Should I Add My Partner to My Chase Sapphire Reserve Card? Pros and Cons Explained

For most couples, the endless back-and-forth of splitting expenses through Splitwise, spreadsheets, and Venmo can be tiresome. Graduating to sharing a credit card often feels like a breath of fresh air and reduces the monthly workload.

In this blog post, we'll explore:

• The pros and cons of adding your partner to your credit card

• How Chase Sapphire Reserve’s authorized user card works

• Why you might not see shared spending

• How credit scores work

• A reminder of Chase Sapphire Reserve benefits

• What happens if both partners have an Chase Sapphire Reserve card

• Referral benefits for your partner

• Deciding between Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve

Source: Chase website as of July 2024

Options for Adding Your Partner to Your Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

For Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, you can add your partner (or a family member) as an authorized user for free!

Pros and Cons of Adding Your Partner to Your Credit Card

Pros:

• Focus on One Type of Rewards Points: This makes it easier and faster to reach point bonuses or the required points to redeem for flights or hotel rewards.

  
  

• Share Credit Card Benefits: Regardless of whether you’re using the primary card or the authorized user card, you receive the same benefits.

  
  

• Save on Annual Fees: If both partners use the Chase Sapphire Reserve, you can save up to $475 annually.

Cons:

• Limited Spending Visibility for Additional Cardholders: Chase makes it difficult for additional cardholders to see shared spending. Plenty solves this by enabling easy connection and shared visibility.

  
  

• Indirect Credit History Building: Your partner’s credit history may not build as directly, as the account will be reported to their credit as an authorized user account. While this won’t necessarily effect your credit score, lenders can see this information if they pull your credit report.

  
  

• Primary Cardholder Responsibility: You are responsible for paying off the card, impacting your credit score even if the additional cardholder doesn't pay you back.

How Chase Sapphire Reserve’s Authorized User Works

When you add your partner as an authorized user, you can log into your account online and add them for free. The new card is under your account, and your partner receives a Chase Sapphire Reserve card with their name on it.

Benefits:

• Faster Points Accumulation: Chase points are highly valuable due to their redemption and conversion programs with hotels and airlines. With the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you get 10x total points on hotels, 5x total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining at restaurants, and 1x points on everything else. 

  
  

• Credit History Improvement: The primary cardholder's credit history could benefit the additional cardholder, since the authorized user will “inherit” the account history of the primary cardholder.

Why Can I Not See Our Spending?

Chase has a limited experience for shared visibility. The authorized user setup was designed in a dated era where the primary income earner managed the credit card.

When you add your partner as an authorized user, they aren’t able to create an online account to track their spending or the spending of the primary cardholder. Traditionally, the only way to remedy this was to share login details with your partner, or wait until you receive a statement, and read through it line by line.

Solution: Plenty offers a solution by connecting your Chase account and labeling it as “shared,” providing both partners with equal visibility over shared spending.

How Do Credit Scores Work?

When you add your partner as an authorized user on your Chase account, this is how both of your credit scores will be effected:

• Primary Cardholder Responsibility: As the primary cardholder, your responsibility doesn’t change much. You are responsible for paying off the card (for purchases made through the primary card and any authorized user cards).  Any missed payments will impact your credit history more than your partner’s.

  
  

• Credit History Building: Adding your partner can help build their credit history if the primary cardholder maintains good credit habits, since Chase reports card activity to the credit reports of authorized users over age 18. However, if the primary cardholder stops paying, that will be reflected on the authorized user’s credit report.

Tip: Your partner should maintain some cards independently to ensure their credit score stays healthy, especially if they have cards with long, good credit histories.

What If We Both Have a Chase Sapphire Reserve Card?

If both partners have an Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you might consider ditching one Chase Sapphire Reserve card and adding your partner as an authorized user to save on the annual fee.

Advice: Instead of canceling the Chase Sapphire Reserve, just downgrade it to one of the no-annual fee Chase Freedom cards..

