The Ultimate Bling – Black Amex Centurion

yes, the centurion cards (black cards) are made out of titanium here in the US. i just used one with my friend. it is heavy and very deadly as well (especially the edges as it can be used as a weapon). the old black cards were not like this. the UK ppl above still don't have their facts straight.

Hi,
I last saw a Black AmEx today, and before that, yesterday. I see one infact EVERYDAY! I am English, and live in the UK, so unless you guys in the States have new ones and we don't, they are not titanium. Most people i know would be furious with AmEx for making them like this if they cause so many problems. They are great at the moment, especially for booking restaurants and securing good football tickets. I would not pay $2500 a year for one, but i know for certain that the fees can be waived.
John you seem very aggressive when you talk and reply to people! When was the last time you saw one, truthfully?

Just found out from talking to a csr that this card is no longer invite only. Anyone spending alot of money with their amex is welcome to apply There is a line you can call to apply, ask your amex platinum rep and they'll transfer you. Of course they put you under financial review first, but If you qualify, u can get one.

Whoops, one more thing: although invitations are more commonly sent out, you can call Platinum card's concierge if you feel your spending justifies ownership of a Centurion and be transfered to the application process. Unfortunately, I won't be doing that for another 40 years.

I currently hold an Amex Platinum which carries all the same benefits you described. Centurion just offers a little more. For example, booking a Mansion at MGM Grand with Platinum gets you a $500 credit, Centurion is $750, Centurion hardholders get a free hotel stay at any Mandarin Oriental once per year, etc.

On the topic of concierge, Platinum's has been very useful to me. It's not just a google search. I asked them once to track down a rare sake the name of which I had forgotten but only remembered how much it cost at the restaurant I had it at. They were able to find it in San Franciso, have it shipped to me, and have it charged right to my card. Pretty sweet.

So is Centurion really worth $2100 more than what I pay for Platinum when I'm already getting 95% of the benefits? Oh yes, if for no other reason than to smack that titanium on the counter and let the world know you've made it ;-).

My partner (the owner of www.MarketModel.com, I just work there ;-) ) has one of these. Personally, I think it is nuts to spend $2500 a year for the annual fee, but he claims it is worth it. Of course, it is a pain for the waitresses when we go out to eat(he puts everything on the card so he will make sure he meets the minimum spending limit ;-) ) since the card won't slide through the credit card processing machine. However, I think he gets an ego boost when they come back and tell him they have never seen that card before.

They should make it out of carbon fiber instead and solve the scanner problem.

I have one of these. I got my invitation last year. $2500 is a lot of money to spend on anything, let alone an annual fee, but I decided to try it out for a year and see if it is worth keeping. Before I applied, I did alot of research to see what perks were worth $2500. Here is a breakdown on why this card is worth it to me.

1) Club/VIP level Membership for virtually every hotel/Airline/Car Rental.
( Free Room/Car Upgrades + Late Checkout/Car Return )
This alone is worth it if you travel alot.

2)I went on a cruise to Alaska last summer with my family. 3 rooms.
( $500 Ship credit + Free Room upgrades from Balcony to Mini-Suite + Large fruitbasket! in my Stateroom! )

3)Membership fee is tax deductable

Those things added up comes close to paying for the card already. Not to mention the usual 2-4-1 International Flights, which I have never used before.

I did however use the concierge once when I was in Hongkong. 12 Hours before my flight back home, my father wanted me to bring back some things (Chinese medicine, herbs, etc.) Also I had a few things to get but did not have time. I called the concierge at night time and in the morning, there was a nice shopping bag waiting for me at checkout. I had also requested some nice cohiba robusto cubans to be waiting for me at my gate (I think conceirge arranged it with one of the Duty free shops inside the terminal).

There's a sucker born every minute. My favorite credit card pays me every time I use it, because the credit card companies are already skimming a few percent of every purchase I make. The idea of wasting $2,500 in annual fees on a "status card" is something that would only appeal to the very stupid or the incredibly vain.

That is crazy. Thanks John for the post on it. Wonder how you get it...

Karate Dave

Wow, David. 2% is pretty good. Which card is that?

You need to add it to your arsenal or you can't achieve pimp status

I like my Debit Card. I will be a rebel and not build credit. Its so much easier than writing a check at the end of the month

I like my 2% cash-back Visa. I started with a $500 cash limit as a college student and have worked up significantly from there...Now if only they would raise the cash-back percentage...

