American Express Membership Rewards - Centurion minimum

Just curious.

I do not spend more than $1k to $2k a month on my personal amex plat. card, however I think a lot of the centurion benefits may be useful on vacations and select business trips.

I do not know if my business spend on my corporate card will weigh in on a black card application, but how firm is the $250K minimum? My corporate card spend helps, but I will not meet the $250K with that added in still.

I have a solid history with Amex since '02, I have a 6 figure income. I'm 25, and I have a 760-800 score give or take dpending on the month. I don't want to ask for it unless I have a legitimate shot at being approved. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

well how much is your business spend? 1-2k a month on a personal card is never gonna get u in, 20k a month perhaps...however im not sure if they look at business and personal COMBINED or separately. but regardless i believe the limit is firm, they make make exceptions if you are trending to reach the limit in a couple months...IE spend like....220k in 8 months and so will likely make the 250k in the next 4 months...they may let u in.

jeesh you are likely to get slamed, flamed this has been asked answered so many times. FOR USA CENTURION (other countries differ) The requirment is you spend AND PAY 250,000 within 12 months. You can do this with any amex personal card and get a personal centurion. You can do this with most corp amex and get a corp centurion. Once again they are looking at payment besides spend. The 250k is firm in the USA

jeesh you are likely to get slamed, flamed this has been asked answered so many times. FOR USA CENTURION (other countries differ) The requirment is you spend AND PAY 250,000 within 12 months. You can do this with any amex personal card and get a personal centurion. You can do this with most corp amex and get a corp centurion. Once again they are looking at payment besides spend. The 250k is firm in the USA

Seems like (again) there is some confusion here. Let's get this clear, once and for all:

If you spend 250k on your personal card(s), you may get a personal centurion.
If you spend 250k on your business card(s), you may get a business centurion.

If you spend 250k on your corporate card, you get nothing. There is no corporate centurion, nor has there ever been one.
Your spend on your corporate card does NOT count for any type of centurion card.

The Personal and Business cards are on your own credit history and guaranteed by you personally. The corporate card is on a company's credit and guaranteed by them - if you pay late on a corporate card, your own score is not affected nor does that appear anywhere. The credit limit on a corporate card is based upon what Amex rates your company based on their Dun&Bradstreet ratings and reports. That is why corporate cards don't count.

Also, you must be the primary cardholder on a business card for that kind of spend to count towards you getting a business centurion. Otherwise, the business centurion will be offered to the primary cardholder (who is the one guaranteeing the business card on his/her own personal social security number.

Furthermore - Usually, "credit" type cards don't count towards your spend (just charge cards that are paid off in full each month). But this rule has been known to be occasionally relaxed in some cases. No guarantee.

So, to summarize for the OP question:
You will not get a centurion card with under 250k spend. In some cases, just under 250k in a very short period of time (i.e. a few months) will lead to a relaxing of the rules, if it is obvious that you will reach 250k in far less than the 12 months required.
You cannot get any type of centurion card for your corporate card spending. Even 1 million spend on a corporate card does not figure into any calculations - since it is not "your" spend nor does Amex link it to you personally.
You can get a business centurion for your business charge card spending - but only if you are the primary account holder whose social security number is on the "master" account and whose personal credit history and score is guaranteeing the accounts of that business card and its credit limits.

Hope this clarifies the misunderstanding here.

just call Centurion new member services 800-956-9293 and ask them if you qualify.

There is some misinformation on the post above. My knowledge is based on personal experience with the business Centurion and what I've read from long time posters here.

There have been plenty of reports of people having spend split among personal and business (their own, linked to their SS #) cards and having it count. Further, in cases like this, they have been offered their choice of a personal or business Centurion.

Additionally, AMEX does allow spend from credit cards, such as the SPG card, to count toward this. From what I've read here, it seems that they want you to have a Platinum charge card for at least a year, but I don't have experience with that.

Comments about the corporate card are correct as far as I know, although I suppose if you owned the corporation you might be able to work something out, but I don't think that's the case here.

Even if you "own" the corporation it is still a NO. I own my corp and spend ALOT and they told me NO. I even sent several letters up the chain of command.

Spending on Corporate Card will NEVER be considered....(Funny thing is that reps in the Corp division will tell you different...maybe not all will but the three I talked to did)
HR

They do in-fact allow business and personal card totals to be combined for qualification though I am not sure if there is a rule regarding how much percentage from each may be required. My biz card spending was only 5% of what it took to qualify...

