The 7 Best Joint Credit Cards for Couples [September 2023]

The Best “Joint” Credit Card Strategy for Couples

What is the appeal of a joint credit card? A shared ledger? Full transparency? The ability to enable a partner with lesser credit to access a credit line?

Today, joint credit cards, as we knew them, are mostly a thing of the past. Card issuers mostly stick to separate applications.

Rather than jointly apply for a single card, most couples use one of these two strategies:

1. One person applies for a credit card and adds their partner as an authorized user
2. Have each person apply for his/her own card (to maximize bonuses)

Both of these options have their merits, but the short of it is if you opt for #2, you will be eligible for twice as many bonuses (at the added cost of paying for twice as many annual fees).

On the other hand, if one person is struggling with their credit score, adding them as an authorized user to the other party’s card can (a) allow them to access the credit line and card benefits, such as cash-back, access to airport lounges etc and (b) help them rebuild their credit if the shared card account is used responsibly.

We generally recommend option #2 to maximize rewards.

Top Picks (Quick Summary)

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1. American Express^® Gold Card (Top Pick – Best for Earning Travel Points at Restaurants & U.S. Supermarkets)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 90,000 points with the Amex Gold card. The current public offer is 60,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Gold card is our favorite card for couples due to its second-to-none points multipliers, an enticing welcome offer, and ongoing perks!

Even though the welcome bonus you can earn is extremely attractive and pays for many years’ worth of annual fees, the most alluring aspect of the Amex Gold card is the ability to earn big rewards from the bonus categories:

• Earn 4x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at restaurants and U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; 1x thereafter)
• Earn 3x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel
• Earn 1x Membership Rewards points per $1 spent on all other purchases

On top of that, you will get up to $120 per year in dining statement credits upon enrollment at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.

Also, get up to $120 in Uber Cash every year ($10 per month) usable on Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.

The Amex Gold card gets you access to the American Express Hotel Collection, access to Amex Offers, and a complimentary ShopRunner membership upon enrollment.

This card has no preset spending limit, no foreign transaction fees, and up to 5 additional cards for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

Bottom Line: Whether you’re planning a date night, doing the weekly grocery shop or booking a flight, the Amex Gold card is one of our favorite cards for couples to use!

2. The Platinum Card^® from American Express (Best for Airport Lounge Access, Premium Perks)

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a welcome bonus offer of up to 125k (or 150k) points with the Amex Platinum. The current public offer is 80,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

The Amex Platinum card is a legendary card, perhaps most associated with prestige and luxury travel. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with this card.

You’ll hit a huge welcome bonus and earn 5x Membership Rewards points for flights booked directly with airlines or with Amex Travel (up to $500,000 per calendar year) and on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel.

Now, let’s get into the immense list of travel and lifestyle benefits:

• Access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection – that’s 1,300+ airport lounges, including Priority Pass Lounge Access when enrolled, Delta Sky Club Lounges when flying Delta, select Virgin Clubhouses, Plaza Premium Lounges, plus the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges
• Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts and The Hotel Collection
• Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status upon enrollment
• Avis Preferred Club, Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, and National Emerald Club Executive status
• Amex International Airline Program for flight deals

Statement credits include an up to $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 prepaid hotel credit on eligible stays, $189 in CLEAR credits, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit, up to $100 in Saks Fifth Avenue credits (2 credits of up to $50 semi-annually), up to $300 in Equinox credits, up to $200 in Uber Cash credit, up to $155 in Walmart+ credits, and up to $240 in digital entertainment credits. These credits are available each year you’re a card member.

3. Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card (Best Travel Card for Sub $100 Annual Fee)

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card is one of the best credit cards available and our favorite beginner rewards credit card.

Indeed, this card earns solid rewards, has fantastic benefits (like the new $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal), and is easy to understand!

To hit the ground running, the magnificent welcome bonus will turbocharge your points earned — you’ll also earn up to 5x points:

• Earn 5 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all travel booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• Earn 3 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
• Earn 2 Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on all other travel worldwide
• Earn 1 Ultimate Rewards point per $1 everywhere else

4. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (Best For Priority Pass Lounges and Authorized User Benefits)

The Capital One Venture X card is Capital One’s premium rewards credit card, offering the ability to get cash-back rewards or luxury travel bookings depending on your preference!

