Why should we apply for an AE supplementary cards? If you are currently an American Express (AE) card primary cardholder, have you thought about applying for supplementary cards for your family members? Do you know the difference between supplementary cards and additional cards? The number of supplementary cards that you can apply for your family depends on which AE card you own. If you are thinking about planning a family trip, how can you maximise the benefits from your main AE card and supplementary cards? Here’s what MoneySmart has to say.
The difference between a supplementary card and an additional card
Primary cardholders can apply for supplementary cards for his/her family or friends; those supplementary cards will share the same credit card limits, or the primary cardholder can set a limit for those cards separately. Everything else is associated with the primary cardholder’s account. The expenses are, of course, posted to the primary cardholder’s account on a monthly basis, as well as all the rebates from all eligible purchases.
On the other hand, an additional card acts as a clone to the main card; it is beneficial to the primary cardholder if he/she needs to separate the purchasing category. However, most AE cards now DO NOT offer the additional card services. If you need another card to track purchasing records, you can either apply for another new card or use a highlighter to mark them after receiving the statements on a monthly basis.
What benefits can supplementary cardholders enjoy?
Most supplementary cards can enjoy the same credit card benefits as the primary card, except for the welcome gift, which is designed to welcome new cardholders. However, other benefits, such as airport lounge access, travel insurance, restaurant discounts, shopping rebates, etc., are given to all cardholders with certain conditions.
For instance, if you love travelling and are also an AE card primary cardholder, you can apply for supplementary cards for your family members. Next time when you travel, even if you are not flying business class, you can use the credit cards to gain access to The Centurion Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, Priority Pass, etc., for airport lounge access, which will allow you to extend your travel experience right before you board the aeroplane.
Things to know before you apply for supplementary cards
- You can apply for supplementary cards for your children who are 16+ years old
- You can apply for supplementary cards for your boy/girlfriend
- If you hold a supplementary card but you have never applied for the primary card of the same card, you can still receive the welcome gift when you apply for the primary card
How many supplementary cards can AE primary cardholder apply for his/her relatives and friends?
| AE Card | Complimentary supplementary cards limit (annual fee FREE) |
| AE Platinum Card | 2 |
| AE Platinum Credit Card | 2 |
| AE Blue Cash Card | 2 |
| AE Explorer Card | 2 |
| AE Business Gold Card | 3 |
*Up to 4 complimentary Supplementary Cards applies to those who have become our Basic Platinum Card member on or before July 22, 2019. From 5th onwards, the annual fee would be HK$9,500 each.
For those who have become our Basic Platinum Card members on or after July 23, 2019 can get up to 2 complimentary supplementary cards. From 3rd onwards, the annual fee would be HK$9,500 each.
Which AE card offers complimentary airport lounge access?
| AE card | Complimentary airport lounge access |
| AE Explorer Credit Card | Primary cardholders and supplementary cardholders share a total of up to 8 times of free airport lounge access or designated restaurants in airports per annum
Basic card members can enjoy one free cocktail in Intervals Bar in the airport in a designated period |
| AE Platinum Credit Card | Unlimited access to The Centurion Lounge, AE Lounge, Delta Airline Sky Club, Priority Pass, Airspace, Escape Lounges, and Plaza Premium Lounge in any airport
Need to present a valid boarding pass of the day and your AE Platinum Card at the reception; each cardholder can take 2 guests into the mentioned airport lounges above without any charades |
| AE Platinum – The Peninsula Credit Card | Unlimited access to The Centurion Lounge in HK airport |
| AE Business Gold Card | Access to airport lounge twice per year |
How to get into an airport lounge with up to 9 people for FREE
If you travel a lot or are planning a family trip, when you own an AE Platinum primary card and apply for two supplementary cards for two of your family members, the three of you will be able to take up to 9 people into the airport lounge for free.
Other benefits this AE Platinum card offers are travel insurance, medical expenses, cancellation/curtailment/interruption of trip, loss of personal belongings/baggage, flight delay, and more.
- Miles Conversion (Overseas Spending)
- HK$6 = 1 Mile
- Miles Conversion (Local Spending)
- HK$9 = 1 Mile
- Discount at designated restaurants
- 40%
Enjoy the Hotel Collection benefits with your AE Platinum Card
One benefit that needs to be highlighted is The Hotel Collection program. When you book two consecutive nights’ stay at one of the selected hotels with your AE Platinum primary card or supplementary card, you can enjoy a US$100 hotel credit and a room upgrade when available.
MoneySmart believes this benefit is perfect for someone who plans to travel for a certain period of time and also does not have any elite hotel membership of any brands. If you use The Hotel Collection program, not only can you enjoy the hotel without being an elite member, but you can also try out all the hotel brands before you decide your favourite and which one you will be interested in becoming their lifetime member.
Travel Insurance from AE Explorer Card
Your AE Explorer Credit Card offers travel insurance. as long as you pay all your overseas travel expense with your AE Explorer Card, you are entitled to the following:
- Travel accident insurance up to HK$3,500,000 per annum
- Travel delay insurance up to HK$10,000 per annum
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- Min. Annual Salary
- HK$300,000
- Complimentary Plaza Premium Lounge Access
- 8 times per Calendar Year
- Miles Conversion (Eligible Foreign Currency Transaction)*
- HK$1.68 = 1 Mile
Using the “cooling period” to save the annual fee on the AE Explorer Card
As everyone knows, most credit cards have “annual fees,” and usually if you are a new customer, banks are more than happy to waive it for new customers in the first year as a token of appreciation. And if you read carefully, you are likely to find something like this in the fine print area:
A new cardholder means: Does not hold a principal AMEX credit card at the point of application and has not cancelled the same card in the past 12 months prior to application for a new card.
If we follow that rule, we will be able to save the annual fee and enjoy complimentary airport lounge access at the same time.
First year: Husband applies for the AE Explorer card and gets the welcome gift, then applies for a supplementary card for his wife. when they travel, they both can enjoy the complimentary airport lounge access to Plaza Premium Lounge from AE Explorer card
Second year: Wife applies for the AE Explorer card and gets the welcome gift while husband cancels his AE Explorer Card. Wife then applies for a supplementary card for her husband; when they travel, they both can enjoy the complimentary airport lounge access to Plaza Premium Lounge from the AE Explorer card.
Third year: start over from first year.
Which AE card waives the annual fee for the first year?
Here’s a list of 8 cards from American Express that waives the annual fee for the first year.
| AE card | Maximum annual fee be waived |
| AE Explorer Credit Card | Waive up to HK$2,200 |
| AE Blue Cash Credit Card | Waive up to HK$980 |
| AE I.T Cashback Card | Waive up to HK$980 |
| AE Essential Credit Card | Waivable |
| AE Gold Card | Waive up to HK$600 |
| AE Peninsula Gold Card | Waive up to HK$650 |
| AE Gold Card | Waive up to HK$650 |
| AE Business Gold Card | Waive up to HK$980 |
Which AE cards for foodies?
If you enjoy food and always seek promotion codes or discounts, then you should consider AE Explorer or Platinum Credit cards, because AE Explorer Credit Card offers 5x points (needs registration) when you dine and pay with AE Explorer Credit Card at designated restaurants. This is a fast trek for those who are keen to earn miles and redeem them for air tickets.
On the other hand, AE Platinum Card offers up to a 40% discount at designated restaurants for its primary cardholder and the supplementary cardholders.
Another AE Platinum Credit Card offers 3x points when you dine and pay with it at designated restaurants, but only up to HK$120,000; any related spending after HK$120,001 will only receive 1x point.
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