American Express Membership Rewards - Platinum and Centurion too easy to get? What would you do about it?

As a reader of this board, among many others on Flyertalk one thing that does appear a lot is how people perceive Centurion is being diluted, 'given out to any old riff-raff', the benefits aren't too hot etc etc and the same for Platinum. I'd be interested to know people's views of how they think qualification should be done for the different cards, annual fees and benefits.

I'll put my thoughts for UK Centurion/Platinum down a little later

I think people on the board get too worked up over this.

They are just cards that have different fees and offer different benifits.

You pay XXX ( I dont know how much for Plat) and Get X benifits.
You pay £650 a year for centurion and get , well the benifits are well listed.

If SPG plat was lost by Centurion then I would downgrads to Plat as that just about swings the £650 year fee for me.

I dont often use my Centurion card as I prefer to use BA Amex for the miles.
I dont thik it is any big deal paying with a bit of Black plastic above whatever other colour a card may be.

The Rif Raf statements that I have also read in some posts are a bit sad to be honest.

As discussed people seem to think that the Centurion Fee will increase along with a better package. When we have the details I will look at the value and make a decision.

I think people on the board get too worked up over this.

They are just cards that have different fees and offer different benifits.

You pay XXX ( I dont know how much for Plat) and Get X benifits.
You pay £650 a year for centurion and get , well the benifits are well listed.

If SPG plat was lost by Centurion then I would downgrads to Plat as that just about swings the £650 year fee for me.

I dont often use my Centurion card as I prefer to use BA Amex for the miles.
I dont thik it is any big deal paying with a bit of Black plastic above whatever other colour a card may be.

The Rif Raf statements that I have also read in some posts are a bit sad to be honest.

As discussed people seem to think that the Centurion Fee will increase along with a better package. When we have the details I will look at the value and make a decision.

Well I must say that in the past two weeks I have saved on my annual fee at least twice over in 'additional benefits' whilst in the USA and back in Cayman again. As jchand I rarely use my Centurion card, I stick all my spending on the free BA Amex card, I have no hangups about the colour of the plastic, it is the benfits that do it for me, and yes they could be increased but I believe that for the piddly £650 we pay we get more than enough to justify that. Should the annual fee increase then the benefits must too, just waiting for the re-launch and holding my breath for the double or triple increase in fees.

Exactly. Referring to #2 post.

Averaging over 10 posts per day, I'd say the OP does a bit more than read a few forums.

Do we really need another thread suggesting how a company should be operated?

As the official riff raff I will be the punching bag. I am 28 and also have bofa signature and nordstrom signature which is 1% forex by the way.I screwed up with credit at age 18 but now have great fico's but income wise I do ok . But the fun for me of getting a cent card is benefits and if the benefits aren't worth it compared to yearly fee I'll just stick to my recently upgrade plat card. Which will soon be the idc plat which same insurance as the us cent card.

.......dupe post

[QUOTE=hedoman]Averaging over 10 posts per day, I'd say the OP does a bit more than read a few forums.[QUOTE]

True. I post a bit too. About 10 times per day.

Who is saying I telling Amex how to run the company?

People say Amex are giving out Centurion and Platinum like candy to 'riff-raff' and I'd be interested what their perception is on qualification.

Centurion - £1500/yr fee, At least another year on Amex product with perfect payment history. In region of £100k spent.

Platinum - probably keep broadly the same product but not with continuous streams of pre-approved applications to Uni students! It slightly devalues the product.

I buy a card based upon value to me. Not perceived value, true value. My high cost card is only used when booking a cruise and other program specific items. Why would you use such a card in public? Other cards offer better value for everday purchases, AFAIK.

When you read this forum, you could get the impression that the Centurion could be diluted, and overpriced.

The reason is that this card has been launched for the frequent travellers, using hotel and airline benefits, not for bored millionaires lying in the pool all day.

As most of us are very frequent travellers, the density of Centurion cards seems to be high. In fact it's not compared to the number of Amex cards in use.

But what is the problem if it's diluted or not ?? The important question is if you use the benefits and accept to pay the annual fee or not.

Again, the Centurion card is not a private club...

In the US there have been "real" requirements for a least a year or so unlike in many of the other countries. In the US the current requirement is a spend of 250K with a fee of $2500/year and likely keeps the "riff-raff" out.

