It’s an unfortunate reality that supplementary cardholders (and that’s supp. card for short; anyone who calls it a sub. card should face summary execution) usually can’t expect much when it comes to credit card benefits.
After all, banks prefer to focus on the ones who make money, and supplementary cardholders tend to be those who don’t qualify for credit cards in their own right— an unemployed partner, a retiree parent, a child going overseas for further studies.
But there are some cards which buck the trend by extending meaningful perks to supplementary cardholders, such as lounge access, dining discounts, and fast tracks to elite status.
In this post, we’ll explore the best supplementary card options available.
Ground rules of supplementary cards
Let’s begin by recapping a few basic rules for supplementary cards.
Does not affect new-to-bank status
Holding a supplementary card does not, by itself, disqualify you from being considered a new-to-bank customer for welcome offers.
There are two exceptions to this rule:
- American Express excludes current and historical (past 12 months) supplementary cardholders from its definition of a new-to-AMEX customer, ever since 31 July 2025
- Bank of China excludes current and historical (past six months) supplementary cardholders from its definition of a new-to-bank customer, though its welcome offers are extremely infrequent anyway (the last came in 2023)
No additional bonus caps
Supplementary cards do not have their own bonus caps.
For example, if a principal Citi Rewards Cardholder applies for a supplementary card, the 4 mpd cap of S$1,000 per statement month will be shared between both cards.
No impact on credit score
Supplementary cards have no impact on the credit score of the supplementary cardholder. If the supplementary cardholder’s bill is not paid, the principal cardholder is the one who takes the hit.
Likewise, paying off the supplementary cardholder’s bill on time and in full enhances the principal cardholder’s credit score.
Shared credit limit
Supplementary cards share the credit limit of the principal cardholder. This is why applications don’t require a further credit check— the bank isn’t issuing new credit, it’s simply redistributing an existing credit line.
However, the principal cardholder can customise a lower, specific monthly limit for each supplementary card (with the exception of Standard Chartered, which does not offer such a feature).
Transactions count towards minimum spend for welcome offers or other card benefits
Spending on supplementary cards is conceptually no different from the spending of the principal cardholder.
Therefore, it will count towards the minimum spend for welcome offers or other card benefits, e.g. the airport limo rides on the Citi Prestige and OCBC VOYAGE Card, or Accelerated Miles with the KrisFlyer UOB Credit Card.
There are two exceptions to this rule:
- Bank of China usually excludes supplementary cardholder transactions from counting towards the minimum spend for welcome offers
- There was a period in 2019 where UOB excluded supplementary cardholder transactions from counting towards the minimum spend for welcome offers. Fortunately, this is no longer the case
Must be at least 18
Supplementary cardholders must be aged 18 and above, though exceptions can be made for those accepted for overseas studies.
You’ll need to submit a letter of acceptance from an overseas educational institution if the applicant is below 18 years of age.
Which supplementary cards offer the best benefits?
AMEX Platinum Charge
 AMEX Platinum Charge |
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| Apply | |
| Supp. Card Application | |
| Supp. Card Fee | S$163.50 (2 cards free for life) |
| Supp. Card Benefits |
|
AMEX Platinum Charge supplementary cardholders receive largely similar benefits to principal cardholders, just without the hotel and dining vouchers or statement credits.
Supplementary cardholders get unlimited access to Centurion Lounges, International American Express Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs and Plaza Premium Lounges with up to two guests. The first supplementary cardholder also receives 8x Priority Pass visits (prior to February 2025, this was unlimited with one guest!).
There’s also Hilton Gold (which offers free breakfast), Marriott Bonvoy Gold (pretty useless), and other hotel elite status, plus Tower Club access, AMEX Love Dining, Chillax and Fine Hotels & Resorts privileges.
Two supplementary cards are offered free for life, and if you need more than two, I’d argue that S$163.50 is a rather good deal for all those benefits.
AMEX Platinum Credit Card
 AMEX Platinum Credit Card |
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| Apply | |
| Supp. Card Application | |
| Supp. Card Fee | S$163.50 (2 cards free for life) |
| Supp. Card Benefits |
|
While nowhere as impressive as the AMEX Platinum Charge, the cheaper AMEX Platinum Credit Card allows supplementary cardholders to enjoy Love Dining and Chillax privileges, together with complimentary golf, if that’s your sort of thing.
Two supplementary cards are offered free for life.
