How to get the American Express Centurion Black Card

When you think of the once-mythical American Express black card, you may conjure images of the most fabulously wealthy people in the world plunking one down on the counter to pay for items that cost more than most Americans earn in a year – or possibly even in a decade.

The official name of the American Express “black card” is the Centurion® Card from American Express (not to be confused with the more recent MasterCard® Black Card™). The Centurion card is “once-mythical” because prior to 1999 it really was just a myth. Doug Smith, director of American Express Europe, told Snopes.com that “there had been rumors going around that we had this ultra-exclusive black card for elite customers. It wasn’t true, but we decided to capitalize on the idea anyway.” And thus the Centurion card was born.

How To Get a “Black Card”

You will not find an application for this card online, although you can read terms and conditions here. Rather, American Express will extend an invitation to customers who meet certain secret criteria. American Express will not confirm, but based on our research it is generally believed the requirements are to:

1. Use other American Express cards (browse American Express cards here)
2. Be an active cardholder for at least one year
3. Charge at least $250,000 per year (although some estimates are as high as $450,000)

Looking for a black credit card that’s made of metal? Check out this post about metal credit cards.

What It Costs

• Initiation Fee: $5000 – $7,500
• Annual Fee: $2,500

If you are one of the chosen few who receive an invitation to apply, you’ll have to pay these hefty fees. There is no interest rate because it’s not a credit card. Rather, it’s a charge card, so the balance must be paid in full each month. Although if you review the terms you’ll see some cards may have a feature that allows the cardholder to pay over time.

You’ll have to prove that you are worthy

How to Get a MasterCard® Black Card™

Unlike the Centurion card, anyone can apply for the The MasterCard® Black Card™. It’s a metal rewards card with several high-end travel benefits and a much lower annual fee than the Centurion card.

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• Annual Fee: $495
• Interest Rate: 15.99% Variable

Quick Card Facts

• Stainless Steel – Patented Card Design
• Luxury Card Rewards Program
• 2% Value for Airfare Redemptions
• 1.5% Value for Cash Back Redemptions
• 24/7 Luxury Card ConciergeTM
• Exclusive Luxury Card Travel Benefits
• $100 Annual Airline Credit Toward Qualifying Purchases
• $100 Global Entry Application Fee Credit
• Luxury Gifts
• Members-Only LUXURY MAGAZINE
• Annual Fee: $495 ($195 for each Authorized User)
• 15.99% Variable APR on Purchases and Transfers
• 0% Introductory APR on balance transfers made in the first 45 days after account opening

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What You Get — Is It Worth It?

Although you won’t know the exact benefits you’ll get with the Centurion card unless you receive an invite, you can consider the basic benefits that come with other American Express cards. American Express is secretive about most of the details, except to say they include “rare” travel, food and entertainment experiences. That may mean a coveted ticket to New York’s fashion week or a private box at the Superbowl.

Upgraded airline and hotel loyalty program status, such as Delta SkyMiles Platinum Medallion and Hilton HHonors Diamond, are rumored to be benefits of the Centurion card. However, there are other less prestigious cards that can help you earn these upgraded statuses without the huge annual fee.

Benefits are also rumored to include a luxury car rental service, with preferred pricing on exotic high-end vehicles like Lamborghinis, Bentleys and even Formula One racing cars.

The real value of membership may be in the form of personal services offered by the concierge. You can use the concierge for things like reminder calls prior to anniversaries and birthdays, personal shoppers, or tickets to sold-out events. Wild tales of the power of this card and the service it offers are common. Snopes relates several, including one of an American Express employee who traveled by motorcycle to retrieve a handful of sand from the shores of the Dead Sea for the school project of a cardholder’s child in London. Presumably, most cardholders should not expect that level of service. Indeed, cardholders in China are already complaining that the service is lacking and does not warrant the hefty annual fee.

Can I Get More Than One?

There was a time when a Centurion cardholder could get have up to 99 authorized users sharing the account, but that benefit is now over. As of a few years ago, cardholders are now limited to only 2 authorized users on a Centurion account, in a bid to make the card more exclusive.

Cardholders who had more than 2 authorized users when this rule went into effect will have their authorized users grandfathered in, meaning that they will be able to keep the extra cards.

If you check out the “Annual Membership” section of the Cardmember Agreement on American Express’ site, you’ll see that they offer Platinum Card and Gold Card options, sometimes with discounted annual fees, as additional cards for Centurion cardholders.

How Can I Destroy a Metal Credit Card?

This is a video we made for fun about ways to destroy a metal credit card. Want to see more options for metal credit cards that don’t cost $2500 per year? Check out this post.

Q&A Video: What Credit Cards Do Millionaires Use?

Annual Fees

With the popularity of the card combined with the explosion of wealth in new emerging markets around the world, the Centurion card has been made available to a host of countries worldwide. The reported annual fees vary from $2,000 to as high as $5,450 per year.

Is There a Grace Period? What’s the APR?

The Centurion card is a charge card. Charge cards typically requires any new balances to be paid in full by the due date after the closing date of a statement period. However, American Express appears to offer a Pay Over Time feature to some Centurion cardholders. See the Cardholder Agreement on American Express’ site to read more about these features.

Centurion Card Benefits

For a card that is incredibly hard to obtain, the benefits ought to match its world class reputation. Let’s explore just a few of the elite benefits afforded to Centurion cardholders.

24/7 Dedicated Personal Concierge Program

Need front row tickets to the hottest show of the year? How about extended shopping hours at your favorite luxury retailer? Need to charter a jet for a week away in the Maldives? No request is unreasonable for your personal Centurion concierge.

Automatic Premium Status at the World’s Leading Hotels

It’s speculated that Centurion cardholders are automatically upgraded to premium tier status at several hotel brands, including Ritz Carlton, Mandarin Oriental Four Seasons, and others.

Automatic Premium Status at Leading Auto Rental Outlets

Centurion cardholders presumably enjoy instant premium tier upgrades at several car rental outlets like Hertz, Avis, and others.

Automatic Premium Status at Leading Airline Carriers

One of the biggest reported perks in the companion ticket, global fee credits, and instant frequent flyer program upgrades just for being a Centurion cardholder.

Standing Reservations for Cardholders at Select Restaurants

Centurion cardholders are presumably entitled to standing reservation at fine dining establishments worldwide such as Nobu, Smith & Wollensky, and Per Se, among others.

No Pre-set Spending Limits

Perhaps the most well-known perk of the Centurion card is that it features no pre-set spending limit (also known as a credit limit). This can come in handy if you want to impulse-buy something expensive, like a $422 Million tea cup. Of course, charges must be paid off in full each month because it’s a charge card, though stories of extravagant purchases are common among cardholders.

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Kimberly Rotter contributed to this post.