Can My Wife Apply for the Same Card in Her Own Name?

Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers.

Million Mile Secrets reader Steve Merchant commented:

Can I have my wife apply for a card in her name and get the bonus points?  Or are we considered as a family?

Yes!  A spouse, partner, or family member living with you can apply for the exact same credit cards and receive the sign-up bonuses!

Emily and I do this to earn more Big Travel with Small Money.  For example, we each have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, Ink Plus and other cards.  And we each got the sign-up bonus on the card!

But What If Your Partner Has a Limited Credit History?

If Steve’s wife hasn’t established enough credit history to get her own cards, she can start by being an authorized user of her husband’s cards.

This will help her establish a credit history and a good credit score.

Can an Authorized User Get the Bonus?

Yes, a parter who is already an authorized user on your card can apply for the same card in his or her own name.  And still get the sign-up bonus!

So Steve’s partner can get the same credit card which Steve has to earn more points!

Double Points 

If Steve’s wife is an authorized user on his Chase Sapphire Preferred card, she could still get a 40,000 point sign-up bonus when she applies for her own Sapphire Preferred card.

The 40,000 points Steve’s wife could get from the sign-up bonus would give them more Ultimate Rewards points to use for travel.

By getting her own card and the sign-up bonus, Steve’s wife would earn more points faster.

But, Steve’s wife would not get the sign-up bonus if she were a Joint User.  A Joint User is different from an authorized user because a Joint User is financially responsible for charges on the credit card.

And a Joint User usually CANNOT get the credit card sign-up bonus for him or herself again (unlike an authorized user who can get the bonus).

Bottom Line

Steve’s wife can get the sign-up bonus when she applies for a card in her own name even if she is an authorized user on his account.

Emily and I often apply for the same card, even when we’re authorized users on each other’s cards.  This way we double our sign-up bonus and get Big Travel with Small Money!