Now, American Express has loosened its grip on the Black card ever so slightly.
If you’re not familiar with the Centurion Card, you’re not alone. There’s an air of mystery surrounding the card’s perks, but what sets the card apart from others is the personal concierge service it offers cardholders. You may get a glimpse of what it’s like to be a cardholder in Reddit posts or occasional articles. Delivering ice for your drinks, dropped off by helicopter to a remote island resort, is just one example of the lengths a Black card concierge will go to.
According to American Express, “We go above and beyond to help you from planning a vacation to dealing with an emergency.” However, that’s just the beginning of what you can ask for. According to a former concierge, if it’s legal, the team will stop at nothing to fulfill your request.
Exclusivity The card isn’t available to everyone. In fact, even individuals with an excellent credit score and a long, positive track record with American Express may not be selected to apply. One thing’s for certain: You’ll need to be an existing American Express cardholder to qualify. The rest relies on the financial institution’s secret criteria. Black card holders tend to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on the card per year. High spending isn’t an official requirement to receive an invitation, but if you plan on getting on the Centurion team’s radar, six-figure annual spending is the best way. Card types There are two types of Centurion cards: the personal Black card and business version. It may be easier to qualify for the business card. As with other corporate cards by American Express, a Black business card will reflect on your personal credit report and not the company’s. Membership fee The Centurion card annual fee is the highest of all credit cards on the market. You’ll need to pay a one-time initiation fee of $10,000 on top of a $5,000 annual fee just for the privilege of having a Black Card. Plus, adding other cardholders costs an extra $2,500 each per year. In comparison, the Platinum Card’s annual fee is $695 per year for many of the same services. The main difference could be the higher level of personal concierge services; it takes a large staff to hunt down hard-to-find products, tickets, and reservations. Rewards You’ll earn the same level of rewards other American Express cardholders earn. The Black card doesn’t accrue Membership Rewards Points any faster than other American Express cards. Concierge Centurion cardholders are typically assigned a personal concierge, available 24/7. You’ll have a direct line to the person, who can serve as a personal assistant to handle nearly anything you need. However, there’s a whole team behind the scenes dedicated to handling Centurion cardholder requests. As you can imagine, some requests can be time-consuming, such as locating the latest game console days before Christmas. To request consideration for an invite, you’ll need to enter:
Your first and last nameExisting American Express card account numberFour-digit security code found on the front of your American Express card
If you’re looking for a premium card with excellent travel-related perks, the Black card isn’t too different from the Gold card or Platinum card by American Express. In addition, you won’t earn any more Membership Rewards points than what you’d get with the other cards. Unless you rely heavily on the stellar concierge service for the Black Card, it may not be worth it. Keep in mind that American Express is extremely selective of who it offers a Centurion card to. You may not even receive an invitation after you have informed American Express that you’re interested.
