Barclays relaunches VISA Black Card (October 2013)
May 13, 2014, 7:29 pm
#62
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3
This card seems to be a hard one to judge from the reviews. Mostly negative and at times with anger felt from the words used to express their dislike.
In a nutshell, I have had the Amex plat for awhile now. My last visa was a Chase card. Cancelled it years ago and using Amex only. Over time, I am becoming aware that more and more places don't take Amex. My brother in law stopped taking it at his business due to the high fees. I averaged about $300,000 but the past 2 years I was over $400,000 and so far this year on pace to do more. I have great credit, own 6 cars where 3 of them are over $100,000. Yes I applied before for the Centurion and my request goes unanswered. Lol. I guess I don't shop at Hermes enough and travel to Europe I guess. One of these days
. Trust me though... I don't qualify. I'm not an elite spender nor famous. I just want to be an anomaly that got a Centurion card with my simple lifestyle and spending habits.
Now the fees for Amex (me and spouse) don't even factor in. Yes it's still money and money is not free. But honestly I get well more than that back every year. Just briefly..... early and late check outs are awesome. The Mrs and I fly down to Miami frequently on last minute notices for a quick break. Fly down Friday or Saturday pool all day Saturday, great dinner, fun clubbing and then relax until 4:00, then fly back. Plus $100 credit every trip. That alone has covered the fees 10 times a year. Plus free breakfast for 2 every morning. Upgrades that has gotten me more than the fees again. The countless bloody Mary's at the Delta Sky Lounge. $250 for extra luggage fee at Delta. The use of a cleaner bathroom at the airport alone i would pay the Centurion annual fee. Etc...
Back to the the Visa Black Card. Now the REAL reason for me inquiring about this card is after I went to pay for my kids summer music lessons. My wife is the one that handles this but with her being out of town, I went in her stead. The studio turns out does not take Amex. Only visa/mastercard. That was the last draw.. I need a visa. Plus places in Italy don't take Amex. I remembered many years ago, my wife got a invitation to apply. We threw it away thinking we did not need a Visa. Didn't even care the package was done very "in your face" and that it was a "black card". But anyway, I remembered and looked it up. Saw the annual fee was high, but after looking at the perks, looked somewhat Amex offers. So I did some googling. 99% of the reviews starts off with the fee is too high. And I read... my credit is 600 and I got a black card with a high limit. My dog got an invitation. It's a fake Amex Centurion. Etc... Now it is the Internet so it could be a 10 year old kid typing that stuff up. Who knows.
So what I only care are about the concierge service, the lounge usage, hotel and flight upgrades... and so on. Amex lost what was United lounges.. I don't fly them so it doesn't matter I guess. Found out Miami is getting a Centurion lounge this year. Now that is awesome. Filet and a glass of wine before your flight. But seriously what is a true review of this card. I don't care about points as much. Have a friend who works for Amex Corp and was filled in that Amex does not like it when too much points sit on accounts. They have to have money reserved to cover those points just in case one day you decide to use it at once. I wonder how many points are sitting out there for Amex unused? My highest around 850,000. Went crazy on Amazon last year.
So If I have dispute, will Barclays take care of me?
Sorry my meds kicked in and I at times go off in a tangent.
Thank you
In a nutshell, I have had the Amex plat for awhile now. My last visa was a Chase card. Cancelled it years ago and using Amex only. Over time, I am becoming aware that more and more places don't take Amex. My brother in law stopped taking it at his business due to the high fees. I averaged about $300,000 but the past 2 years I was over $400,000 and so far this year on pace to do more. I have great credit, own 6 cars where 3 of them are over $100,000. Yes I applied before for the Centurion and my request goes unanswered. Lol. I guess I don't shop at Hermes enough and travel to Europe I guess. One of these days
. Trust me though... I don't qualify. I'm not an elite spender nor famous. I just want to be an anomaly that got a Centurion card with my simple lifestyle and spending habits. Now the fees for Amex (me and spouse) don't even factor in. Yes it's still money and money is not free. But honestly I get well more than that back every year. Just briefly..... early and late check outs are awesome. The Mrs and I fly down to Miami frequently on last minute notices for a quick break. Fly down Friday or Saturday pool all day Saturday, great dinner, fun clubbing and then relax until 4:00, then fly back. Plus $100 credit every trip. That alone has covered the fees 10 times a year. Plus free breakfast for 2 every morning. Upgrades that has gotten me more than the fees again. The countless bloody Mary's at the Delta Sky Lounge. $250 for extra luggage fee at Delta. The use of a cleaner bathroom at the airport alone i would pay the Centurion annual fee. Etc...
