(Targeted) American Express: Add an authorized user and get 10,000 points

Update 5/4/26: New Gold Card Link for 10,000 Points After $2,000 Spend. Hats off to him DDG

Update 5/9/25: Offer went out via email for 20,000 points with $2,000 spend. Note, this offer is for the $195 authorized user card, not or AU free. (Hat tip to reader MM)

Update 7/13/24: Deal is back, requires $2,000 in expenses.

Update 3/28/22: More targeted people, appearing in the AmEx offers section. Hats off to him MtM

Update 3/8/22: More targeted people.

Update on 12/20/21: More targeted people.

Update 8/28/21: More target people, new link here. Hats off to him MtM

Update 8/4/21: More offers have been sent in, some also seeing 30,000 points.

Update 6/14/21: Another round has been shipped.

Offers

• American Express offers 20,000 Membership Rewards points when you add an authorized user and they spend $2,000 within six months
• There is another offer but for only 5,000 Membership Rewards but can add up to 4 users for a total of 20,000 points. Possible link here.

Fine Press

• Valid until September 7, 2021

What you need to know

• If you’re not eligible, call American Express to see if they can add the offer to your account. This is usually possible. At the moment the direct links don’t seem to be working either, so calling whether you got an email or not seems necessary.
• SSN is not required when adding an authorized user, but you must provide one within 60 days of account opening (people have been denied the bonus in the past for not providing this on time)
• Accounts of authorized American Express users count toward your account Chase status 5/24/total.

FAQ

Does being added as an authorized user prevent you from getting the signup bonus?

No, you can be added as authorized and then register for the card as the primary cardholder and still receive the sign-up bonus.

Who needs to spend money to activate the bonus?

The authorized user must complete the spending request. Keep in mind that authorized users have their own unique card number so this is easy to follow. Spending by the primary cardholder is highly unlikely to trigger the bonus.

Our verdict

Very good deal if targeted, usually bonuses are for 2,500 or 5,000 but with lower spending requirements. Interesting that American Express has increased this offer and also the payment offer over time. Adding an authorized Platinum user will cost $175, but Platinum cardholders can also add a ‘gold’ authorized user for free.

Hats off to him FM