American Express Membership Rewards - AMEX Black Card!

Has anyone heard of this card? Is it true it's only by invitation only to get this card?

Yes, it is Invitation only. Min. $100K charges/yr

Has anyone heard of this card? Is it true it's only by invitation only to get this card?

Step 1. Search "Centurion"

Step 2. Read all 4 million posts about the card

Step 3. Do another search on "Centrurion" and read the additional 3 million posts that were added while you were reading the others.

P.S. No, you can't get around the spending requirement (per all 7 million posts). :D

I've had the card three months and was told at the time that the threshold was $150,000 per year. My business partner and I wanted it for the various companies offering elite status and switched some of our purchases onto our AMEX Platinum cards and my AMEX Starwood card. Called a few months later and asked where we stood. I was put on hold while they added up the last twelve months. It came to $147K and they said sure.

So far we've been happy - already had a number of air and hotel upgrades. Some of the items can be valued to see, at the end of the year, what type of dollar "bonuses" we got. Some of it will just be intangible. Looking at what we paid for Platinum and what we're paying for Centurion, it's probably a difference of $1,700 each per year. Time will tell.

In terms of how, I called the number on the back of the Platinum Card for Customer Service and told the rep I was interested in the Centurion card. She transferred me immediately. Not as secretive as some make it sound.

Finally, I value my Starwood points much more highly than I do the Membership Rewards points. AMEX doesn't care which card you use - as long as it totals $150K per year.

I've had the card three months and was told at the time that the threshold was $150,000 per year. My business partner and I wanted it for the various companies offering elite status and switched some of our purchases onto our AMEX Platinum cards and my AMEX Starwood card. Called a few months later and asked where we stood. I was put on hold while they added up the last twelve months. It came to $147K and they said sure.

So far we've been happy - already had a number of air and hotel upgrades. Some of the items can be valued to see, at the end of the year, what type of dollar "bonuses" we got. Some of it will just be intangible. Looking at what we paid for Platinum and what we're paying for Centurion, it's probably a difference of $1,700 each per year. Time will tell.

In terms of how, I called the number on the back of the Platinum Card for Customer Service and told the rep I was interested in the Centurion card. She transferred me immediately. Not as secretive as some make it sound.

Finally, I value my Starwood points much more highly than I do the Membership Rewards points. AMEX doesn't care which card you use - as long as it totals $150K per year.

Thanks for all that info. But no where did you say that you were invited? Damn, guess anyone can get it then, so long you spen at least $150K. I only thought only a select # of cards were out to be given. Guess not...Thanks...

The total of 150K/year is only the half truth. I know a couple ppl that never spend this amount of money.

I received an invite and never spend this amount - £50k top per year on my card, sometimes not even that.
Stevens397 - can i ask you about the airline upgrades...do you mean that you got automatic upgrades when flying rather than booking full fare seats to then get upgraded (usually IMO you can get cheaper seats in the class you're upgraded to by buying them directly at a cheaper fare than full fare price of the level below, without going through the whole upgarde shananigans). I haven't taken up the offer of Centurion as I don't think I even get value from the Platinum card.....but am I mad - should i be paying the extra and availing myself of a multitude of benefits that have genuine value that I haven't realised about?

cadogan - the cost of centurion in the uk is v good value - (i don;t have the card) but for £600 (for memory) the oriental 2 for 1 (i think) and a couple of Starwood upgrades has to cover that cost ontop of the full insurance you get for car hire etc in the states.. in comparison to plat
the cost diff in the states in quite a step up.

maybe the orig poster is talking about the BA amex which is BLACK (if you just want the colour) :D

cadogan - the cost of centurion in the uk is v good value - (i don;t have the card) but for £600 (for memory) the oriental 2 for 1 (i think) and a couple of Starwood upgrades has to cover that cost ontop of the full insurance you get for car hire etc in the states.. in comparison to plat
the cost diff in the states in quite a step up.

maybe the orig poster is talking about the BA amex which is BLACK (if you just want the colour) :D

Or how about driving a Bentley Continental GT around the test track are Crew, and lunch with the Bentley directors ? That's worth the annual fee alone.

I received an invite and never spend this amount - £50k top per year on my card, sometimes not even that.
Stevens397 - can i ask you about the airline upgrades...do you mean that you got automatic upgrades when flying rather than booking full fare seats to then get upgraded (usually IMO you can get cheaper seats in the class you're upgraded to by buying them directly at a cheaper fare than full fare price of the level below, without going through the whole upgarde shananigans). I haven't taken up the offer of Centurion as I don't think I even get value from the Platinum card.....but am I mad - should i be paying the extra and availing myself of a multitude of benefits that have genuine value that I haven't realised about?

So how were you able to obtain this and not even spend nearly $150K?

So how were you able to obtain this and not even spend nearly $150K?
Because, as a search would tell you, the $150k minimum is illusory.

Because, as a search would tell you, the $150k minimum is illusory.

I don't think they get it.. lol.. :p

Finally, I value my Starwood points much more highly than I do the Membership Rewards points. AMEX doesn't care which card you use - as long as it totals $150K per year.

Im assuming you are paying an annual fee of $2500?? I agree with you I value my starwood points much more than MR...especially since there is a fee now to redeem...so why did you opt for it in the first place for $2500??

Because, as a search would tell you, the $150k minimum is illusory.

Thanks UpgradeMe...

Im assuming you are paying an annual fee of $2500?? I agree with you I value my starwood points much more than MR...especially since there is a fee now to redeem...so why did you opt for it in the first place for $2500??

I doubt I could have said it much more clearly. In addition, the first card was $2,500 and the second (my business partners) was $1,500, so our cards cost $2,000 each.

Let's be clear that there is no right and no wrong here. I'm trying it out to see if, after one year, I feel I've gotten my money's worth. No one on the board knows my financial situation. If you can get from point A to point B with a Ford, why would anyone buy a Mercedes?

If one year from now I feel that I've gotten value, I'll re-up. If I get upgraded to a suite at the Princeville in Kauai due to getting Platinum status at Starwood, it'll be automatic!

...Stevens397 - can i ask you about the airline upgrades...do you mean that you got automatic upgrades when flying rather than booking full fare seats to then get upgraded...

The UK Centurion product does not provide membership of airline FF clubs as in the US, unfortunately!

I think the only airline related benefit, apart from maybe the travel insurance, is admission to some airline lounges including the VAA Clubhouses (when flying VAA irrespective of ticket class).

Bazz,
Still Flying.
www.v-flyer.com

My personal experience is that they would not authorize my Centurion Card until I had charged over $150k combined on all of my other Amex Cards over the past 12 months.

As far as value, the $2,500.00 per year is high but being able to use the Concierge service plus the elite status with multiple hotel and airline companies plus club access makes it worth while.

I find that the marketing materials are much less frequent on the Centurion Card than with my Platinum Card. I receive may offers in the mail connected to the Platinum card with good descriptions of the benefits while receiving almost no info on promotions or benefits with the Centurion Card.

I find this kind of strange.