From other FT posts, in other countries people with relatively low incomes/spends where getting the card. This has not been the case for quite sometime (if ever) in the US. So the riff-raff level in say Germany/UK/etc is much higher than in the US (as likely seen on this board :p )

Thus making the US Centurion an exclusive club :D

Thus making the US Centurion an exclusive club :D

Although it was the US where a 17yr old got the Centurion by channeling his business expenses through the card was it not? ;)

I remember that thread being bumped a while back. Did anyone work out how he got it at the sub 18yr old level?

In the US one can use a credit card at a lot more occasions than in Germany.

Think groceries, plumber, car, apartment rent, office equipment, taxes (IRS) etc.

Also funneling business expenses thru credit cards is not at all common in Germany.

Thus it is much harder to spend a lot on the Amex card.

I would only count money used for private purchases such as restaurant visits, clothes, watches, green-fees, hotels on leisure stays and then compare what people in the U.S. spend what European cardholders do spend thru their card.

Although it was the US where a 17yr old got the Centurion by channeling his business expenses through the card was it not? ;)

I remember that thread being bumped a while back. Did anyone work out how he got it at the sub 18yr old level?

http://www.stpetersburgtimes.com/2002/05/24/TampaBay/At_just_17__this_boy_.shtml

It was a business card, and the company grossed over 1M USD. Though some may call that riff-raff, I am ok with it :D

Centurion - £1500/yr fee, At least another year on Amex product with perfect payment history. In region of £100k spent.
Why would you want AmEx to raise the fee on your card? You didn't mention anything about wanting more benefits. :confused:

I agree with some of the other posters - I don't give a crap what color it is or that is has some sort of social "status" - I liket the benefits I get from it. I have had it long enough that I got in at the $1000 annual fee, I wouldn't get it at $2500.

I try to put everything on the card just to rack up the miles, but I've said elsewhere, I'm embarassed when someone calls attention to it - it is just a freaking charge card. If I had the option for a green one with the same benefits, I'd get that.

Having the black makes me wonder every time I hand it over to a sketchy merchant if they are going to think I'm a great identify theft target or if I'm going to be calling about unauthorized charges in a month.

In day-to-day life, I'd say for me (California, USA), maybe 1 out of 25 merchants recognize the card, most say "Hmmm... they come in black now?"

I was in Chipotle (cheap burritos, told you I use it everywhere) and the guy said "Black?" and I said (from the forums) in a serious lower tone, "Yeah, it's for people with especially bad credit." The guy said "If that were true, I'd have one!".

Must you be centurion to use the mandarin oriental certs ? Got a friend who is offering to let me use em.

I viewed the Platinum card as a simple value proposition and it has mostly delivered in this respect (especially when it comes to airline lounges). In the UK, Platinum cards of any variety are now just so common that they don't get noticed anymore. In other countries, this is not the case and when in such countries (being the kind of person who prefers not to be noticed) I use my additional green card instead.

I also view the Centurian as a straight value proposition. I see little value in the cost to me since I don't need a second Priority Pass (and it would be cheaper just to get the discounted one on my plat card anyway), I rarely use the Concierge and don't find myself near a Virgin Club lounge very often.

Regards
I

I agree with some of the other posters - I don't give a crap what color it is or that is has some sort of social "status" - I liket the benefits I get from it

Absolutely, I am not claiming people get it because of some asiprational nonsense, but Amex do see it that way! They see it is a quality, superior product despite the fact they are handing it out left right and centre prompting the halting of UK issued Centurions.

Yes, it seems to be a mythical and alluring card to anyone that doesn't have it - the people that have it are less enthused with the mystical powers than the ability to get free drinks in the NW lounge.

Status,

You must be a Centurion holder to use these certificates. I have alot of spare Mandarin Oriental certificates if you guys want to trade.

Absolutely, I am not claiming people get it because of some asiprational nonsense, but Amex do see it that way! They see it is a quality, superior product despite the fact they are handing it out left right and centre prompting the halting of UK issued Centurions.


Do the Issue of the IDC Centurion is also halted ?

Thanks

If I had the option for a green one with the same benefits, I'd get that.



You should be able to ask Centurion to issue you a green card as one of your supplementary cards. Certainly it is possible to do so in the UK. It is a green-coloured Centurion card.

For the Platinum Card, I would implement the requirement of $10,000 or more in spending on an Amex card within a 12 month period.