I remember watching a show on TLC (I think) that followed one of these card holders around and the treatment was top notch. They basically got whatever they wanted and Amex went out of their way to get them deals, travel plans, etc.

It is a lot like the treatment that the really high rollers (whales) get when they come to Vegas.

I can see why some people would enjoy an essentially limitless credit card, but I can't justify paying the $2500 annual fee. I refuse to pay any sort of annual fee for any credit card.

"The Centurion is made of pure titanium, is surprising heavy, and sets off airport metal detectors...Being noticed is what the Centurion card is all about."

mmmm, favorite pass time of the rich and famous :D

I work at a hotel and I have seen and touched the card. Its pretty cool. The concierge part seems stupid since the concierge probably just Googles things and then spits them back at you.

Tyler sounds like a dick, man.

blah. the Amex conceirge really doesn't help much, esp. if you travel a lot. A good conceirge at the local high-end hotel (+ nice tip) will definitely help better.

Request to Amex conceirge to obtain a table at a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan was answered, with a "hmmm, uhhh...sorry."

That would help for my plans for CES 2008.

Buy a custom made gold plated Murcielago limo with a Swarovski covered pickup, which will be used for my stripper entourage, while my monkey driver - with a white tuxedo - pours Crystal all over the strip :)

Lucas, don't worry, you're not the only one ;)

Derrich, you almost made me believe you did have one ;)

You mean you don't have one, John? Aw, man...you need to get one they're great!!!

So I've heard.

This made me think of Bling H2O for some reason (http://www.thisnext.com/item/7CF2838B/878CC3E2/Bli...). A water bottle covered in Swarovski crystals. So, so unnecessary.

And by the way, I think I could spend $250k a year on my American Express. I just wouldn't be able to pay off about $245k of it. ;)

Im with you martinez, platinum is getting old, i engrave my business cards on platinum these days...

HMTKSteve, I think this is what they mean by once you go black you never go back. ;)

When they said "black card", I always thought those rappers were talking about something else...

That is one overpriced sexy credit card, pretty expensive, but that personal assistant thing does sound interesting, I'm afraid I wont qualify though ;)

Platinum is old news, plutonium is in. Watch Bow Wow steal my line; dam rappers always jacking my lines. (LOL)

My aunt and uncle both have Centurion cards. In fact I found out because they bought me a plane ticket to come out and see them in London a few months ago, and the itinerary said "Thanks for using your American Express Centurion Card".

Needless to say, I don't think they have any problems spending $250k a year on the card.

I appreciate you scratching my surname off of that John ;)

It fits nicely in my 24k gold wallet actually.

Sooo.. ya..

Anyway that's the infamous black card huh? Pretty spiffy, if I only had $250,000 that I could spend per year without being in debt!

Nate, you mentioned that you have swiped quite a few but John indicated the numbers had to be entered manually.

While I understand the appeal of the prestige, I am too cheap to pay a $2500 fee even if I could afford it.

The centurion name is pretty sweet...

Thanks for the heads up on the amount to spend John. With the black card, I can buy a new murciealago have a whole month to enjoy it before my accoutant a.k.a. wife screams my head off. For those thinking she would find out when I bring it home, I would just rent a garage and hide it like mistresses :).

waaaaw, that card is looking hot.

I wish one day, I can have 1

Is this card really worth the $2500 annual fee? I guess it would be for people that travel a lot with those free companion tickets.

FT

WOW it is true...!!!

Hey, you blurred out the numbers!

Amex Plat and Amex Black offer the same exact services and both in most cases have no preset limits.

I have swiped plenty of those at the Apple Store...they are so damn heavy and THICK you could seriously use one as a weapon! Yikes! Me wants!

I thought American Express stopped giving these out? Anyone else hear that?

i was just recalling that little bow wow quote where he says " i aint gotta act hard, im under 21 with a black card" or somthing to that effect.

The Black Card is pretty sweet. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself.

Rappers...Kanye West, rather...call it the "African American Express".

Someday... Hopefully someday. Any idea if they offer these to businesses?

And.. Hate heavy wallets and this is no light thing either ... MasterCard/VISA cards serve the need for most !

Hmm.. Am sure there must be some reasonable benefits other than getting the free stuff you mention - tickets etc etc...

If I am spending 250K on my credit card a year I probably already have ways and means to get these tickets etc - looks like it has more problems that features !