit card for travelers, with perks including Lounge Access through the Priority Pass network, an additional $250 in hotel credit and $120 to cover TSA precheck or Global Entry fees, but with a whopping $550 annual fee and $95 for each additional authorized user, the additional multiplier on the travel category (3x for Reserve and 2x for Preferred) and the handful of extra bonuses just does not feel worth it.
If you want to help build credit for loved ones or simply want to extend any kind of warranty or travel protections, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a fantastic option. The only other card that comes close to similar perks with free authorized users is Venture X credit card from Capital One. See my review of the Venture X card here.
