Credit Cards with a Free Additional Cardholder

1 - 10 of 159

Name	Purchase rate p.a.	Annual fee	Balance transfer rate p.a.	Amount Saved
Kogan Money Card – Exclusive Offer Exclusive Kogan Rewards Program	Purchase rate p.a. 9.99% for 18 months, then 21.99%	Annual fee $0	Balance transfer rate p.a. 0% for 18 months with 1% balance transfer fee, then 22.74%	Amount saved $1,285.99 over 18 months	Go to site More Info Compare	Save with 0% p.a. interest on balance transfers (with a 1% BT fee) and 9.99% p.a. on purchases, both for 18 months, plus, an ongoing $0 annual fee.
American Express Explorer Credit Card Membership Rewards	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%	Annual fee $395	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	Get 50,000 Membership Rewards Bonus Points and spend $4,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
Qantas American Express Ultimate Card Qantas Frequent Flyer	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%	Annual fee $450	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	Get a yearly $450 Travel Credit and 50,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
Westpac Low Rate Card	Purchase rate p.a. 13.74%	Annual fee $59	Balance transfer rate p.a. 0% for 26 months with 2% balance transfer fee, then 21.99%	Amount saved $1,553.37 over 26 months	Go to site More Info Compare	Save with a 0% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for 26 months (with a 2% BT fee). Plus, a low 13.74% p.a. purchase interest rate.
Westpac Low Rate Card - Cashback Offer	Purchase rate p.a. 13.74%	Annual fee $59	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	A no-frills card offering up to $350 cashback: $50 each month you make at least $1,000 of eligible purchases for the first 7 months.
St.George Vertigo Card	Purchase rate p.a. 13.99%	Annual fee $55	Balance transfer rate p.a. 0% for 24 months with 1% balance transfer fee, then 21.99%	Amount saved $1,551.89 over 24 months	Go to site More Info Compare	Get a 0% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for 24 months (with a one-time 1% balance transfer fee).
Coles No Annual Fee Mastercard Flybuys	Purchase rate p.a. 20.74%	Annual fee $0	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	Get 10,000 bonus Flybuys points (worth $50 Flybuys dollars) when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 3 months.
American Express Velocity Platinum Card Velocity Frequent Flyer	Purchase rate p.a. 23.99%	Annual fee $440	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	Enjoy 60,000 bonus Velocity Points, up to 100 bonus Status Credits and up to 2.25 Velocity Points per $1 spent. Plus, a return domestic flight each year.
NAB Low Rate Credit Card	Purchase rate p.a. 13.49%	Annual fee $59	Balance transfer rate p.a. 0% for 24 months with 3% balance transfer fee, then 21.74%	Amount saved $1,443.89 over 24 months	Go to site More Info Compare	Get a 0% p.a. interest rate on balance transfers for the first 24 months (with a 3% BT fee).
American Express Qantas Business Rewards Card Qantas Business Rewards	Purchase rate p.a. 0%	Annual fee $450	Balance transfer rate p.a. N/A		Go to site More Info Compare	(ABN holders w/ $75k revenue). Earn 130,000 bonus Qantas Points when you spend $3,000 on eligible purchases in the first 2 months.

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What is an additional cardholder on a credit card?

An additional cardholder is another person, usually a spouse or family member, who can use your credit card account to make purchases. This can be handy when you want to use one credit card account for household spending, travelling or earning more points (because you'll both be making purchases through the account).

Also known as supplementary cardholders, they are issued with their own card but are not legally responsible for managing the account and paying off the balance. Even if it's from purchases they've made. This is because the account is in your name, making you liable for it.

Tip: Before you start sharing your credit card account, talk to them about managing the account and making repayments to work out a system that's fair for both of you. Just remember that the primary cardholder (or main account holder) is legally responsible for the account.

What can additional cardholders do?

It does vary depending on the credit card account, but here are some of the key things additional cardholders can do:

Make purchases
Earn points for eligible spending
Check the account balance
View transaction history
Make payments towards the account balance
Report suspicious transactions and/or lost and stolen cards
Set up and change their own personal identification number (PIN) which is different from yours
Order a replacement card
Cancel their cards

Additional cardholders may also be able to access benefits such as complimentary insurance. Sometimes, they can also redeem reward points, but it does depend on the card and rewards program.