Also, I am unaware of anyone actually reporting that the $250k rule was "relaxed" for them and they were allowed to get a Centurion with less than $250k charged and paid. In fact, when I applied for mine I was at $248k and change charged and paid. The agent told me to either wait till next month or send in a check for the couple thousand right away and charge anything for that amount. Once the check was posted to the account and I charged the difference I could call her directly and she would process the card for me.

P.S. Try a search. There are only 1500 or so threads on this...

Even if you "own" the corporation it is still a NO. I own my corp and spend ALOT and they told me NO. I even sent several letters up the chain of command.

Spending on Corporate Card will NEVER be considered....(Funny thing is that reps in the Corp division will tell you different...maybe not all will but the three I talked to did)
HR

I can confirm this as well. A colleague of mine who owns 100% of his business has over $5 Mil yearly on his Corp card and he can't get a Centurion... hehehe

anyone with a corp card just apply for an Amex Plum card, as that will count toward the 250k limit vs the corp card.

Call 800-956-9293 and they will update you (generally with a very kind tone especially if you are making a payment) anytime.

They will bend on the number of months, for example - $250,000 over 13 or 14 months.

If you own a small business, you're really better off using a personal card to pay expenses. They have lower fees and offer more protection than corporate cards.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a few Centurion questions and I did not want to start a new one.

My company (I own 100%) charges ~$600K to various credit cards each year, most notably the Amex Plum which gives me 60 days to pay (very nice for cashflow). I am considering the Business Centurion for all the travel benefits.

If, at some point in the future, I don't charge $250K in a given year will they take the card away? Will the $5K initiation fee then be lost if I choose to come back in the future?

I have heard that the annual fee can be paid with MR points (250K=$2.5K). Is this true? Can I use MR points to pay for all or part of the initiation fee? Also, am I allowed to split the cost between points and cash (ex. 150K MR + $1K)?

Finally, just to make sure I am reading this thread correctly, can someone confirm that I am allowed to make corporate purchases on the card (that count toward the $250K minimum) as long as I get a Business Centurion and personally guarantee the purchase?

Thanks a lot for the help.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a few Centurion questions and I did not want to start a new one.

My company (I own 100%) charges ~$600K to various credit cards each year, most notably the Amex Plum which gives me 60 days to pay (very nice for cashflow). I am considering the Business Centurion for all the travel benefits.

If, at some point in the future, I don't charge $250K in a given year will they take the card away? Will the $5K initiation fee then be lost if I choose to come back in the future?

I have heard that the annual fee can be paid with MR points (250K=$2.5K). Is this true? Can I use MR points to pay for all or part of the initiation fee? Also, am I allowed to split the cost between points and cash (ex. 150K MR + $1K)?

Finally, just to make sure I am reading this thread correctly, can someone confirm that I am allowed to make corporate purchases on the card (that count toward the $250K minimum) as long as I get a Business Centurion and personally guarantee the purchase?

Thanks a lot for the help.


Once you meet the 250k minimum and get the card you do not have to spend another penny on the card (besdies the annual fee and initiation fee).

Yes 1 MR point = $0.01, so 250,000 MR points is $2,500 and you can you your points to pay the bill. Yes you can make a payment with cash and then use MR points, or vice versa. There usually is a small fee when you use MR points to pay.

Not 100% sure on the other answers, so I will let someone else answer.

Once you meet the 250k minimum and get the card you do not have to spend another penny on the card (besdies the annual fee and initiation fee).

In case there was ever any doubt about this, the recent stories of people's Centurion "credit limit" getting decreased to well below 250k/year should settle it...

aviators...don't you remember the centurion card (and platinum) don't have credit limits :P

but if you ask them what your exposure limit is they will tell you... what is it with amex and their specific terms...

Thanks for the responses. I have to say that this makes the card much more appealing. Will Amex really not take away my card if I barely charge anything to it?

you can charge nothing (but the initiation and annual fees) and they will not take the card away, but i wouldnt recommend it

you can charge nothing (but the initiation and annual fees) and they will not take the card away, but i wouldnt recommend it

Why wouldn't you recommend it?

Why wouldn't you recommend it?

waste of $2500 a year if you just have the card but dont use it....its like paying $2500/yr for a piece of wallet jewelry

waste of $2500 a year if you just have the card but dont use it....its like paying $2500/yr for a piece of wallet jewelry

Not exactly. If I decide to go for this card, it will be because of the travel perks and other benefits. I would much prefer to keep most expenses on either the plum card (60 days to pay) or our corporate Diners Club (DC points which I much prefer to MR).

