Amex Platinum Authorized User Fee and Benefits 2026
On current post–August 17, 2023 terms, each Additional Platinum Card costs $195 annually — with a legacy $175-for-up-to-three band only on un-notified accounts opened prior to that date.
The Companion Platinum Card adds $0 annual fee and, per Amex, does not get Global Lounge Collection, Centurion, Sidecar, Sky Club, or Priority Pass cardholder access.
An Amex Platinum “authorized user” gets Centurion access only when that person holds an Additional Platinum Card — not when they hold only a Companion Card.
Roaming Cactus · Fact-checked against Amex Additional Platinum terms, Platinum fee explainer, Additional / Companion membership guides, Global Lounge Collection pages, and Additional Card Member FAQs · as of September 27, 2026 (PT). This page maps the Additional Card fee versus the $0 Companion Card and which lounge and statement-credit benefits carry — not a full Platinum review. Confirm live terms and your Card Member Agreement before you add anyone.
At a Glance: Amex Platinum Authorized User Fee & Benefits
- Additional Platinum Card fee: $195 each on accounts opened on or after August 17, 2023, and on pre–August 17, 2023 accounts that were notified of the fee change. Un-notified accounts opened prior to August 17, 2023: $175 annually for up to three Additional Platinum Cards, then $175 each after the first three. Fee explainer headline = $195 . Check Additional Platinum terms plus your own Card Member Agreement for which band applies.
- Companion Platinum Card: $0 added annual fee. Per Amex, Companion Card Members do not get all the same benefits as an Additional Card Member.
- Naming: “Authorized user” on this page means Additional Card Member / Additional Platinum Card — not the $0 Companion product.
- Centurion: Yes if the person holds an Additional Platinum Card. No if the person holds only a Companion Platinum Card.
- Sky Club: 10 visits per Eligible Platinum Card each year (Basic + Additional). Companion Platinum Cards are not eligible. Account-level unlimited Sky Club unlock after $75,000 eligible calendar-year spend.
- Credits: Almost every Platinum statement credit is per Card Account and posts to the Basic Card Member. Additional/Companion spend can help trigger eligible credits; it does not create a second coupon book. Exception: Global Entry $120 / 4 years or TSA PreCheck $85 / 4.5 years per Additional Card when that card pays the application fee.
- Age / cap: Additional Card Members must be 13 or older . FAQ cap is up to 10 active Additional Card Members (product fees still apply). Do not treat “up to three” as the headcount cap — that number is the legacy $175 fee band.
- Basic Card fee (context only): The consumer Platinum Basic Card annual fee is $895 . That is not the authorized-user fee.
Real-World Examples
Example 1 — Travel Partner Needs Centurion / GLC as a Cardholder
The household already has a consumer Platinum Basic Card. The partner needs to walk into a Centurion Lounge, Sidecar, Sky Club, or Priority Pass lounge as a cardholder — not as a paying guest on the Basic Card Member’s visit. That person needs an Additional Platinum Card , not a Companion Card. Confirm the physical card type before the trip.
Takeaway: Lounge cardholder access travels with the Additional Platinum Card — Companion plastic is not a Centurion card.
Example 2 — Spend-Only Companion at $0
The household only needs a second plastic that can charge the Platinum account, earn Membership Rewards into the Basic Card Member pool, and maybe help trigger account-level credits or book The Hotel Collection. They do not need lounge cardholder access or hotel-elite enrollment for that person. A Companion Platinum Card at $0 fits that frame.
Takeaway: $0 Companion is for charging and earning — not for Global Lounge Collection cardholder entry.
Example 3 — Comparing This Amex Split to the CSR AU Sibling
Amex splits a paid Additional Platinum Card ( $195 on current terms) from a $0 Companion with fewer benefits. Chase Sapphire Reserve prices authorized users with a different lounge and credit-carry map. Contrast issuer structure only — this page does not remake Plat vs CSR vs Venture X as the body, and it does not declare a universal winner.
Takeaway: Same-hub aeo-policy contrast — Amex’s Additional vs Companion fork is not the same product as a Chase AU add-on.
