Can you get an Amex sign-up bonus if you already have the same card as a supplementary?

This is the second of two articles on how American Express supplementary cards work.

In Part One yesterday we looked at why you might want to add a supplementary card to your account and how to earn a few thousand bonus Avios or Membership Rewards points for doing so.

Today I want to pick up on a question which features regularly in my inbox.  Is it possible to get a sign-up bonus on an American Express card if you already hold the same card as a supplementary on your partner’s account?

Can you apply for an American Express card if you already have the same card as a supplementary?

The answer is yes, you can.

Here is the reason.  If someone issues you with a supplementary card on their American Express account, it is NOT your card.  It is their card.  The main cardholder is the person who is legally responsible for your spending.

As far as American Express is concerned, you are NOT the cardholder.

This means that you are able to apply for the same card yourself if you choose.

Here is an example. If your partner has a British Airways American Express Premium Plus card as a supplementary card on your account, they are still able to apply for their own BAPP card and receive the 30,000 Avios sign-up bonus.

You can also pick up 9,000 Avios – or whatever your current personalised offer is – for referring your partner via the American Express ‘refer a friend’ scheme.

Obviously they need to meet the usual rules for receiving the bonus, which on this card are that they must not have had either of the British Airways American Express cards in the past 24 months in their own right.

Here are some points to think about

Whilst this is good news in terms of maximising bonus points across your household, there are some key things to remember:

Reasons why your partner should have a supplementary card rather than their own account:

• When your partner gets their own card, there is another annual fee to pay.  On the other hand, if they simply remain as a free supplementary cardholder on your account, there is no extra fee.

• Supplementary cards can help you hit your spend targets. You may struggle to hit the new £15,000 spend target on the British Airways American Express card to earn a 2-4-1 voucher without spend from your partner.  Partner spend could also help you hit the 2,500 bonus points you earn for every £5,000 you spend (up to £25,000) on the American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card.

• American Express now insists that the named cardholder pays their monthly bill from a bank account in their name. Historically I would settle my wife’s card bills because I was the one who was doing most of the spending. This is no longer allowed, so we need to go through a bit of theatre where I transfer money to her and she pays the bill via the Amex app. This isn’t an issue if your partner has a supplementary card on your account.

Reasons why your partner should have their own account rather than a supplementary card:

• High spenders can trigger a second set of annual spend bonuses across the household.  My wife has her own British Airways American Express Premium Plus card, for example, and as we can spend £15,000 each on the cards we can earn 2 x 2-4-1 vouchers each year between us.  I have a supplementary card on her account so I can continue to do the bulk of the spending. On the other hand, she does not have her own Platinum card, because she gets all of the benefits for free as a supplementary cardholder on my account and I don’t want to be paying 2 x £650 annual fees each year.

• Your partner would receive their own set of American Express cashback offers throughout the year. Whilst some of these also appear on supplementary cards, many do not. Your partner should have their own card if you want to maximise the number of cashback offers you receive.

Conclusion

The key thing to take away from this article is the knowledge, if you didn’t have it already, that if you or your partner have a supplementary American Express card in your purse or wallet, you can still apply for the same card in your own name and earn a sign-up bonus, subject to the standard bonus rules.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – April 2025 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

American Express Business Platinum

50,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

20,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review