Back to the the Visa Black Card. Now the REAL reason for me inquiring about this card is after I went to pay for my kids summer music lessons. My wife is the one that handles this but with her being out of town, I went in her stead. The studio turns out does not take Amex. Only visa/mastercard. That was the last draw.. I need a visa. Plus places in Italy don't take Amex. I remembered many years ago, my wife got a invitation to apply. We threw it away thinking we did not need a Visa. Didn't even care the package was done very "in your face" and that it was a "black card". But anyway, I remembered and looked it up. Saw the annual fee was high, but after looking at the perks, looked somewhat Amex offers. So I did some googling. 99% of the reviews starts off with the fee is too high. And I read... my credit is 600 and I got a black card with a high limit. My dog got an invitation. It's a fake Amex Centurion. Etc... Now it is the Internet so it could be a 10 year old kid typing that stuff up. Who knows.
So what I only care are about the concierge service, the lounge usage, hotel and flight upgrades... and so on. Amex lost what was United lounges.. I don't fly them so it doesn't matter I guess. Found out Miami is getting a Centurion lounge this year. Now that is awesome. Filet and a glass of wine before your flight. But seriously what is a true review of this card. I don't care about points as much. Have a friend who works for Amex Corp and was filled in that Amex does not like it when too much points sit on accounts. They have to have money reserved to cover those points just in case one day you decide to use it at once. I wonder how many points are sitting out there for Amex unused? My highest around 850,000. Went crazy on Amazon last year.
So If I have dispute, will Barclays take care of me?
Sorry my meds kicked in and I at times go off in a tangent.
Thank you
Last edited by Atlman404; May 13, 2014 at 8:07 pm
May 13, 2014, 11:44 pm
#65
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
May 14, 2014, 1:37 am
#66
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: SF
Programs: UA, VX, QF, EY, VA
Posts: 756
Only on FT do the words "$300,000 a year" and "simple lifestyle and spending habits" occur in the same post. 
^
Not sure if a Pallidium is worth parking $250k for to you, but the Ritz card is basically the same thing without UR and free gifts.
^Not sure if a Pallidium is worth parking $250k for to you, but the Ritz card is basically the same thing without UR and free gifts.
May 14, 2014, 7:39 am
#67
Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3
Well I guess you can say a "high end card" goes along with the perks I'm looking for. But not the whole story here. What I'm really looking for is another card that will take care of me as well as Amex does. In my mind, I have a strong feeling that what ever happens, Amex will have my back. So if I have to pay $7500 to get that extra love from Amex over what I enjoy now, I would. It's like I would let any parent from my kids school to baby sit my kids. Amex is not perfect but who is? The customer service is amazing. I can get my local banks visa/mastercard. But if I'm going to get another card, why not get one where I get something similar to Amex. I never hold a balance so Apr does not matter.
So that is why I was curious about the Barclays card. I don't want to stray from the ops topic so the question is for guys/gals with the card. Someone on here posted that they got faster responses from Barclays than they did with Amex. Do you really get upgrades at fine hotels. Did anyone loose their luggage and get reimbursed for their troubles. Their website looks all nice and peachy but curious about real world experience. And please don't think that this weighs heavy on my mind. I could care less. We have access now to asking the world questions so why not
.
Oct 22, 2014, 5:21 pm
#68
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: L.A.
Programs: WN A-list & CP, Delta GM
Posts: 448
First of all, thanks for your contributions to the thread. I don't have a Visa Black Card but am writing a review about it. I personally have Amex Platinum, JPM Ritz-Carlton, and the updated Citi Prestige, and I have a review on high-end credit cars (http://www.drcreditcard.net/fr-high-end.html) if anyone is interested. I would like to expand my review to include Visa Black Card that is why I am going through this thread.
One thing caught my eyes is "Ensemble Travel" description for your Black Card VIP hotel stay at the St. Regis. When I saw this I highly suspected Barclays is using Ensemble Travel network for its Black Card VIP Hotel program. Then I compare your picture to the 2014 Ensemble Booklet I found online (http://www.classictravels.com/hotel--resort-e-book.html) I am almost 100% sure Barclays is using this network. Note that the two booklets look different because (1) the one you have was for 2013 and it is very normal for them to update benefits at hotels every year when they have new contracts; (2) Barclays simply replaces "Ensemble Exclusive" to "Black Card VIP".