TL;DR – Verdict
Does an Amex Platinum authorized user get Centurion access? Yes if that person is an Additional Platinum Card Member on a U.S. consumer Platinum account. No if that person holds only a $0 Companion Platinum Card .
Additional Platinum Card Members sit inside Global Lounge Collection with the Basic Card Member (Centurion, Sidecar, Sky Club, Escape, Plaza Premium, Priority Pass Select after enrollment, Lufthansa only through September 30, 2026). Companion Card Members are not eligible for that benefit with their Companion Card.
Almost all statement credits stay one-per-account and post to the Basic Card Member. The main per-card exception is Global Entry / TSA PreCheck when that Additional (or Companion) card pays the application fee. Confirm the live Additional Platinum terms and the physical card type. This page is not a full Platinum review and not a Centurion location guide.
Last updated: September 23, 2026 (PT).
Introduction
An Amex Platinum “authorized user” gets Centurion access when that person holds an Additional Platinum Card . A Companion Platinum Card on the same account does not.
Amex issuer pages use Additional Card Member / Additional Platinum Card and Companion Platinum Card / Companion Card Member . “Authorized user” is consumer shorthand that maps to Additional Card Member — not to the $0 Companion product. Confusing those two plastic types is how households show up at a Centurion desk with the wrong card.
Scope is U.S. consumer The Platinum Card only. Business Platinum employee-card fees ($400 / $350 by open date) are a different product and are not the consumer Additional Card fee. Morgan Stanley first-Additional pricing is also a separate product line — not the standard consumer headline.
Structure mirrors the same-hub aeo-policy sibling for Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized-user fee and benefits: fee first, then which lounge and credit benefits carry. Contrast structure; do not treat this page as a full Platinum review, a Centurion location guide, or a remake of Plat vs CSR vs Venture X. Figures below track Amex Additional Platinum terms, the Platinum fee explainer (last updated July 17, 2026), Additional / Companion membership guides, Global Lounge Collection and Centurion guest pages, and Additional Card Member FAQs as of September 23, 2026 (PT) . Send yourself to your own Card Member Agreement for which fee band applies.
Additional Card Fee: $195 vs Legacy $175 Band (Open-Date Split)
This is the authorized-user price — not the $895 Basic Card fee on the same Amex Platinum fee explainer. Per Amex Additional Platinum Card terms (retrieved September 23, 2026), consumer Additional Platinum Cards are priced by Basic Card account-open date.
| Account open date / notice | Additional Platinum Card fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Opened on or after August 17, 2023 | $195 annually each | Current standard on live terms |
| Opened prior to August 17, 2023 — notified of fee change | $195 annually each from the notice effective date | Same headline as post-2023 accounts after notice |
| Opened prior to August 17, 2023 — not notified | $175 annually for up to three; then $175 each after | Legacy band only; Amex says it will notify if that band changes later |
| Fee explainer headline (July 17, 2026) | $195 each | “Each Additional Platinum Card has an annual fee of $195.” |
| Basic Card fee (context only) | $895 | Primary-card fee — not the AU fee |
Use the fee explainer for the current standard $195 figure. Use the terms page plus your Card Member Agreement for which band you are on — whether a given pre–August 17, 2023 account was notified is account-specific, not something this page can guess.
Two pricing lines that are not the standard consumer Additional Card fee: Business Platinum employee-card fees ($400 / $350 by open date) are a different product, and Morgan Stanley Platinum’s first Additional Card at $0 (then $195 each after on current terms) is product-specific pricing — do not treat that $0-first as the consumer headline.
Households weighing a second card versus an Additional Card add-on sometimes start with everyday airline or co-brand ladders — our Southwest personal cards compared for 2026 walks that Priority vs Plus vs Premier fork when lounge-capable AU plastic is not the job. This page stays inside consumer Platinum Additional vs Companion rules.