I really don't understand the spending requirements. I would imagine 90% of the people that meet the cent spending qualificaitons are charging business expenses to the card. Its easy to spend that much if you travel a lot and it really says nothing about your personal finances.

The yearly fee should be enought to keep most "rif raff" from having the card. Do you think someone is going to pay 2.5K a year for a credit card that makes a min wage. I think even Sam Walton would have passed on a card with that kind of fee.

Its interesting becuase you would think that someone that travels a lot might be interested in the card- but if you travel a lot you already have most of the status perks the card offers- so its not that valuable....

My guess is that there are limits to the number of "Elite" memberships AMEX can give to their Centurion members due to their partners. Continental etc probably feels that there has to be a limit to the number of Gold Elite memberships they can give out. The only way I can see them limiting it is raising the qualification number.

I agree with those who say they use a card for the benefits only. I have the Centurion for the Elite memberships - mostly Continental and Starwood. But almost ALL of my spending at this points is on the Starwood AMEX card because those points are so much more valuable - period! My spending to qualify for the Centurion one year ago was probably $100,000 on the Platinum card and $50,000 on the Starwood card (which I had a relatively short time). One year later, my guess is that I spend $50,000 on the Centurion per year and $125,000 on the Starwood card.

Status? I actually embarrassed to have anyone of my friends know about it and see it. Most of them would think I was crazy to spend that much. But it works for me.

I am based in Germany and have spent this year (JAN-APR ) around 19.500 Euro > aound 25.000 USD on my green AMEX
Another 1500 Euro went to my LH M&L card.
What is the difference having a green, gold, plat. or centurion card ?
I know there are some insurances
and the plat. card gives lounge acces to some lounges, but Iam BA gold , LH-gold, and BD-gold anyway.
The green card is free ( and the gold they offered me at least also free now ). Where do you see a reason to pay xxx $$$ for a plat. or centurion card every year?
Most of the money spent with my cards is for traveling, flighttickets , hotels etc. But I use most time ex Libya tickets where there is no 2:1 offer from AMEX, and the internet rates or hotelprovider rates for hotelrooms are also always cheaper than AMEX offers.
Let me say I don´t need a service to sent someone "flowers" for big $$$.
What real benefits brings me a higher status AMEX card ????

Bert, there is no real benefit for you in your situation except for insurances. I can elaborate on it on the phone if you wish. But everything is all right with the card you have. Only Starwood Platinum and Hilton Gold and confirmed upgrades at MO and RC Hotels may be of interest for you. And one free night at each MO hotel in conjunction with at least one paid night.

i agree with flam, that a higher card will be useless for you as you have status on some airlines.

the german card has too less perks compared the american centurion. and it will make no sense for you to get a platinum card or a centurion.

dp

You should be able to ask Centurion to issue you a green card as one of your supplementary cards. Certainly it is possible to do so in the UK. It is a green-coloured Centurion card.

We don't have the notion of free supplementary cards in the US as far as I know. You can get additional cards in Gold, Platinum, or Black colors at reduced fees, but the Gold and Platinum cards only have the benefits normally associated with those card products. There's no option to get a discounted Green card with Centurion - you just have to pony up the regular annual fee to get one if that's what you want.

Bert, there is no real benefit for you in your situation except for insurances. I can elaborate on it on the phone if you wish. But everything is all right with the card you have. Only Starwood Platinum and Hilton Gold and confirmed upgrades at MO and RC Hotels may be of interest for you. And one free night at each MO hotel in conjunction with at least one paid night.

Thank you flamboyant 1 and derpelikan,

that is what I thought too.
So I will go for the free gold card, which brings me a litle better travelinsurance! As long it´s for free ?
thank´s Bert

Thank you flamboyant 1 and derpelikan,

that is what I thought too.
So I will go for the free gold card, which brings me a litle better travelinsurance! As long it´s for free ?
thank´s Bert

yes go for the gold if you need a amex.
btw. if you have the possiblity to get a us based card you will get more MR points than in germany

dp

Thank you flamboyant 1 and derpelikan,

that is what I thought too.
So I will go for the free gold card, which brings me a litle better travelinsurance! As long it´s for free ?
thank´s Bert

If you are searching for a Amex Gold Card, go to www.consors.de
You will not only get the card for free but also 10.000 MR Points.

I make that 2 times a year even though I have a Amex Platinum Card. Until now, I got the MR points everytime.