Earn up to 10x Capital One miles per dollar spent in the following categories:

• 10x miles on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles on flights purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles on all other purchases

This credit card comes with $300 annual travel credit on bookings made through Capital One Travel, 10,000 bonus miles on your account anniversary every year, access to Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network, Hertz President’s Circle status*, a Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee credit, and no foreign transaction fees.

If you add your significant other as an authorized user, that individual will get access to Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network, Hertz President’s Circle status, and more.

You’ll get terrific travel coverage, including trip cancellation and interruption protection, baggage delay reimbursement, trip delay reimbursement, and auto rental collision damage waiver.

Lastly, make use of the return protection, extended warranty protection, and cell phone insurance.

5. Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express (Best for Cash-Back at U.S. Supermarkets, U.S. Gas Stations & U.S. Streaming Services)

The Amex Blue Cash Preferred card is American Express’s flagship cash-back credit card. This credit card boasts some of the highest cash-back rewards in the business designed to help you save big on everyday expenses.

To start off, this card earns you a solid welcome bonus — also, get up to 6% cash-back:

• 6% cash-back at U.S. supermarkets on up to $6,000 per year in purchases (1% after that) and on select U.S. streaming subscriptions
• 3% cash-back at U.S. gas stations and on transit (includes taxis, rideshares, parking, tolls, trains, buses, and more)
• 1% cash-back on other purchases

What you’ll notice is that this credit card offers amazing cash-back rewards for couples who generally spend most of their money on in-home entertainment (streaming), groceries for eating in (U.S. supermarkets), and commuting (U.S. gas stations and transit).

So if you’re a big saver who primarily goes to work, cooks at home, and stays indoors, then this card is a massive boon for you.

6. Citi Premier^® Card (Good for Bonus Points)

The Citi Premier card offers incredible travel rewards. If you’re looking to rack up a ton of points and don’t have much of an eye for travel benefits such as insurance and lounge access, this is the best choice for you and your partner.

In addition to an eye-opening welcome bonus, you’ll earn:

• 3x ThankYou Points per $1 spent on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and at gas stations
• 1x points per $1 spent everywhere else

Other perks include the $100 annual hotel savings benefit, which gets you $100 off of a single hotel stay of $500 or more, excluding taxes and fees, when booked through thankyou.com or over the phone at 800-THANK-YOU (once per calendar year).

You can also enjoy benefits from World Elite Mastercard, Citi Concierge, and Citi Entertainment, plus purchase protection, extended warranty, and zero liability fraud protection. This card has no foreign transaction fee and no annual fees for authorized users.

7. Chase Sapphire Reserve^® (Great Premium Travel Card)

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card is one of our favorite credit cards for couples and young adults, particularly those that eat out often, travel a lot, and use Lyft.

Looking at this card, there’s an awesome welcome bonus to incentivize you to sign up for this card, in addition to all-around solid earning categories of up to 10x points:

• 10x Ultimate Rewards points on car rentals, hotels, and dining booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• 10x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2022
• 5x Ultimate Rewards points on airfare booked via the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal
• 3x Ultimate Rewards points on all other travel and dining purchases
• 1x Ultimate Rewards points on all other purchases

Your 10x, 3x, 5x, and 1x Ultimate Rewards points are worth an approximate return on spending of 20%, 10%, 6%, and 2%, respectively.

Plus, the best benefit is the $300 annual travel credit every card anniversary year!

In addition, this card entitles you to the following extra benefits:

• Priority Pass Select membership (activation required)
• Complimentary DoorDash DashPass membership (activate by March 31, 2022)
• Complimentary Lyft Pink membership, which also includes Grubhub+ and Seamless+
• Access to the Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection
• Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fee credit

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card comes with no foreign transaction fees and offers the best travel insurance on a credit card, including primary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption coverage, trip delay reimbursement, baggage delay reimbursement, lost luggage insurance, roadside assistance, emergency evacuation and transportation, emergency medical and dental coverage, travel accident insurance, and more.

Final Thoughts

All in all, your focus should be to find the best all-around rewards credit card for your situation. Try to earn the most valuable points by following the points programs of Chase, Amex, and Citi.

Leverage your spending habits (and those of your partner) to rack up points using the right credit card. But if you’re looking for cash-back, there are options for you, too.

The next step is to go ahead and open that shiny new credit card you’ve been eyeing!

For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

Enrollment required through Capital One website or mobile app. Upon enrollment, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024.  Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier.  Additional terms apply.

For rates and fees of the American Express^® Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card^® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Cash Preferred^® Card from American Express, click here.