Companion Platinum Card vs Additional Card Member
Amex sells two supplementary products on one consumer Platinum account. Naming stays locked in every comparison: the paid product is the Additional Platinum Card (Additional Card Member); the $0 product is the Companion Platinum Card (Companion Card Member).
| Rule | Additional Platinum Card | Companion Platinum Card |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee (current post–Aug 17, 2023 terms) | $195 per card | $0 added annual fee |
| “Authorized user” shorthand? | Yes — maps here | No — do not call Companion an AU |
| Charges & Membership Rewards | Can charge; MR posts to Basic | Can charge; MR posts to Basic |
| Account owner / liability | Not an owner; Basic liable | Not an owner; Basic liable |
| Global Lounge Collection / Centurion | Eligible with Basic | Not eligible with Companion Card |
| Fine Hotels + Resorts booking | Yes (with Basic) | No — FHR is Basic + Additional only |
| The Hotel Collection booking | Yes | Yes — Basic + Additional + Companion |
| Hilton Gold / Marriott Gold / Leaders Club Sterling | Listed on Additional guide (enrollment) | Companion guide does not grant those enrollments |
Per the Amex Platinum fee explainer (July 17, 2026): “Companion Card Members do not get all the same benefits as an Additional Card Member.” What the $195 product is for: lounge cardholder access, Fine Hotels + Resorts booking rights, Additional-guide hotel-elite enrollment, and the rest of the Additional Membership Guide stack. What the $0 product is for: a second plastic that can spend, help trigger account-level credits, book The Hotel Collection, and earn into the Basic pool — without Global Lounge Collection cardholder access and without the Additional-only elite enrollments.
For the same-hub aeo-policy sibling on how another issuer prices an extra holder and which lounge/credit benefits move with that plastic, see Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized user fee and benefits for 2026 . Contrast structure only — do not clone that CSR map onto Amex’s Additional vs Companion fork.
Lounge Access: Centurion, Sky Club, and Priority Pass for Additional Cards
Does an Amex Platinum authorized user get Centurion access? Yes — only if that person holds an Additional Platinum Card . A Companion Platinum Card on the same account is not a Centurion card.
Per Amex Global Lounge Collection how-it-works copy, Basic and Additional Platinum Card Members are eligible; Companion Platinum Card Members are not eligible for this benefit with their Card. The same exclusion appears on Centurion, Sidecar, and Delta Sky Club terms.
Global Lounge Collection partners (as of September 27, 2026
Collection partners named on Amex lounge pages as of September 27, 2026 include The Centurion Lounge, Sidecar by The Centurion Lounge, Delta Sky Club, Escape Lounges, Lufthansa Lounges ( only through September 30, 2026 ), Plaza Premium, Priority Pass Select ( enrollment required ), and additional partner lounges. Network size on Amex pages: more than 1,550 airport lounges as of September 27, 2026
Centurion cardholder and guest rules
Additional U.S. Platinum Card Members are eligible for complimentary Centurion Lounge access subject to the same entry rules as the Basic Card Member: same-day departing boarding pass, arrive within 3 hours of departure at U.S. locations as Amex states, government ID, and space available.
Guest fees at Centurion (issuer complimentary-guest page): Basic and Additional Platinum Card Members are the eligible cardholders. Default guest charge Amex publishes: $50 per adult guest, $30 for children aged 2 through 17 with proof of age. Complimentary Guest Access for up to two guests per visit unlocks after $75,000 eligible calendar-year spend on the Platinum account. Companion spend can count toward that threshold; Companion Card Members still cannot enter as cardholders. Effective July 8, 2026 , Amex states all guests must be traveling on the same flight as the Card Member.
Delta Sky Club and Priority Pass Select
Per Amex, the Delta Sky Club benefit is available to U.S. Platinum Card Members and Additional Platinum Card Members (“Eligible Platinum Card Members”). Companion Platinum Cards are not eligible. Eligible Platinum Card Members receive 10 visits per Eligible Platinum Card each year to Delta Sky Club or Grab and Go when flying a same-day Delta-operated flight, unless the account unlocks unlimited visits after $75,000 eligible spend. Visits issue at account opening and then on February 1, and expire January 31, per Amex Sky Club terms as of September 27, 2026.
