American Express Membership Rewards - Centurion card benefits and approval questions

Hi all -

I have enough income and send enough per year to qualify for a Centurion card (both business and personal). I have a personal Amex Platinum (got it in July 07) and also have business Amex Plum (got it Feb 08). Here are my questions:

- What are the differences in benefits between the Business and the Personal Centurion cards?

- Are they the same fees?

- Can the Plum card be upgraded to Centurion? Or do I have to have Platinum on the business side?

- Besides spending $250k+ year on the card, are there any other major requirements? I have never had any late payments or problems with Amex ever, although my credit scores are in the 650 range because of high debt on some other CC's.

- Once I have the card, do I have to continue to spend $250k+ through it in order to keep the card?

Thanks,

Ethan

(got it in July 07)

Is this your first American Express card account?

Hi all -

I have enough income and send enough per year to qualify for a Centurion card (both business and personal). I have a personal Amex Platinum (got it in July 07) and also have business Amex Plum (got it Feb 08). Here are my questions:

- What are the differences in benefits between the Business and the Personal Centurion cards?

>>They are 99% the same in terms of benefits. There is the Regis benefit for business, and you might get occasional gifts with personal.

- Are they the same fees?

>> Yes.

- Can the Plum card be upgraded to Centurion? Or do I have to have Platinum on the business side?

>> You can't upgrade the plum to Centurion. You can apply for a new Centurion account without having a Platinum.

- Besides spending $250k+ year on the card, are there any other major requirements? I have never had any late payments or problems with Amex ever, although my credit scores are in the 650 range because of high debt on some other CC's.

>> I bet they'll approve you.

- Once I have the card, do I have to continue to spend $250k+ through it in order to keep the card?

>> No.

Thanks,

Ethan

(got it in July 07)Is this your first American Express card account?

No, this is not my first account. I had a Blue Amex CC in 2004, and I closed it in 2005 to cut down my open cards. Then in 2007 I opened my Amex Platinum (I didn't not have to get Green/Gold first. Platinum was instant approval online.). Then in 08 I got three new cards: Amex Green (my non-profit business), Amex Plum (my profit business), and an Amex Clear (personal).

No, this is not my first account. I had a Blue Amex CC in 2004, and I closed it in 2005 to cut down my open cards. Then in 2007 I opened my Amex Platinum (I didn't not have to get Green/Gold first. Platinum was instant approval online.). Then in 08 I got three new cards: Amex Green (my non-profit business), Amex Plum (my profit business), and an Amex Clear (personal).

Other then having an Amex for at least a year and meeting the spending requirements, you need to have a clean credit record. Not 100% sure, but in the past spending on a business card will qualify you for a business Centurion and spending on a personal card will qualify you for a personal Centurion. THey may have changed it, but not 100% sure.

My credit is perfectly clean (no charge-offs, late payments, collections, public records, etc), I just have a large debt out on some credit cards which made my score go into the 600's.

I think I should be OK. By the time I get the card I may have most of the debt paid off anyway.

1. Does it take $250k/yr or $350k/yr pushed through a Platinum card to qualify? I have heard conflicting numbers.

2. I heard people can get invited instead of calling and asking for one. Anyone know the requirements on how to get an invite instead or just calling them up?

3. Anyone have both a Business AND Personal Centurion? Any benefits to doing that? Or should I just pick one?

4. Besides the spending you put through Amex, you have to have a Platinum card for over 1 year with no problems to qualify, correct? Any other major requirements?

5. Anyone here been qualified right on the edge? For example, exactly one year with pretty much right on $250k spending? I will be doing $500k/yr or more by Dec, but I am right on the edge come July and want to know any experiences here.

Just curious. I'm excited about getting the card shortly (as you can tell).

Ethan

1. Does it take $250k/yr or $350k/yr pushed through a Platinum card to qualify? I have heard conflicting numbers.

$250k. Remember, it's a rolling 12 month period.


2. I heard people can get invited instead of calling and asking for one. Anyone know the requirements on how to get an invite instead or just calling them up?


This seems to have stopped about 2 years ago. You need to call them up.


4. Besides the spending you put through Amex, you have to have a Platinum card for over 1 year with no problems to qualify, correct? Any other major requirements?


I've always heard that you need to have good credit. I've never heard from anyone who has applied with subprime credit, so I can't say for sure that it's true, but I tend to believe it. I will be interested in seeing if this is a problem for you. You don't want to apply until you've met the spending criteria, because they do perform a "hard pull" on your credit file (even though you already have an account with them!)


5. Anyone here been qualified right on the edge? For example, exactly one year with pretty much right on $250k spending? I will be doing $500k/yr or more by Dec, but I am right on the edge come July and want to know any experiences here.


I was not approved at $240k, but was approved at $250.001k :-)

You don't want to apply until you've met the spending criteria, because they do perform a "hard pull" on your credit file (even though you already have an account with them!)


NO! They absolutely do not do a hard pull until they have verified that you meet all other requirements. I've called them twice, and both times they went out of their way to make this clear without me even asking.

NO! They absolutely do not do a hard pull until they have verified that you meet all other requirements. I've called them twice, and both times they went out of their way to make this clear without me even asking.

You are probably correct. The main thing that surprised me was that they did a hard pull at all, considering they were already doing regular soft pulls due to my Platinum card.

It does not take $250,000 pushed through a Platinum card as stated above. It does require having a Platinum card but the spending is totaled from all AMEX cards. In my case, my puny spending on the Platinum card was made up for by the big numbers on my Starwood AMEX. It seems they couldn't care less.

They will (in at least one case I know of :)) look at, say, the last 14 months of spending. In that case, the account was only started 14 months ago and had about $240,000 in that time, with a balance of $12,000. Paying the balance got the card approved.

