Authorised Users with same card number
Jul 25, 2013 | 6:49 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 50
Does anyone know of a USA based personal MC or Visa card that will issue additional cards with different numbers? My specific need is for a family member that has household staff and would like to break out each staff member purchases. I had to resort to a business card product
Jul 25, 2013 | 10:47 pm
#17
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Intermountain West
Programs: Too many to list
Posts: 12,743
In my experience, this is usually only the case with Amex cards. With Mastercards and Visas the numbers on all the cards are the same (both primary and authorized users), but the names are different. At least this is the case with my current Amex accounts - different numbers on each card - as opposed to my Visa and Mastercards where the numbers are all the same.
Jul 26, 2013 | 8:19 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: ORD
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 110
All three of my Aadvantage Executive Mastercards have the same number. My daughter spent a year at King's College in London (the card never seemed to cool off) and her UK charges never impacted our ability to charge on the same card number in the U.S.
No problem reaching $40,000 12-month spend for 10,000 EQM that year...
No problem reaching $40,000 12-month spend for 10,000 EQM that year...
Jul 26, 2013 | 8:46 am
#19
Join Date: Nov 2007
Programs: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Hilton Honors Diamond, Delta Gold
Posts: 6,643
See previous posts and responses below:
reclusive46 - sorry I didn't notice your question. Personally, this hasn't occurred to me, but it did to my parents many times where they sometimes go abroad separately. I don't recall them mentioning that it should ever be an issue. Right now, they switched to using Amex Plat so each card has a different number, but in the past they had a Visa with no forex fee.
In my experience:
However, if a card is swiped the issuer can determine which card was used, even if the embossed number is the same, and there should be no problem with cards being used in different shops, cities or countries simultaneously.
- Business accounts assign a unique number to each card. Any issuer, any network: Amex, MasterCard or VISA.
- Personal accounts issued by American Express assign a unique number to each card.
- Personal accounts issued by other US based banks, even if Amex-network, typically assign the name number to all cards on the same account.
However, if a card is swiped the issuer can determine which card was used, even if the embossed number is the same, and there should be no problem with cards being used in different shops, cities or countries simultaneously.
Jul 5, 2025 | 5:40 pm
#20
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: SFO/LAX/SAN/LAS/DFW/JFK/LGA/EWR/MIA
Posts: 1,556
In my experience:
- Business accounts assign a unique number to each card. Any issuer, any network: Amex, MasterCard or VISA.
- Personal accounts issued by American Express assign a unique number to each card.
- Personal accounts issued by other US based banks, even if Amex-network, typically assign the name number to all cards on the same account.
good to see someone like MIA knows what theyre talking about.
altho adding AUs is discussed often, i never see the finer details like card number / online access / management etc.
for anyone like me discovering this post, FYI:
amex + barclays + cap1 (personal) - all different accnt numbers. this is ideal.
but all other personal bank cards give same copy info as the primary user. i hate this so much. bofa citi WF USB discover etc all do this.
at least all business cards have different numbers. i have not seen any bank issue employee cards w/ same info as primary. that would be stupid.
also, amex def has the best online support for AU management w/ settings. cap1 is not bad either. not sure which one is the most terrible tho. chase and USB kinda suck.
Jul 6, 2025 | 11:37 am
#21
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Greater Chicagoland Area
Programs: frontier Elite, Hertz PC
Posts: 1,802
Comenity Caesars Rewards
Citi Retail Shop Your Way
Jul 6, 2025 | 12:45 pm
#23
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,864
Jul 7, 2025 | 7:09 am
#24
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 373
Many HSA (health savings account) debit cards are like this. There is no such thing as a joint (or even family) HSA account (though a family contribution limit exists), so whoever opened the account gets their name on the account and dependents (spouses, kids, etc) who might need to use the funds get an identical card to the primary, only they are supposed to sign the back. And share the same PIN, IIRC. Crazy.
Jul 8, 2025 | 5:56 pm
#25
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Seat 21C on UA
Posts: 988
I've always wondered if two people using the same card number as an AU, would hit a fare cap on transit twice as fast, like in NYC or London. Since they both have the same CVV and Exp Date, why wouldn't the system recognize it as the same card. As long as they don't travel together, the system thinks its two different trips each time?
Not that I encourage this type of behavior, just out of curiosity...
Not that I encourage this type of behavior, just out of curiosity...
Jul 8, 2025 | 7:40 pm
#26
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,864
Even though the account number, expiration date, and CVV are the same, the contactless chips are not identical.
Jul 9, 2025 | 6:35 am
#27
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 373
Previously it was mentioned about hitting fare caps, but the place where I think it would be particularly bad is those transit systems that track your in & out places. Once card X has entered at a location, they can't enter again without exiting (so it knows what fare to charge). So if person A with card number X enters and their significant other with AU card X tries to enter behind them, it might not work.
Again, this assumes that someone used the card number as the key in the database, but I'm also certain there is a system out there where this at least WAS a problem at some point.
Last edited by jdsva; Jul 9, 2025 at 6:36 am Reason: typo
Jul 9, 2025 | 7:32 am
#28
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,316
so interesting to see this post from 12 yrs ago. wow.
good to see someone like MIA knows what theyre talking about.
altho adding AUs is discussed often, i never see the finer details like card number / online access / management etc.
for anyone like me discovering this post, FYI:
amex + barclays + cap1 (personal) - all different accnt numbers. this is ideal.
but all other personal bank cards give same copy info as the primary user. i hate this so much. bofa citi WF USB discover etc all do this.
at least all business cards have different numbers. i have not seen any bank issue employee cards w/ same info as primary. that would be stupid.
also, amex def has the best online support for AU management w/ settings. cap1 is not bad either. not sure which one is the most terrible tho. chase and USB kinda suck.
good to see someone like MIA knows what theyre talking about.
altho adding AUs is discussed often, i never see the finer details like card number / online access / management etc.
for anyone like me discovering this post, FYI:
amex + barclays + cap1 (personal) - all different accnt numbers. this is ideal.
but all other personal bank cards give same copy info as the primary user. i hate this so much. bofa citi WF USB discover etc all do this.
at least all business cards have different numbers. i have not seen any bank issue employee cards w/ same info as primary. that would be stupid.
also, amex def has the best online support for AU management w/ settings. cap1 is not bad either. not sure which one is the most terrible tho. chase and USB kinda suck.
Jul 10, 2025 | 6:50 am
#30
Flyertalk Posting Legend Moderator: Credit Card Programs, American Express, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Diners Club, Eco Travel, Signatures
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA, IHG & Marriott Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 51,864