For people who does not know Ensemble, it is global collection of luxury hotels, very similar to Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network (not to be confused with Visa Signature Hotels which is offered to Visa Signature card holders in the U.S. and Visa Platinum card holders in many other parts of the world). Amex FHR is similar in terms of hotel coverage and benefits, but it is exclusive to Amex Plat and Cent card members. Traditionally, you can only book Ensemble/Virtuoso/Signature hotels through their designated travel agents; however, when World Elite MasterCard (WEMC) was first introduced a few years back, they used Virtuoso network, saving your need to find a travel agent yourself, and now WEMC has switched to a different network through their travel agent Carlson Wagonlit. So it is not totally surprising that Barclays uses an Ensemble Travel agent for its Black Card VIP program.
Even though I don't have personal experience with Ensemble (I do have with FHR, Virtuoso, and Signature Travel Network), based on their booklet I think it is comparable. And in general it is a better program than Visa Signature Hotels or World Elite Hotels and Resorts. Some people may argue that you don't need a credit card to access those hotels since you just need to find a travel agent that works with you; however, I do need to point out that many luxury travel agents require you establish a relationship by having the first booking over a certain amount (for example, $1,000). The bottom line is that I do see a value in the hotel program offered by a credit card.
As for if it is worthy to pay $495/year to get the Black Card, stay tuned for my review.
One thing caught my eyes is "Ensemble Travel" description for your Black Card VIP hotel stay at the St. Regis. When I saw this I highly suspected Barclays is using Ensemble Travel network for its Black Card VIP Hotel program. Then I compare your picture to the 2014 Ensemble Booklet I found online (http://www.classictravels.com/hotel--resort-e-book.html) I am almost 100% sure Barclays is using this network. Note that the two booklets look different because (1) the one you have was for 2013 and it is very normal for them to update benefits at hotels every year when they have new contracts; (2) Barclays simply replaces "Ensemble Exclusive" to "Black Card VIP".
For people who does not know Ensemble, it is global collection of luxury hotels, very similar to Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network (not to be confused with Visa Signature Hotels which is offered to Visa Signature card holders in the U.S. and Visa Platinum card holders in many other parts of the world). Amex FHR is similar in terms of hotel coverage and benefits, but it is exclusive to Amex Plat and Cent card members. Traditionally, you can only book Ensemble/Virtuoso/Signature hotels through their designated travel agents; however, when World Elite MasterCard (WEMC) was first introduced a few years back, they used Virtuoso network, saving your need to find a travel agent yourself, and now WEMC has switched to a different network through their travel agent Carlson Wagonlit. So it is not totally surprising that Barclays uses an Ensemble Travel agent for its Black Card VIP program.
Even though I don't have personal experience with Ensemble (I do have with FHR, Virtuoso, and Signature Travel Network), based on their booklet I think it is comparable. And in general it is a better program than Visa Signature Hotels or World Elite Hotels and Resorts. Some people may argue that you don't need a credit card to access those hotels since you just need to find a travel agent that works with you; however, I do need to point out that many luxury travel agents require you establish a relationship by having the first booking over a certain amount (for example, $1,000). The bottom line is that I do see a value in the hotel program offered by a credit card.
As for if it is worthy to pay $495/year to get the Black Card, stay tuned for my review.
Oct 27, 2014, 4:14 pm
#69
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: L.A.
Programs: WN A-list & CP, Delta GM
Posts: 448
Visa Black Card review
OK. Here is my review (http://www.drcreditcard.net/barclays-visa-black.html):
The Facts
•Annual Fee: $495 for the primary card member, and $195 for each authorized user
•Signup Bonus: 25,000 points
•Rewards: 1x everywhere
•Best Use of Exclusive Rewards points: Barclays makes this program exclusive for the Visa Black Card members. Normally, the points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or merchandise, at 1 cent per point. However, when you redeem for airline tickets through Exclusive Rewards, your points double in value, at exactly 2 cents per point.
•You receive Lounge Club membership that gives unlimited complimentary access to 350 lounges worldwide for you and your guests. Please see our featured review on airport lounge access for details.
