Add-on Credit Cards Explained: Features, Benefits, How to Apply?

Credit Credit Education
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In case you have doubts and queries regarding Add-on Credit Cards, then you have come to the right place. In today’s post, I will discuss Add-on Credit Cards, their features, and their Benefits! Let’s get started.

What is an Addon Credit Card?

In short, an Addon Credit Card is an additional Credit Card that banks issue under your direct family member’s name. You, whom the main credit card is issued, are called the ‘Primary Cardholder’, while your addon-card user is called the ‘Addon Cardholder’.

Addon Cardholder can be anyone from your direct family: Your mother or father, your brother or sister, your spouse, your son or daughter.

Addon Credit Cards extend the primary credit card benefits to addon cardholders. Since it is a separate card, it replicates all the features of the primary card.

The primary credit card and addon credit cards share the same limits across all the cards. However, only the primary credit card is billed at the end of the billing cycle, and the primary cardholder has to pay for the same.

Benefits of Having Addon Credit Card:

  1. Addon Credit Cards are basically a copy of the primary credit card, with a different credit card number and CVV. So, with an addon credit card, you enjoy twice the benefits assigned to your primary credit card.
  2. During online e-commerce sales on Amazon and Flipkart with bank discounts on specific credit cards, you can use each card separately since they are having different card numbers. Hence you get maximum benefits.
  3. If you have Airport or Railway lounge access on your primary card, you get additional lounge access separately against each add-on card.

For example, say your credit card has 4 Free Airport Lounge Access, and suppose you are traveling with your spouse. In case you have an Addon Card with you, both of you can enjoy the lounge access together.

  1. Your add-on cardholder can take their card out for dining, traveling, shopping, etc, just like you. Your family members can take the card to use on their purchases and you will earn reward points, if any, for the same.

  2. Last but not the least, in most cases, addon cards have no annual charges. So, it makes sense to have them. Why would you miss out on so many offers when you are already paying for the primary card?

Addon Credit Card Charges:

Generally, All Major Banks issue Add-on Credit Cards for Lifetime Free. Only the primary card is charged. However, there are exceptions, where a separate joining fee may be charged for some banks, such as some ICICI bank credit cards.

Frequently Asked Questions about Addon Credit Card:

Q: Does Add-on Credit Cards have different Credit Card Numbers?

Ans: Yes, for most banks, Addon Card will have a different card number and CVV, so it will be treated as a fresh card by any merchant. The only exception to this is HDFC Credit Card, which issues the same card number and CVV for addon cardholders also.

Q: Who pays the bills for Addon Card?

Ans: There won’t be any separate billing for the addon credit card. The addon credit card will be billed to the primary card only. A combined, single bill will be generated for the primary card, which needs to be paid by the primary cardholder alone.

Q: Will Addon Card Holder’s Credit Score be Affected?

Ans: No. Addon cardholders’ credit scores won’t be impacted at all. All the card usage, billing, and repayments are reported to the primary cardholders’ credit profile only.

Basically, the primary cardholder guarantees the usage of both the primary and add-on credit cards. In case of bills are not paid on time, the credit score of the primary cardholder will be impacted.

Exceptions: American Express issued Addon Credit Cards, Standard Chartered, HSBC, and Citibank Addon Credit Cards reports addon cardholder usage to their respective CIBIL profiles. So, if anyone is applying for addon credit cards against these banks, their CIBIL score will be affected.

Q: Will there be additional charges for Addon Credit Card?

Ans: For most banks, Addon Cards are issued as Lifetime Free Cards.

How to Apply for Addon Credit Card?

The application for Addon Credit Card varies from Bank to Bank. In case you are using a credit card, you can enquire with your bank to know more.

In very short, it requires you to fill up a form, and submit the KYC documents for the Addon Cardholder, and banks will issue addon credit cards after verification. The total number of addon credit cards that you can apply also varies from bank to bank.

I have written detailed guides to apply for add-on credit cards for the following banks:

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