fullflush

I'm not much of a credit card guru but didn't know who else to ask so I am going to try my luck on here. I recently acquired AMEX Platinum card late last year and don't really have a long record of using a chard card as I was using my Blue since 05. I didn't even use my Blue that frequently as I used my Visa signature for nearly 99.99% of my purchases.

One day, my co-worker and I were discussing credit card rewards and he suggested that I should try to get the Centurion card because I do charge a lot every month. He then told me to get the AMEX Platinum first because it is a required step to get the Centurion. (Doh, now I found out from this forum that you don't need a Platonum to go Centurion.) I have been charging anywhere from $20k-$25k per month since January and I charge about the same amount pretty consistently through out the year. ($240k-$300k a year)

I've done some research on my own and it sure doesn't look like charging that much isn't that big of a deal as Centurion is now invitation only. I've called a Centurion rep. last month and explained that I would like to have some sort of certainty of getting an invitation to the card because I don't even use the points (since Amex do not offer 1% cash back) and I am just better off using other cards that offer 1% cash back. The rep. then asked for my account number and told me that my account would be noted saying that I am "interested" in the card. Whatever that means....I guess it was a nice way of saying "stop wasting my time?"

I would love to hear back from Centurion users and avid Amex users. I don't use my card for business or anything. No travel, no business, just strictly personal shopping, dining, everyday things. I just don't want to get the same response when I do call back at the end of the year and be stuck with massive amount of points that I will never use. If I can't get it because I don't meet their requirements then I won't even try and use my AMEX and switch over to a different card that offers 2% cash back ASAP.


JP

mlad1101

It has been stated that the assumed spend required now is roughly $500k in a year, no one is quite sure the exact requirements now. When using the points by transferring to an airline for travel, you can get a lot more value per point than the 2 cents a cash back card is giving you.(Also can get the 1% cash back in the form of gift cards, by redeeming points for them.) That being said, if you don't travel why would you even desire Cent as 90% of the perks that make it worthwhile are travel related.

gum

Don´t know in which airline you are interested but in my opinion both the conversion of Amex rewards points to British Airways miles as well as the car rental vouchers are a REALLY fair option.

If you use it for personal shopping and don´t require some travel/airline/hotel advantages in my opinion you can also use the Gold or the Platinum Card instead. Even if I have your stated spending in mind I don´t see the advantages (besides image) that Centurion has so you couldn´t live without it!

So just let the "invitation" happen or not and keep in mind that it is above all an invitation to spend more money on annual fees than before. @:-)

And communicating to them that you otherwise immediately stop using the card is a bit curious in my eyes. It´s a kind of kidnapping them and a threat " If you [business partner] do not what I want i stop the complete business with you.

In my eyes such an attitude (if once communicated) is a real NO GO for any business relationhsip. And if i would be working at Amex I would immediately file it in the records as bad behaviour. So a call with a threat to discontinue business with them is like hijacking services

travelnick33

Try the search function for "Centurion" - your question has been asked countless times. My view - the Centurion card is hardly a "fools dream", and in fact has paid for itself many times over every year I've had it, in many ways. For better or worse, Amex seems to have raised the bar for new membership, and it isn't clear what their current standards are (which is exactly how this card started - shrouded in secrecy). For what it's worth, a $300K/year spend isn't as rare as you might think anymore. Work hard, earn more money, spend it on your Amex, and hope for an invite. That's all you can do.

jandersinc

And when you do get the invite, turn it down! You don't travel so this card would be worthless to you unless all you want to do is fork over $7,500.00 in the first month you hold the card.

Now if you travel a lot, it's probably worth it.

I travel a moderate amount and am considering getting the Centurion (yes I have the coveted invite, came in the mail with a RSVP code).

If it didn't have a $5,000 initiation fee I'd take it right away, but I don't know that I'd recoup $5,000 in benefits quick enough to make it worthwhile.

millere2

OP stated all his spend is personal spending. So $7500 in the first month is probably not too big of deal for him. But I agree if you dont travel, its not worth it at all.

mia

Agreed. If you do not appreciate the value of Membership Rewards points over cash it is unlikely that you will see the value in Centurion. Most of the benefits which are unique to Centurion vs Platinum are travel-related (e.g. airline elite status, high end hotel upgrades). If these interest you, you will find that you can redeem Membership Rewards points to return greater than $0.02 each. If they do not interest you Membership Rewards is not your best choice for rewards -and- it's difficult to see how you would receive value from a Centurion card.

fullflush

Do you work for AMEX?