Check your credit card’s terms and conditions or ask your bank for specific details of what features an additional cardholder would get through your account.

What’s the difference between an additional cardholder and a joint credit card?

An additional cardholder can make purchases with your credit card account but you remain responsible for managing it. The details of the account are only listed on your credit history. This structure also means it's possible to get an additional card for someone who is under 18 (like a teenager).

In comparison, a joint credit card account has shared responsibility between both people. Joint accounts are listed on both of your credit files and both of you will need to meet the account's eligibility requirements, including being at least 18 years old. There are also fewer credit cards that offer joint applications compared to those that offer additional cardholders.

Our expert says

"I am an additional cardholder on my wife's Visa and she is an additional cardholder for my Amex. This allows us both to have two options available in case a retailer charges more for one brand or does not accept it at all."

Graham Cooke

Head of consumer research

What are the pros and cons to getting an additional cardholder?

Shared access to credit. If your partner or family member doesn’t have a credit card and may not be eligible to get one, adding them to your account could be a convenient alternative.
Earn more points. With two people spending on the one account, you could be able to earn more points and get rewards faster.
Simple process. It’s relatively easy to apply for an additional cardholder or to remove one from your account.

Account responsibility. As the primary cardholder, you will be legally accountable for all transactions and repayments.
Credit history. Details of the credit card will be listed on your credit history, so any issues such as late payments could impact on your credit score. Note that additional cardholders won’t have details of the account added to their credit history.
Additional fees. Some credit cards charge an additional cardholder annual fee on top of the regular annual fee you’ll pay for the account. Make sure you check this cost before you request a secondary cardholder to help stay on top of fees.

How to add someone as an additional cardholder

Each credit card provider has its own process, but here are the basic steps you need to take:

Get an additional cardholder application form. This form is usually available through your credit card provider's website or online banking service. It may also be included when you apply for a new credit card.
Add the additional cardholders details. This will include some key details, such as their name, date of birth, contact details and Australian residential status. They'll also need to agree to the terms and conditions and sign or agree to be added to the account.
Fill in your details as the primary cardholder. If you're applying online, this section may already be pre-filled but you'll typically need to sign a declaration or fill in a section that shows you agree to adding the person as a secondary cardholder.
Submit the form. Your credit card provider will assess the application. If it's approved, your additional cardholder should get their card within 5-10 working days.

Eligibility requirements

Additional cardholders don't have to meet the same eligibility criteria as primary cardholders – including income requirements and credit checks – but they do usually need to meet some key requirements. This typically includes:

Minimum age. Additional cardholders must be at least 16 years of age. Note that some credit cards have a higher minimum age of 18.
Identification. This includes the full name, date of birth, residential address and contact details for the person you want to add. They may also have to provide some personal financial details, such as employment status and income.

Getting an additional cardholder for your account can be a convenient way to share your credit card benefits. But it’s important to carefully consider the risks and discuss financial management of the account with your additional cardholder so that you can make this option work for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

While there are business credit cards that offer customisable limits for employees with additional cards, personal credit cards don't offer this feature.
But there are some personal credit cards that let you set a spending cap or put a limit on certain types of transactions – such as contactless or overseas payments. For example, you can set limits for international transactions on a CommBank credit card via NetBank or the CommBank App, while HSBC's My Card Controls lets you set a limit per transaction amount. With both these options, the limits you set would apply to both you and any other cardholders linked to the account.

Picture: Shutterstock

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Thank you for your feedback!

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Keith Kilcourse as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Amy Bradney-George

Editor

Amy Bradney-George was the senior writer for credit cards at Finder, and editorial lead for Finder Green. She has over 16 years of editorial experience and has been featured in publications including ABC News, Money Magazine and The Sydney Morning Herald. See full bio

Amy's expertise

Amy has written 565 Finder guides across topics including:

Credit cards
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Credit score
BNPL
Money management
Sustainability

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Credit cards with additional cardholders