Priority Pass Select requires enrollment. Additional Platinum Card Members are inside the Global Lounge Collection eligibility set; Companion Card Members are not.
| Lounge path | Additional Platinum Card | Companion Platinum Card |
|---|---|---|
| Centurion / Sidecar | Yes (cardholder) | No |
| Delta Sky Club (10 visits / Eligible Card) | Yes | No |
| Priority Pass Select | Yes (enrollment) | No |
| Escape / Plaza Premium / Lufthansa (through Sep 30, 2026) | Inside GLC with Basic | Not eligible with Companion Card |
When the real question is “how does my travel partner get into a lounge” and the partner is not getting Additional plastic, guest-fee and companion-access mechanics matter more than cardholder copy — our Capital One Lounge DFW 2026 guide is a guest-fee contrast at a different network, not an Amex Centurion location tour. Confirm the physical Amex card type before a Centurion trip; this section is eligibility only.
Which Statement Credits an Additional Card Can Trigger
Almost every Platinum statement credit is per Card Account and posts to the Basic Card Member . Additional and Companion spend can help trigger those credits when the charge is eligible and enrollment (where required) is done by the Basic Card Member. An Additional Card Member does not receive a separate $600 hotel credit, $400 Resy credit, $300 digital credit, $200 airline-fee credit, or similar stack of their own.
Account-level credits Additional spend can help fire
Per the Additional Platinum Card Membership Guide (as of September 27, 2026), Additional Platinum Card spend can help trigger — with credits still posting to the Basic Card Member — the $600 hotel credit (up to $300 semi-annually) on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings through American Express Travel; the $200 airline incidental-fee credit on the one selected qualifying airline; the $400 Resy credit (up to $100 per quarter; Basic enrollment required); the $300 digital entertainment credit (up to $25 monthly; Basic enrollment required); the $300 lululemon credit (up to $75 quarterly; Basic enrollment required); the $219 CLEAR+ credit; the $120 Uber One credit; the $155 Walmart+ membership credit; and the $200 Oura Ring credit (Basic enrollment required). The Companion guide uses the same account-level posting language for several of these credits when the Companion Card makes the eligible charge.
FHR vs Hotel Collection booking rights
Per Amex benefit terms: Fine Hotels + Resorts bookings may be made only by eligible U.S. consumer Basic Platinum and Additional Platinum Card Members . The Hotel Collection bookings may be made by Basic Platinum, Additional Platinum, and Companion Platinum Card Members. Do not write that a Companion Card “gets FHR.”
Per-card exception — Global Entry / TSA PreCheck
Per the Additional Platinum guide: the Basic Card Member receives either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for one Global Entry application fee or up to $85 every 4.5 years for one TSA PreCheck five-year plan through an official enrollment provider, when the fee is paid with the card. Amex also states: “Each Additional Card on eligible Card accounts is also eligible for one statement credit” for that application fee on those same cycles, if the fee is charged on that Additional Card. Only one credit in the stated period per that card/program pairing. The Companion guide uses the same per-card GE/TSA credit language when the fee is charged on the Companion Card. This is the main issuer-stated credit that is not purely one-per-account.
Hotel elite and car-rental privileges
The Additional Platinum Card Membership Guide lists Hilton Honors Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Gold, and Leaders Club Sterling, plus select car-rental privileges, with enrollment required. The Companion guide does not grant those elite-status enrollments. The Amex fee explainer groups “complimentary elite status at select hotels” with Additional Card Member shared benefits, not with Companion. If you are adding Additional plastic specifically to enroll a second person in Hilton or Marriott Gold, that hotel-status angle sits next to our map of best hotel cards for free nights and elite status in 2026 .
Additional and Companion spend still earns Membership Rewards into the Basic Card Member pool — the same pool that feeds transfers. Before you move points for a trip the household is funding with AU spend, check partner award space first; our Amex Membership Rewards transfer partners map is the adjacent points-miles reference.
Search award space before you transfer
Check partner award availability first, then move points. Seats.aero shows open award seats across major programs.