If you are searching for a Amex Gold Card, go to www.consors.de
You will not only get the card for free but also 10.000 MR Points.

I make that 2 times a year even though I have a Amex Platinum Card. Until now, I got the MR points everytime.

Not so easy to find, here is the direct link : Consors Amex cards (https://www.cortalconsors.de/euroWebDe/-?$part=Finanzieren.Desks.Kreditkarten.content.Inha lt.Teaser)

Not so easy to find, here is the direct link : Consors Amex cards (https://www.cortalconsors.de/euroWebDe/-?$part=Finanzieren.Desks.Kreditkarten.content.Inha lt.Teaser)

Du Hund, dass du uns sowas bis jetzt vorenthalten hast ! :D

THANKS so MUCH ^

i applied for that GOLD card, and 10K MR Points will convert to 14000K USD MR points so i will get 14K MR points for signing up.

Thats a great deal. How many time you can get this card?

thx dp

i applied for that GOLD card, and 10K MR Points will convert to 14000K USD MR points so i will get 14K MR points for signing up.

Thats a great deal. How many time you can get this card?

thx dp

Soryy, I did not understand that: How do you manage to convert 10.000 MR Points into 14.000 USD MR points?

By the way: Do you have any idea how to squeeze out the maximum from 110.000 MR Points? My preference would be SPG but I dont like the ratio of 3:1 which applies for German members.

Soryy, I did not understand that: How do you manage to convert 10.000 MR Points into 14.000 USD MR points?

By the way: Do you have any idea how to squeeze out the maximum from 110.000 MR Points? My preference would be SPG but I dont like the ratio of 3:1 which applies for German members.


hi

i have amex cards in several countries. and i will move my points to asian based card. amex is converting the points at a ratio to yen of points x 140 = +40% to amex us cards at a ratio of points x 1,29 = +29% in your case if you convert to japan amex you will get 110k x 140 = 154000 Points.

if you convert you will get 50K SPG points not only the 34k you would get if you convert them in germany.

if you convert to a us card, you get 144k +- wait for the SPG transferring bonus and you will get 55% more SPG points than you would get in germany.

but this is only working if you have cards in 2 countries.

dp

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It's an interesting point of vue. Even if all paying customers should be treated the same, it's not always true in case of "differences". If the card helps to get the correct level of service, it's an unpublished benefit...

I don't want the cent card for status just for benefits and goodies. If there is a plat card anywhere in the world close to the cent card in relation to benefits and price point please share ?

Du Hund, dass du uns sowas bis jetzt vorenthalten hast ! :D

THANKS so MUCH ^

i applied for that GOLD card, and 10K MR Points will convert to 14000K USD MR points so i will get 14K MR points for signing up.

Thats a great deal. How many time you can get this card?

thx dp
I have a green card since around 15 years. I never paied a fee, becuase I spent between 20.000 and 35.000 euro every year on that card.
Now I use the maximiser promotion, which give +25 / +50 / +100 % points.
The only problem is, that I would like to transfer my points to BMI. Which BMI offers in their DC program, but this is not possible for German AMEX members.
Up to now I always used LX, but if they merge with M&L, this become also useless for me.
How can I get a US or whatever card, from where I can transfer my points to BMI ? And what is the changing ratio between german MR and others ?

hi bertheike

get a card in another country, if you want to transfer your MR pointsthey will converted with the currency rate of the day.

so euro to usd atm rate is 1.22. you will get for every MR point 1.22 points in us.

so +22%

cheers dp

hi bertheike

get a card in another country, if you want to transfer your MR pointsthey will converted with the currency rate of the day.

so euro to usd atm rate is 1.22. you will get for every MR point 1.22 points in us.

so +22%

cheers dp
that´s interesting!

that´s interesting!

already 35% more points than i had in germany....

bad thing now is the week Euro, as 14days ago i got 1MR = 1.36 MR in US. but ok you still got 22% more if you transfer to us.

Does Amex not take into account this when they 'price' the items you can buy with MR points?

So for example in UK Ipod is 100 MR points but in US it is 180 MR points?

Chris

Does Amex not take into account this when they 'price' the items you can buy with MR points?

So for example in UK Ipod is 100 MR points but in US it is 180 MR points?

Chris

as i moving my points to starwood .

but it is difficult to compare awards etc.
as there are not many comperable things which you can redeem for miles