American Express Membership Rewards - BA AmEx - Additional card for non-UK relative

I am the main cardholder of BA PP Amex card (which is limited to the UK residents, or at least this matters to the main cardholders).
Just wonder if I can give additional card to my mum living in the US....
In fact, T&C does not say anything prohibitive on the additional cardholder residence. But they do ask for the address.... Would that put red light on my application?

Any thoughts or your own experience is very welcome
Many thanks!
mishkira

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would be wary of putting much non-Sterling expenditure on the card in view of the 2.75% (? %age) surcharge for non-Sterling expenditure.

Sure extra miles would be useful, but bear in mind the potential cost

I don't know the answer to your question, but I would be wary of putting much non-Sterling expenditure on the card in view of the 2.75% (? %age) surcharge for non-Sterling expenditure.

Sure extra miles would be useful, but bear in mind the potential cost

sure, but we dont plan to use the card to withdraw the money (in this case 2.75% surcharge is definately taken at every transaction). we would use it for general shopping at local tescos & asdas...
I have used my Amex abroad many times but I never notices any extra charges on the statements afterwards..... :confused: Are we mixing 2 things here? :)

... Are we mixing 2 things here? :)

Look at the Foreign Charges paragraph in the Important Information on your statement (helpfully in small print at the end :( )

There's a long screed ending up with the 2.73% figure (my memory was at fault when I suggested 2.75% ;) ). This is included in the amount posted to your account, so most people won't be aware of the surcharge. Effectively £100 is costing you £102.73.

This doesn't apply to Sterling transactions, so your Tesco and Asda shopping is safe :) .

Cash is even more expensive - 3% I think, though I've never used that service - which would total 5.73%.

Here is where I mention my Nationwide Visa card - 0% surcharge for non-Sterling transactions as well as 0.5% cashback :) . I use it all the time for personal expenditure outside the UK.

Look at the Foreign Charges paragraph in the Important Information on your statement (helpfully in small print at the end :( )

There's a long screed ending up with the 2.73% figure (my memory was at fault when I suggested 2.75% ;) ). This is included in the amount posted to your account, so most people won't be aware of the surcharge. Effectively £100 is costing you £102.73.

This doesn't apply to Sterling transactions, so your Tesco and Asda shopping is safe :) .

Cash is even more expensive - 3% I think, though I've never used that service - which would total 5.73%.

Here is where I mention my Nationwide Visa card - 0% surcharge for non-Sterling transactions as well as 0.5% cashback :) . I use it all the time for personal expenditure outside the UK.

Roger, I do believe what you are saying (and I cannot check the small shrift right now) but same time I perfectly know that my hotel bill is not increasing at the moment when I give my amex card to the hotel check-out person (as it would increase if Amex would apply their charge...). The amount I am charged is absolutely the same one whether I pay with Nationwide (I do use it for cash withdraws abroad) or Amex. As Amex does not add up that extra charge in a separate line of the monthly statement (as it happens for cahs withdraw) - I cannot really see how that change is paid by me.... :confused:

Hi, Mishkira.

We can only be guided by our own experience. If you are paying the same in Sterling for amounts charged in say USD with a UK-issued AmEx card as with a Nationwide Visa credit card, you are on to a good thing.

My own experience differs. AmEx conversions to Sterling are consistently worse than with my Nationwide Visa. I'm talking about hotel/car hire/retail etc transactions, not cash advances, by the way.

It would be interesting to hear others' experiences.

But I think you have the main answer to your question, which is that you can indeed have an authorised cardholder outside the UK!

I think I got your point (finally! :) )
have a nice weekend and thanks for advise!

My own experience differs. AmEx conversions to Sterling are consistently worse than with my Nationwide Visa. I'm talking about hotel/car hire/retail etc transactions, not cash advances, by the way.

It would be interesting to hear others' experiences.

I work in foreign exchange and whenever I travel on business, my business expenditure goes on a (Corporate) Amex Card, and my personal expenditure goes on a Nationwide Visa card. With transactions on the same day on both cards, I see that the Amex rate is 2½% to 3% worse than the Nationwide rate, proving the 2.73% Amex commission. Furthermore, the Nationwide rate is always within the interbank spot rate trading range for the day the transaction reaches my account.

I now also have a Lombard Direct MasterCard, useful for those very rare occasions when MasterCard is accepted but not Visa. Like Nationwide, they charge no commission on non-GBP transactions, but there's no cashback.

See here (http://www.nicholashodder.com/scams.htm#credcardfx).