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Bottom line: do not assume an Additional Card Member “gets all Platinum credits,” a second Resy / hotel / airline pot, or a welcome offer tied to adding the card.
Age, Count Cap, Liability, and Credit Reporting
Per the Amex Platinum fee explainer (last updated July 17, 2026) and Additional Card Member FAQs (as of September 27, 2026), Additional Card Members must be 13 or older .
FAQ count cap: up to 10 active Additional Card Members on the account at a given time. Product-specific annual fees still apply. Do not use outlet “up to three authorized users” as the count cap — that number is the legacy $175 fee band on un-notified pre–August 17, 2023 accounts, not the FAQ maximum headcount.
| Admin rule | Issuer language (as of September 27, 2026) |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 13 or older |
| Active Additional Card Members | Up to 10 (fees still apply) |
| Liability | Basic Card Member responsible for all Basic / Additional / Companion charges |
| Credit reporting | Provided for Additional Card Members 18+; positive-history based on Basic behavior |
Per Amex FAQs, credit information is provided for an Additional Card Member when they are 18 or older . Reporting is positive-history only based on the Basic Card Member’s behavior; if the Basic Card Member becomes delinquent, Amex says it will discontinue reporting on the Additional Card Member’s card to retain that positive history. A 13-year-old can hold Additional plastic; bureau reporting still waits until 18+.
FAQs also note that Platinum, Centurion, and Delta SkyMiles Reserve have “alternative options” rather than automatically issuing the identical product as the Basic Card — that is the Additional Platinum vs Companion split on consumer Platinum.
If the household does not need lounge-capable Additional plastic at all — just everyday spend cards for a partner or teen — the same-hub fork is Chase Freedom Unlimited vs Capital One Venture for 2026 , not another $195 Additional Platinum Card.
When an Additional Platinum Card Beats a Companion Card (Three Frames)
Decision frames only — pick the plastic that matches the job. There is no universal winner.
Frame 1 — Cardholder lounge access is the job
The other person needs to enter Centurion, Sidecar, Sky Club, Escape, Plaza Premium, or Priority Pass as a cardholder — not as a $50 / $30 guest on the Basic Card Member’s visit, and not only when traveling together. That person needs the Additional Platinum Card . Companion plastic does not unlock Global Lounge Collection cardholder access. Guest fees and the $75,000 complimentary-guest unlock are guest rules for an eligible cardholder visit, not a substitute for giving the other person their own Additional Platinum Card when they travel separately.
Frame 2 — Spend-and-trigger is the job
The household only needs a second card that can charge the account, earn Membership Rewards into the Basic pool, help fire account-level credits, and book The Hotel Collection. They do not need lounge cardholder access or Additional-only hotel-elite enrollment for that person. Companion Platinum Card at $0 fits.
Frame 3 — Structure contrast with the CSR AU sibling (not a three-way remake)
Amex splits a paid Additional Platinum Card ( $195 on current terms) from a $0 Companion with a thinner benefit set. Chase Sapphire Reserve prices authorized users with a different lounge and credit-carry map. Point at the CSR AU sibling for that issuer’s rules. Do not declare a winner here. Do not rebuild Plat vs CSR vs Venture X in this section — if you are deciding whether a second primary premium card beats a $195 Additional Platinum Card, use Amex Plat vs CSR vs Venture X 2026 by goal as the adjacent hub comparison, not as this article’s body.
Confirm live Additional Platinum terms and the physical card in the wallet before a lounge trip. The wrong plastic at the desk is the expensive mistake this page exists to prevent.
Conclusion / Final Thoughts
Centurion access travels with the Additional Platinum Card , not with the $0 Companion Platinum Card .
Fee restated: $195 each on current post–August 17, 2023 terms; legacy $175-for-up-to-three only on un-notified pre–August 17, 2023 accounts. The Basic Card fee of $895 is context, not the authorized-user price.
Credit rule restated: almost every statement credit is one-per-account and posts to the Basic Card Member. The issuer-stated per-card exception is Global Entry $120 / 4 years or TSA PreCheck $85 / 4.5 years when that Additional or Companion card pays the fee.