The fool here is me because I still can't figure out if the card would be beneficial to me. I didn't mean any harm to anyone by the title and I did search for centurion on the forum but no one's case is really similar to mine. I am well aware of spending $250-300k a year isn't that big of a deal nowadays. Again, the card is not a status thing for me but perks (upgrades, etc)

It's not the matter of "earn more money to spend more" for me. I could charge up to $500k a year on the card no problem if I really wanted to but there has to be a some sort of confirmation that I would get an invitation to the card. What if I do up my spending to half mil mark and I don't get an invite? Whereas I could have charged the same amount on a different card that offers 2% cash back? That's $10k extra money in my pocket. I wish I could call and ask but Centurion rep. do not offer me any help and offer me like a 2nd citizen who just wants the card to show off.

Hopefully my dilemma is a bit more clear to you guys. I don't mind paying $5k + $2.5k for the card no problem. I just want a confirmation or some sort of milestone number that I have to clear. I dislike the uncertainly and lose out value on the other card's 2% cash back perk.

spidaman

Aye, there's the rub. The uncertainty of scoring a Centurion, when you can get a guaranteed 2% return, like with the FIA Amex.

FWIW, if you are not big into travel perks, then likely you don't need Amex Plat, Amex DL Reserve, SPG Amex or Amex Centurion.

xolinlevh

Sadly you will never get a firm reply from Amex about what you must spend, if they want you they will invite you, if not, your out of luck it's a roll of the dice

mlad1101

You clearly haven't read half of what was wrote here....

You said you do not travel and have no use for Membership Rewards points. Otherwise the Amex points would be worth a lot more by transferring them to partners, than the 2 cents per dollar you would get back on a cash back card . That being said, why would you desire the perks/statuses that come with the card(which are pretty much all travel related) if you are not traveling? Maybe you should do some research as to what the benefits of Centurion are first, because from how you have made it seem, it would not be an ideal card for you for more than showing it off.

Also you will not get any confirmation from anyone at Amex as to the criteria or if you spend X in a year will you get it. So if that is what you're after I'd cut your loses now.

jammanxc

true, the OP can get a replica black card on eBay and save $$$$ if thats the case

Steve M

There are lots of opportunities to redeem MR points for gift cards at $0.01/point. So, if you can find an MR gift card partner that you shop at already, there's your 1% cash back.

I don't know that I agree. Your qualifying spend for Centurion has to be on an Amex charge or credit card product in your name, but it need not be enrolled in MR. You could choose one of the co-branded cards, such as the SPG card. Also, once approved for Centurion, you could continue to put most of your spend on a non-MR card if you find the co-branded program to be better for your needs.

There are remarkably few features of Centurion that actually require you to use the Centurion card. One is the airport lounge access. Some others are the new Global Entry fee credit, the $200/year misc airline fee credit, and the no-forex service fee feature. But many of the travel benefits, including the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and the International Airline Program only require that you use an Amex card in your name - even though you use the Centurion card to qualify for the benefits, you can use another card to actually pay for them.

I mention the SPG program because many travelers find it to be the best program out there. But if you don't travel much, then you may not see any benefits over MR, and in fact might find it less useful because of the lack of gift card opportunities. Which brings me to the next question: as others have already asked, what is it about Centurion that makes you want to have it, considering that most benefits are travel related?

S.Bling

You seem to have missed MIA's intention.

It's nothing to do with accumulating MR points on a card vs SPG points - it is an observation that OP would prefer to receive 1% cash back than MR points.
If that is the case (and it's solely a matter of personal preference and lifestyle choices) then MIA is accurate in elucidating that OP wouldn't benefit from Cent.

Someone who values a MR point at significantly less than 1 cent in cash, is a person who doesn't travel with any regularity and hence most of the tangible Cent benefits would be valued well below even the annual fee (let alone the initiation fee).

mlad1101

Bingo.