Remind Me, What Are the Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits Again?

• Get 50% More Value for Points: Each point is worth 1.50 cents when using them through the Chase Travel Portal.

  
  

• Lounge Access: Receive complimentary acces to over 1,300 airport lounges for yourself and up to two guests, at both Chase Sapphire Lounges and Priority Pass Lounges.

  
  

• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS fee Credit:  Receive up to a $100 statement credit every four years for associated fees.

  
  

• Unlimited Rewards: Earn unlimited 10x total points on hotels, 5x total points on flights when you purchase travel through Chase Travel, 3x points on dining at restaurants, and 1x points on everything else.

  
  

• Points Transfer: Get added value for your points by transferring them out to one of Chase’s 14 airline and hotel transfer partners.

  
  

• Save Abroad: Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with no foreign transaction fees.

  
  

• Added Travel Protection: Utilize Chase’s Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Baggage Delay Insurance, and Trip Delay Reimbursement to ensure your trips go off without a hitch!

What If I Refer My Partner?

Referring your partner means they’ll receive a separate hard inquiry on their credit report when they apply. Hard inquiries negatively effect your credit report. However, the effect is typically minimal, especially for those with more robust credit history. Chase Sapphire Reserve currently offers a promotion where your partner can earn 60k points, and you’d earn 10k points for referring them. This makes sense if you want to double up on Chase Sapphire Reserve bonuses.

How to Decide Between Chase Sapphire Preferred or Chase Sapphire Reserve?

For every couple, the decision depends on different factors. Key questions to consider:

• Travel Credit: Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve comes with a $550 annual fee, you can offset much of it with the easy to use $300 travel credit.  If you can’t use this credit, the Chase Sapphire Preferred might be a better option for you. 

  
  

• Point Value: The Chase Sapphire Preffered gives your points an extra 25% in value when used through the Chase Travel portal compared to the Chase Sapphire Reserve’s 50% added value.  If you’re a frequent user of the Chase Travel portal, this may be a good reason to use the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

  
  

• Authorized User Cost: If you’re looking to add your partner as an authorized user for free, then the Chase Sapphire Preferred is probably the card for you, since it costs $75 for each authorized user on the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

  
  

• Lounge Access: Frequent flyers can find quite a bit of value in having the Chase Sapphire Reserve, and its complementary lounge access to over 1,300 airport lounges, worldwide.

Interested in trying Plenty out? Start your 1 month free trial today or book an onboarding call to learn more.

Sources

Au, Stephen. Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card Image. Upgraded Points, 2 Aug. 2024 www.upgradedpoints.com/credit-cards/reviews/chase-sapphire-preferred-card/upgrade-to-chase-sapphire-reserve/.

"Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card." Chase, www.creditcards.chase.com/rewards-credit-cards/sapphire/reserve. 

"How are Chase Sapphire Preferred and Sapphire Reserve different?" Chase, www.chase.com/personal/credit-cards/education/rewards-benefits/how-are-chase-sapphire-preferred-and-reserve-different. 

"Refer Friends. Earn Bonus Points." Chase, www.chase.com/referafriend/chasesapphire?CID=PAID&jp_cmp=cc/RAF-Sapphire+Reserve_Brand_Exact_RAF_SEM_US_NA_Standard_NA/sea/p77262951324/Sapphire+Reserve&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw2Je1BhAgEiwAp3KY7-tjmjrwXOhkuhkieuyPhlJiC_rWDXYjsBkLwiUfD1Of4GTE4m4r6BoCic4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds. 

Tsosie, Claire. “Which Credit Cards Help Authorized Users Build Credit.” Nerdwallet, 25 Aug. 2023, www.nerdwallet.com/article/credit-cards/credit-card-authorized-users-build-credit. 

Kelton, Katie. “Authorized users: Everything you need to know.” Bankrate, 16 May 2024, www.bankrate.com/credit-cards/news/guide-to-authorized-users/. 

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