Confirm the live Additional Platinum terms, the Card Member Agreement fee band, and the physical card type. This page is not a full Platinum review and not a Centurion location guide. Amounts, partners, and eligibility can change — figures here are as of September 23, 2026 (PT) .
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Amex Platinum authorized user get Centurion access?
Yes if that person is an Additional Platinum Card Member on a U.S. consumer Platinum account. No if that person holds only a $0 Companion Platinum Card. Companion Card Members are not eligible for Centurion access or Complimentary Guest Access with the Companion Card.
Is “authorized user” the Companion Platinum Card or the Additional Platinum Card?
On this page and on Amex’s fee explainer shorthand, “authorized user” maps to Additional Card Member / Additional Platinum Card — the paid product. The Companion Platinum Card is a separate $0 product with fewer benefits; do not call the Companion Card an authorized user in this sense.
How much does an Amex Platinum additional card cost in 2026?
The fee explainer headline is $195 per Additional Platinum Card. On live Additional Platinum terms, accounts opened on or after August 17, 2023 — and pre–August 17, 2023 accounts notified of the change — pay $195 each. Un-notified accounts opened prior to August 17, 2023 keep $175 annually for up to three Additional Platinum Cards, then $175 each after the first three. Check the Card Member Agreement for which band applies.
What is the difference between an Additional Platinum Card and a Companion Platinum Card?
The Additional Platinum Card is the paid authorized-user product ($195 on current terms) and sits inside Global Lounge Collection with the Basic Card Member, plus Additional-guide hotel elite enrollments and FHR booking rights. The Companion Platinum Card has no added annual fee and does not get all the same benefits; Amex excludes Companion Cards from Global Lounge Collection / Centurion / Sky Club / Priority Pass cardholder access.
Does a Companion Platinum Card get lounge access?
No. Amex states Companion Platinum Card Members are not eligible for the Global Lounge Collection benefit with their Companion Card. The same exclusion appears on Centurion, Sidecar, and Delta Sky Club terms.
Do Additional Card Members get their own Platinum statement credits?
Almost never as a second coupon book. Credits such as the $600 hotel credit, $400 Resy credit, $300 digital credit, and $200 airline-fee credit are per Card Account and post to the Basic Card Member. Additional or Companion spend can help trigger eligible charges. The main per-card exception is Global Entry $120 every 4 years or TSA PreCheck $85 every 4.5 years when that card pays the application fee.
Can a Companion Card book Fine Hotels + Resorts vs The Hotel Collection?
FHR bookings may be made only by eligible U.S. consumer Basic Platinum and Additional Platinum Card Members. Hotel Collection bookings may be made by Basic, Additional, and Companion Platinum Card Members. A Companion Card does not “get FHR.”
How many Additional Card Members can a consumer Platinum account have?
Amex Additional Card Member FAQs: up to 10 active Additional Card Members at a time. Product fees still apply. “Up to three” is the legacy $175 fee band on un-notified pre–August 17, 2023 accounts, not the FAQ headcount cap.
Is the Business Platinum employee-card fee the same as the consumer authorized-user fee?
No. Business Platinum employee-card fees ($400 / $350 by open date) are a different product. This page covers U.S. consumer The Platinum Card Additional / Companion rules only.
Who is liable for Additional and Companion Card charges, and does Amex report to credit bureaus?
The Basic Card Member is responsible for all purchases on the Basic Card and every Additional or Companion Card. Supplementary cardholders are not account owners. Amex FAQs: credit information is provided for an Additional Card Member when they are 18 or older. Reporting is positive-history only based on the Basic Card Member’s behavior; if the Basic Card Member becomes delinquent, Amex says it will discontinue reporting on the Additional Card Member’s card to retain that positive history.
Written by Joe
Miles & Points Expert and Enthusiast | 240,000+ Points Redeemed in 2026
I personally test every credit card, redemption, and loyalty program strategy so you get honest, up-to-date 2026 advice and real results.
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