Can anyone comment on the concierge and/or travel agency? Is it true that you get a personal extension for each and can talk to the same person each time? There are still no fees for booking travel with them, correct?

Thanks again for responses.

because if you charge absolutely nothing (except the fees), you don't get some of hte benefits...for example FHR is supposed to be paid with the Cent card...don't charge it you are supposed to be able to use the benefits (keyword is supposed to, there have been stories of getting passed it). same with the concierge or trip planners. also i don't know the plum card benefits but if it doesn't have the protection that centurion gives you, then thats another reasons.

as for the personal extension your supposed to get one, but most of the time centurion users say most of them arent reachable.

cant confirm on fees, but usually there are no official fees for travel.

because if you charge absolutely nothing (except the fees), you don't get some of hte benefits...for example FHR is supposed to be paid with the Cent card...don't charge it you are supposed to be able to use the benefits (keyword is supposed to, there have been stories of getting passed it). same with the concierge or trip planners. also i don't know the plum card benefits but if it doesn't have the protection that centurion gives you, then thats another reasons.

as for the personal extension your supposed to get one, but most of the time centurion users say most of them arent reachable.

cant confirm on fees, but usually there are no official fees for travel.

You can pay for your FHR reservation hotel with ANY AMERICAN EXPRESS card according AMEX own written rules so it is allowed.

You can pay for your FHR reservation hotel with ANY AMERICAN EXPRESS card according AMEX own written rules so it is allowed.

I'll second this. I've done it every time I've used FHR. You may encounter an agent that says its impossible. Just quote the T&C's and tell them you know people who do it all the time.

Jblackbelt, the only perks that you won't get by not using the actual card, that I can think of, would be the extra-extended warranty which is longer than that given by other AMEX products. Concierge, etc. are able to charge any card.

For fees, I'm pretty sure they do charge for airline bookings, like any travel agent would.

Njvandy, don't get Centurion to use CTS for all of your travel needs. Use them only for things they need to book (FHR, IAP, etc.) and use a local TA for everything else.

i agree with troy on the don't get it for all your travel needs... i only use them for FHR.

didn't know it was any amex card, just thought it was any amex charge card.

This is meant with respect but I would say ryanpw3 that based on the info you've provided ("six figure salary" and only $1-2kpm spend), this card isn't likely the right one for you. Travel benefits like lounge access, upgrades / discounts etc. can be paid for... paying the monthly card fee of this magnitude only makes sense if you spend quite a bit on travel and then really avail yourself of the discount. Your typical profile user would have an annual income approacing or in the seven figures and would be a global road warrior for business and non-business.

Not exactly. If I decide to go for this card, it will be because of the travel perks and other benefits. I would much prefer to keep most expenses on either the plum card (60 days to pay) or our corporate Diners Club (DC points which I much prefer to MR).

That's right. Regarding FHR, as others have already pointed out, it is not a requirement that you use the Platinum or Centurion card to get the benefits - just that you use any Amex card product in your name.

I charge very little to my Centurion, as I prefer to use the Starwood Amex card before SPG blows away MR (for my situation at least). But, I still get to use FHR, IAP, Centurion travel, and get the airline status benefits. I even get Centurion customer service on the other Amex products: I can call the regular Starwood Amex customer service number on the back of that card and enter my Starwood acct number, and it directs me to Centurion customer service to serve the Starwood card. So, I get a higher level of customer service for all Amex products.

Can anyone comment on the concierge and/or travel agency? Is it true that you get a personal extension for each and can talk to the same person each time? There are still no fees for booking travel with them, correct?

You're right in all cases. Unlike others in this thread, I use Centurion travel as my only travel agent. In my opinion, the key thing is to not use Centurion or any other travel agent for everything. I'm much better suited to make my own regular airline reservations than any travel agent is, for example. For hotel situations where there's not an internet-only rate, I'll usually use CTS, as I find having an agent working on your side is useful from time to time. As far as CTS vs a local agent, I don't make that many bookings to be worth anything to a local agent, and it's my opinion that 95%+ of local travel agents are totally worthless, and I don't feel like trying to find one of the few hidden gems that are probably out there. Plus, I often book things after-hours, so having an agency that is full service 24/7 is helpful. Also, CTS will accept collect calls from anywhere in the world.

Travel benefits like lounge access, upgrades / discounts etc. can be paid for...

You can pay for US Plat, CO and Delta Gold? That alone has made it worth it for me. I get upgraded to F 90% of the time.

OP: If you can't qualify based on your spend and you *really* want the card and will pay the outrageous fees and have anything travel related to trade, I might be able to help you. PM me.