American Express Add-On Credit Cards

By Bharti Bisht

Updated On January 12, 2024

American Express is one of the top credit card issuers in India and is popular for offering some of the most premium credit cards range across different categories. AmEx has achieved a wide customer base in India due to its exclusive products and services and credit cards are among the most significant products offered by American Express. Many people in India want to get AmEx Credit Cards, but some of them find it difficult to get approved for it due to a lack of credit history or because of having no income source. But, they should be aware of the fact that the bank also offers add-on credit cards like every other major card issuer in the country. Add-On Credit Cards or supplementary credit cards facility are for those who have no credit history. They can get a secondary credit card under the primary account of their family members and the card is issued on the basis of the primary cardholder’s income and credit score.

Add-On Credit Cards are the best options for those who find it difficult to start their credit journey. They can not only avail of all the benefits of a credit card, but also build their credit history by using an add-on credit card. If your family members are having credit cards from American Express and you want to get an add-on card under them, you should go through the complete information provided below regarding the AmEx Add-On Credit Cards:

Features of AmEx Add-On Credit Cards

The American Express add-on credit cards come with several decent advantages. All the features and benefits of AmEx supplementary are given below and these will help you understand some of the most significant reasons why add-on credit cards are the best option to start your credit journey if you are not getting approved for any credit card:

You don’t need any credit score to get approved for the American Express add-on credit cards as the card issuer offers supplementary cards on the basis of the primary cardholder’s credit history.
Even those who don’t have a stable income source can get an AmEx add-on credit card under their relatives’ primary credit card accounts.
The add-on credit cardholders also earn Reward Points on their spends and the reward rate is generally the same as that of the primary credit cards. Other than this, some cards even offer additional benefits to supplementary cardholders.
The add-on cardholders don’t need to worry much about the payment due dates as the bill payment responsibility is on the primary cardholder. But, the add-on cardholders should also be responsible enough to use their card wisely.
Getting add-on credit cards also helps the primary cardholders in achieving the milestone spending as the spends made on both primary and the add-on credit cards are considered for the calculation of milestone spend.

Fees and Charges of AmEx Add-On Credit Cards

There are several fees and charges associated with every credit card and so is the case with supplementary credit cards. The following are some of the important fees and charges associated with the American Express add-on credit cards:

Charges	Amount
Annual Fee	Nil (up to 2 add-on credit cards)
Interest Rate	3.5% per month
Forex Markup Charges	3.5% of the transaction amount
Cash Advance Fees	3.5% of the withdrawn amount
Cash Advance Limit	20% of the total credit limit

Eligibility Criteria for American Express Add-On Credit Cards

There are some very basic eligibility criteria that need to be fulfilled by the applicants in order to get approved for American Express add-on credit cards. These basic requirements are mentioned below:

The age of the supplementary card applicant should be a minimum of 18 years.
The supplementary card applicant should be related to the primary cardholder.
The primary cardholder should be having a decent credit score.

Documents Required

You will also need to submit a few documents while applying for the American Express add-on credit cards and these documents are listed below:

Identity Proof: Aadhar Card, Passport, PAN Card, or any other valid photo Id Proof.
Address Proof: Aadhar Card, electricity/water/telephone bills of the latest months, Ration Card, etc.

How To Apply For AmEx Add-On Credit Cards?

You can easily apply for the American Express Add-On Credit Cards online as well as offline at your convenience. To apply online, you can simply visit the American Express official website. You can find all the features and benefits of supplementary credit cards on the add-on card page, choose your card there, and apply for it online in a few easy steps. If you find it difficult to apply online, you can also contact American Express Credit Card customer care and request the customer care executives help you with the same. You can also apply for an AmEx add-on card offline by visiting your nearest branch if there is a branch available in your city. Just make sure that you carry all the necessary documents along with you and fill out the application form carefully.

American Express Add-On Cards PIN Generation

Once you get approved for a supplementary credit card, you will have to set your credit card PIN first. There are various methods for PIN generation of AmEx add-on Credit Cards and some of the most significant ones are mentioned below:

You can easily generate your credit card PIN through an ATM nearest to you. Just insert your credit card into the ATM, find an option to set the credit card PIN from the main menu, and follow all the instructions carefully.
Another way to generate your credit card PIN is to do it with the help of customer care. You can just contact AmEx Credit Card customer care and request the bank officials to help you set up the PIN of your credit card.

Top AmEx Credit Cards Offering Add-On Cards Facility

Almost all American Express Credit Cards offer the add-on cards facility and the key features of these cards along with their fee structure are given below in the table:

Credit Card	Fee Structures	Key Features
AmEx Platinum Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 4 supplementary cards and Rs. 10,000 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 1 MR (Membership Reward) on every Rs. 40, – 3X Rewards on all international spend – 5,000 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)
AmEx Platinum Reserve Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 4 supplementary cards and Rs. 1,500 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 1 MR (Membership Reward) on every Rs. 50 spent. – 2,500 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)
AmEx Gold Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 2 supplementary cards and Rs. 1,500 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 1 MR (Membership Reward) on every Rs. 50 spent. – 1,000 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)
AmEx Platinum Travel Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 2 supplementary cards and Rs. 1,500 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 2 MRs (Membership Rewards) on every Rs. 100 spent. – 1,500 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)
AmEx Membership Rewards Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 2 supplementary cards and Rs. 1,500 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 2 MRs (Membership Rewards) on every Rs. 100 spent. – 1,000 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)
AmEx SmartEarn Credit Card	Annual fee for add-on card: Nil for up to 2 supplementary cards and Rs. 250 thereafter. Interest rate: 3.5% per month Forex Markup Fee: 3.5% of the transaction amount Cash Advance Fee: 3.5% of the withdrawn amount or minimum Rs. 250	– 1 MR (Membership Rewards) on every Rs. 50 spent. – 10x Rewards on Amazon, Flipkart, Uber, etc. – 1,000 bonus points on supplementary card approval (after fulfilling the required spend criteria)

Bottom Line

Now, you might have understood all the advantages of getting an American Express Add-On Credit Card and how you can get one. Though most of the responsibility of an add-on credit card is on the primary cardholders, the add-on cardholders should use their credit card wisely without overspending as it may affect the credit score of the primary cardholder as well. So, if you were trying to find a way to start your credit journey, you must have understood that add-on credit cards are one of the best options that you can go for.

FAQs:

Up to how many supplementary credit cards are free with AmEx?

The number of free supplementary credit cards is different under different cards. With the AmEx Platinum and AmEx Platinum Reserve Cards, you can get up to 4 free add-on cards and 2 free add-on cards under all other credit cards.

What is the interest rate on AmEx Add-On Credit Cards?

The interest rate on AmEx supplementary credit cards is 3.5% per month.

What is the minimum required age to apply for AmEx Add-On Credit Cards?

The minimum eligible age to apply for AmEx Add-On Credit Cards is 18 years.