They will (in at least one case I know of :)) look at, say, the last 14 months of spending. In that case, the account was only started 14 months ago and had about $240,000 in that time, with a balance of $12,000. Paying the balance got the card approved.

Interesting, because as I mentioned, they would not approve me with $240k in 12 months. $240k in 14 months would be even less spending. When were you approved?

It does not take $250,000 pushed through a Platinum card as stated above. It does require having a Platinum card but the spending is totaled from all AMEX cards. In my case, my puny spending on the Platinum card was made up for by the big numbers on my Starwood AMEX. It seems they couldn't care less.

For a personal USA Centurion, it's 250k charged and paid within the last 12 months on any card. You do not need a Platinum card at all.

Interesting, because as I mentioned, they would not approve me with $240k in 12 months. $240k in 14 months would be even less spending. When were you approved?

January, I think. They did a check and originally came up with $210K for 12 months, then did a recheck on the same call and found $240K since opening the AmEx card 14 months earlier - now, maybe there was something weird with the payment dates or something, but the first payment was definitely more than 12 months before the call. So, with $240K spending at that point, they wouldn't approve it. There was a $12K balance and after that was paid off (paid it right then, called again 2 days later) they approved right away.

They sent the card and the box early the next week, two days later a letter came that said "too bad you were turned down, please reapply later" (based on the first inquiry). Very funny.

Did it come overnight or express? UPS, FedEx or USPS?

Anyone have pics of what the USA version of the welcome kit looks like?

Did it come overnight or express? UPS, FedEx or USPS?

Anyone have pics of what the USA version of the welcome kit looks like?

UPS, I believe. Came within two business days, and I think the first day is to make the card. Did they really used to courier it to you, back in the day?

It's a nice box, oblong, strong black cardboard and a little metal - still just a box though. Gold was just an envelope, Plat was a little box/book and Cent is a big box. You'll need the outer and inner boxes to stuff in all the membership info you'll be getting in the next 8-12 weeks. I think I've heard from everybody except Continental at this point, though gold is confirmed on their website. Avis and SPG were the fastest. USAir and Delta were the slowest so far. I don't know whether Relaix and Chateaux will ever send anything or not.

Does the $250k have to be on Personal cards only in order to get the Personal Centurion card, or can it be split between Business and Personal cards?

Does the $250k have to be on Personal cards only in order to get the Personal Centurion card, or can it be split between Business and Personal cards?

I'm assuming you're in the USA.

This has been answered numerous times in the past several weeks. If you want a personal Centurion, the 250k must come from spending on any personal Amex cards. If you want a business Centurion, the 250k must come from spending on any small business Amex cards. You can not combine the spending, or use small business spending to qualify for a personal Centurion, or vise versa. Spending on a corporate Amex doesn't count towards either.

Ok good just wanted to make sure.

I'm assuming you're in the USA.

This has been answered numerous times in the past several weeks. If you want a personal Centurion, the 250k must come from spending on any personal Amex cards. If you want a business Centurion, the 250k must come from spending on any small business Amex cards. You can not combine the spending, or use small business spending to qualify for a personal Centurion, or vise versa. Spending on a corporate Amex doesn't count towards either.

True, but for the enterprising individual who has control over where their spend is placed, this shouldn't be too large of an issue.

True, but for the enterprising individual who has control over where their spend is placed, this shouldn't be too large of an issue.

I was referring to spending on small business cards not counting towards a personal Centurion, not small business expenses in general.

I have another question for you guys related to Centurion approval. It looks like I will be hitting the $250k mark much sooner than I thought, most likely in the next 60 days, which will be well under a year of having my Platinum card. Here is my question:

I have been a member of American Express since 2004. When I log into Amex website it even says "Member since 2004". Now, I had a Blue Credit Card from 2004-2005 and then closed it. Between 05-07 I didn't have ANY Amex cards until I got the Platinum in July.

My question is, because I have been a "member since 2004", does that qualify me for being over my year mark? Or is it one year with a CHARGE card from Amex? Just curious how the one year requirement works.

Thanks,

Ethan

I have another question for you guys related to Centurion approval. It looks like I will be hitting the $250k mark much sooner than I thought, most likely in the next 60 days, which will be well under a year of having my Platinum card. Here is my question:

I have been a member of American Express since 2004. When I log into Amex website it even says "Member since 2004". Now, I had a Blue Credit Card from 2004-2005 and then closed it. Between 05-07 I didn't have ANY Amex cards until I got the Platinum in July.

My question is, because I have been a "member since 2004", does that qualify me for being over my year mark? Or is it one year with a CHARGE card from Amex? Just curious how the one year requirement works.

Thanks,

Ethan

I think you're in uncharted territory again. Even if their rules state that it much be a CHARGE card, there's a pretty good chance that the person looking at the account will see the "member since" and not have a problem. I definitely think it's worth a try.

Let us know.

I'll let you know in 2 months or so :)

Ethan,
I sent you a PM about this.. Please check your private messages...

Best, Excelsior

When applying for the Centurion card, what questions do they ask?

Is it like:

A. "I see your account qualifies sir. What is your income? What do you do for a living? Give me more personal information about you? Let pull your credit. Hold please. OK approved."

or

B. "I see your account qualifies sir. Let pull your credit. Hold please. OK approved."

Just curious.

When applying for the Centurion card, what questions do they ask?

Is it like:

A. "I see your account qualifies sir. What is your income? What do you do for a living? Give me more personal information about you? Let pull your credit. Hold please. OK approved."

or

B. "I see your account qualifies sir. Let pull your credit. Hold please. OK approved."

Just curious.

B, definitely.

B. For sure.