Credit cards offer users a great deal of flexibility in allowing them to purchase items without paying cash at the time because they can pay the bill at a later date.
These benefits can be extended by cardholders to immediate family members in the United Arab Emirates if they choose the option of adding supplementary cards to their existing primary credit card.
Supplementary credit cards are essentially extra credit cards that are issued under the main card and can be given to family members such as spouses, parents and children over the age of 18.
Supplementary credit cards can be issued according to certain terms and conditions that the cardholder must agree to, with different UAE banks offering a different number of supplementary cards.
All supplementary credit cards issued under one main card are directed to the same account, where those dues must be paid from.
Primary cardholders can set a limit on supplementary cards obtained from some lenders in the UAE, which can be less than the credit limit of the primary credit card.
The same limits can be applied to the withdrawal of cash.
Reward points can also be earned by supplementary credit cards.
The reward points are likely to be the same as the main card, as will the transaction amount and the repayment policy.
Reward points earned by supplementary credit cards will be added to the account of the primary cardholder, with redemption possible on a consolidated basis in order to gain higher benefits.
Access to airport lounges for those who hold a supplementary credit card is only permitted by certain card issuers in the UAE, though the same benefits are given to both primary and supplementary cardholders by some card lenders.
Those who want complimentary cardholders to have the same benefits should discuss the issue with their bank to ensure that they receive supplementary cards that supply the same benefits.
No matter how many supplementary cards are issued, just one single credit card statement will be issued to the primary cardholder by the bank in question.
Supplementary cards are all linked to the primary credit card, which records all transactions, defaults, penalties, bill payments and late payments that are made by the users of the supplementary cards.
There is not a separate credit score for supplementary credit cardholders, with their credit score being linked to the primary cardholder account.
There are different methods to use and criteria that need to be met for every bank for users wanting to request a supplementary credit card.
Supplementary credit cards can only be applied for by primary cardholders, but back-up documentation on the family members who would be receiving the supplementary cards will also need to be submitted.
Applications for supplementary credit cards can be made by calling customer care, visiting the local branch of your bank, or via internet banking.
Supplementary credit cards can help to reduce expenses by avoiding the maintenance costs for other credit cards for family members, while also providing them with financial independence.
