Maximize Rewards with Authorized Users

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The Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® teams up with Citi and American Airlines to bring you this business card. Chock-full of nifty perks and rocking a sweet welcome bonus, it’s the prime moment to snag this card.

But here’s a twist when it comes to spending with this card—it plays by a different set of rules compared to most business credit cards. Let me pull back the curtain on this quirk, as many find it downright puzzling. Stick with me, though, and you might find a golden opportunity for yourself!

American’s Business Card Rewards Authorized Users

Typically, on personal or small business cards, the main cardholder reaps the rewards of the authorized user’s spending. Simply put, you’re paying the bills, and you’re cashing in on the perks. However, this isn’t the standard here. Rarely, you might find a corporate card that rewards employees, but with small business cards? Not so much. Many who are authorized users on business cards probably wish they could earn rewards for their own purchases.

Enter the Citi AAdvantage Business Card with a twist worth knowing, linking to American’s small business rewards program:

• All the miles an authorized user’s card earns? Straight to the AAdvantage Business account. The primary cardholder can decide how to dish them out.
• Here’s the kicker: Loyalty Points head to the authorized user’s AAdvantage account and don’t end up in the primary cardholder’s account.
• Sure, spending from both cardholder types counts toward welcome bonuses and other requirements, but perks? They’re just for the primary cardholder.

People spend big on American credit cards for Loyalty Points—they’re the ticket to elite status and rewards. And, yes, you can earn elite status just by spending with a credit card.

For main cardholders, take note: an authorized user’s spending won’t put you on the fast track to elite status. But remember, this peculiarity only lives on Citi’s co-branded AAdvantage business card. Barclays has a different take, but rumor has it, their card might vanish soon.

Is Rewarding Authorized Users a Good Policy?

If you’re a small business owner who loves seeing your employees rack up rewards for their spending, this setup might make you pause and reconsider. The thrill of collecting Loyalty Points isn’t something you’re savoring—at least not consistently. You’re covering the expenses AND missing out on the rewards action.

Flipping the coin, some business owners like seeing their employees rewarded, aligning more with corporate account practices. With flexibility on tap, your team earns Loyalty Points, and you can juggle AAdvantage miles where you fancy, acting as a potential incentive tool for your employees.

Most folks might not be fans of this policy. It’s unique, standing alone in the U.S. airline co-branded credit card market, dishing out rewards this way.

Double Dip Loyalty Points for a Limited Time

Listen up! While generally speaking, an offer lets some Citi AAdvantage Business Card members double dip. Uno Points for the user, an additional Uno for you—the cardholder. Sounds a bit too good, huh? Check your emails; you might have hit the jackpot. This extra perk is rolling until December 31, 2025.

It’s a tantalizing treat. Imagine an authorized user splashes out $200K on the card. Voilà! Both user and primary cardholder could snap up 200,000 Loyalty Points, strolling smoothly to Executive Platinum.

No guarantee it lands on every doorstep, but voices online suggest many are in on the surprise. This is precisely how I plan to secure my AAdvantage status this year.

Perhaps the policy will hang around longer, especially if cardholders aren’t tickled pink about points wandering solely to authorized users. Card firms, after all, are on the prowl to beef up their business card turf.

American Business Card Authorized User Logistics

Got questions swirling around authorized user logistics on the Citi AAdvantage Business Card? Let’s unravel it—adding users, linking their AAdvantage numbers… there’s a bit to chew over. Buckle up, and let’s dive in!

How to Add Authorized Users to the Card

Adding an authorized user isn’t bending forks with your mind—pretty straightforward, really. Two roads lead you there:

• When applying, toss in the users right then and there
• Post-application, hit your Citi account online, sail to “Services,” then “Credit Card Services,” slide over to “Card Management,” and drop by “Employee Users” to manually add an extra card

How to Link Authorized User AAdvantage Account Info

Here’s the head-scratcher for this card. When you bestow an authorized user with the Citi AAdvantage Business Card, linking their AAdvantage info so they snag those sweet Loyalty Points had us puzzled for a bit. There’s no box at the add-a-user stage asking for these details, so brace for the next steps.

I was baffled the first time, and the support at Citi didn’t clear the clouds right away. But here’s the scoop from my tale:

Patience is your best mate. An email will eventually find its way to the authorized user, welcoming or inviting them to the AAdvantage Business program. This email might sneak in days later or even lag until a new billing cycle pops up.

When the primary cardholder peeps into the AAdvantage Business account (separate from personal AAdvantage or Citi accounts), you’ll spot the authorized user if things align. Just hunt for the card logo by their name.

If they aren’t loafing there already, peek at the “Pending invites” top-right section. Success happens when the card logo appears happily beside their name.

For folks growing impatient, here are two tidbits:

• Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your email probs won’t fling over any faster than expected. Deep breaths!
• Rumor has it that spending before completing this process syncs correctly, point-wise. So rest easy there.

Bottom Line

The Citi AAdvantage Business Card serves up a mix bowl when rewarding authorized user activity. Points for the user, while the main play shifts into the central AAdvantage account for the primary cardholder to decide its fate.

Yet, a promotional twist might lure many—snagging Loyalty Points for both users AND cardholders! This dual win could intrigue even the skeptics out there.

What do you reckon about this authorized user rewards setup on the card?