Citi Prestige Card
 Citi Prestige Card |
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| Apply | |
| Supp. Card Application | |
| Supp. Card Fee | All cards free for life |
| Supp. Card Benefits | |
The Citi Prestige doesn’t have a lot to offer supplementary cardholders, at least from the Citibank side. All the good perks, such as airport lounge access, airport limo transfers and the 4th Night Free benefit, are exclusively for principal cardholders.
However, it does belong to the World Elite tier, which means all supplementary cardholders can enjoy perks like elite status with several hotel chains, Avis President’s Club status, and an annual 3GB FlexiRoam data package.
| 🏨 Hotel Elite Status | |
| 🚗 Rental Car Elite Status | |
| 👍Other Perks |
All supplementary cards are free for life.
HSBC Premier Mastercard
 HSBC Premier Mastercard |
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| Apply | |
| Supp. Card Application | |
| Supp. Card Fee | 3 cards free for life |
| Supp. Card Benefits |
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The HSBC Premier Mastercard offers three supplementary cards free for life, each of which comes with an unlimited-visit Priority Pass membership.
Since the principal HSBC Premier Mastercard does not come with any lounge guesting benefits, issuing supplementary cards is the only way to share this privilege with family members.
Supplementary cardholders also enjoy World Elite Mastercard benefits.
StanChart Beyond Card
 StanChart Beyond Card |
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| Apply | |
| Supp. Card Application | |
| Supp. Card Fee | 4 cards free for life |
| Supp. Card Benefits |
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The StanChart Beyond Card offers four supplementary cards free for life, each of which comes with an unlimited-visit Priority Pass. A maximum of six guests can be brought per calendar year, an allowance that is shared among the principal card and all supplementary cards.
Supplementary cardholders also enjoy World Elite Mastercard benefits.
What about the rest?
Frankly speaking, that’s about it for supplementary card benefits (unless we go into the S$500K segment with the AMEX Centurion and HSBC Prive).
You might be wondering where the rest of the S$120K cards are. Well, unless I’ve missed something, there’s very little to get excited about here.
The OCBC VOYAGE Card used to offer unlimited lounge access for supplementary cardholders, but this was nerfed in 2024. Now, they receive only two visits per calendar year.
Any Visa Infinite card — such as the CIMB Visa Infinite, DBS Vantage, OCBC VOYAGE or UOB Visa Infinite Metal Card — will extend those benefits to supplementary cardholders too. However, Visa Infinite is rather underwhelming compared to World Elite Mastercard, with GHA DISCOVERY Titanium status the only real perk of note.
| 🏨 Hotel Elite Status | |
| 🚗 Rental Car Elite Status |
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| 👍Other Perks |
Conclusion
Supplementary cardholders are generally forgotten when it comes to benefits, but there are a handful of cards which try to show them the love nonetheless. If I had a HSBC Premier Mastercard or StanChart Beyond Card, for example, I’d certainly be looking to max out my supplementary card entitlement, in order to share the lounge benefits with as many people as possible.
Any other supplementary cardholder benefits worth highlighting?
As someone pointed out in your Telegram group, the GHA Fast track offer with Mastercard World Elite remains for the duration that the cardholder owns the card. Aren’t Citi Prestige suppl. card holders then also eligible for this? I know it’s not a Citi Prestige card benefit as such but more a Mastercard World Elite benefit. Yet, I think it’s still worth mentioning. Also, as far as I know, the 1:1 Haute Dinning offers with the Citi Prestige are open to suppl. card holders.
You’re right, it is an MC benefit hence not specifically a card benefit. Otherwise OCBC Premier Debit Card should be on there too, with all other World Elite MCs.
The GHA fast track is not a card benefit, it is a limited time offer. If we listed limited time offers it gets crazy, eg: amex supp card holders get 15% off NET-A-PORTER until October, Citi supp card holders get $10 return voucher at Dian Xiao Er until November upon payment.
i suppose we could also say that hotelux elite membership is also open to supp cardholders, but yeah the idea is to look at things which are product specific rather than network
Only family allowed for supp card?
u can supp to anyone but bear the bill if the anyone decided to go missing
Insurance for supp card is another plus point for Amex charge card.
Is the AMEX Platinum Charge supp card a metal card?
Amex seems to have nerfed their lounge access benefits. It’s now card holder + 1 guest for all lounges. (I.e. Main card holder + 1 guest, sup card #1 holder + 1 guest, sup card #2 holder + 1 guest…)