•Black Card VIP Hotel & Travel program that is advertised to give you VIP treatments at over 3,000 hotels, resorts, and villas. This program actually consists of three parts. This first one is a luxury hotel collection of 560 four- and five-star hotels and resorts through Ensemble Hotel & Resort Collection network and the benefits include room upgrades when available, early check-in and late check-out when available, and hotel specific amenity such as breakfasts, spa credit, food and beverage credit, afternoon tea, lunch, etc. While anyone can find an Ensemble travel agent (or an agent associated with similar networks such as Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network) to book a hotel in the collection, Black Card's program does save you from finding such an agent that will work with you (some agents may have specific spending requirements for new clients or charge a fee). The second one is for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group whose global portfolio has less than 30 luxury hotels. We don't have details about the program; however, we suspect it may be through a MO Fan Club travel agent and the benefits shall be similar to Ensemble's. Note that Amex Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) program has a larger coverage (over 750 hotels) than Ensemble and MO combined, and in general FHR's benefits are more consistent than Ensemble's. The third one is Villas of Destination for booking benefits at over 2,400 villas worldwide. Amex Platinum has a similar program called Platinum Villas. So the bottom line is that Visa Black Card's hotel offering is comparable but not superior to Amex Platinum's offering.
•Other Benefits: waived foreign transaction fees. Luxury gifts for the members from time to time. As a typical high-end card, Visa Black Card also enjoys 24-hour concierge service and member-only magazines.
•Other Facts: Visa Black Card was introduced in 2008 to mock Amex Centurion aka "the Black Card" but was not very well received. In late 2013, Barclays tried again with this new version hoping to gain some market share. The new Visa Black Card is made of stainless steel and carbon (Amex Centurion is made of titanium).
The Math
The first question most readers will ask is "is it worth paying $495 in annual fee for the Visa Black Card?" Let's break it down to the four major perks of the card: 1) 2% rewards in airfare redemption, 2) Lounge Club membership, 3) Black Card VIP Hotel and Travel, and 4) concierge service. First of all, Exclusive Rewards program, unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards, is a fixed value program. 2% cash back equivalent travel rewards is not bad at all; however, you can have a non-fee card such as FIA Fidelity or Citi Double Cash that offer 2% straight cash back. Also Barclays' own brilliant Arrival Plus WEMC, with an annual fee of $89 (waived for the first year), offers 2.2% cash back equivalent travel rewards and other great benefits such as waived foreign transaction fees and embedded EMV chip. So we won't value Visa Black Card's first perk more than $90. For the Lounge Club membership with unlimited access, you can have JP Morgan Ritz-Carlton, which comes with an effective annual fee of $95 and offers other great perks such as Ritz-Carlton lounge upgrades, Ritz-Carlton & Marriott Gold status after $10K spending, and primary rental car insurance at the same time. By the way, the Ritz-Carlton Card is made of pure metal, and it is also black in color but more elegant in style to our eyes. So we won't value Visa Black Card's second perk more than $95. Amex Platinum, with an effective annual fee of $250, offers FHR and Platinum Villas which is comparable to Black Card VIP program, in addition to complimentary access to Delta, Centurion, and Priority Pass Select lounges. When you split the $250 between its hotel and lounge benefits, we will say we won't value Visa Black Card's third perk more than $125. So after we tally the first three perks' value and subtract it from the $495, we have $185 left for the fourth perk - now do you want to pay $185 for Visa Black Card's concierge? 24/7 concierge service is also a selling point for the aforementioned JPM Ritz-Carlton and Amex Platinum. We understand some consumers may preferred just one card like Visa Black Card other than having three terrific cards (Arrival Plus, JPM Ritz-Carlton, and Amex Platinum), and this may justify paying a little extra in annual fees. So the bottom line is that it is probably not worth paying $495 a year for Visa Black Card since you can get similar perks plus some extra from some awesome alternatives; however, if you do want all these perks to be on one single card and are willing to pay a little extra, Visa Black Card will certainly serve you well.
To see how Amex Platinum competes with other cards with similar annual fees, please check out our featured review Comparing High-end Cards covering Amex Platinum, Amex Delta Reserve, Chase United MP Club, JPM Ritz-Carlton, JPM Palladium, Citi Executive/AA, Citi Prestige, Diners Club Elite, and Visa Black Card.
The Conclusion
Compared to some of our favorite high-end cards such as Amex Platinum and JPM Ritz-Carlton, Visa Black Card doesn't stand out as much. However, for travelers who prefer all the perks in one single package, Visa Black Card may be a good choice.
The Facts
•Annual Fee: $495 for the primary card member, and $195 for each authorized user
•Signup Bonus: 25,000 points
•Rewards: 1x everywhere
•Best Use of Exclusive Rewards points: Barclays makes this program exclusive for the Visa Black Card members. Normally, the points can be redeemed for cash back, gift cards, or merchandise, at 1 cent per point. However, when you redeem for airline tickets through Exclusive Rewards, your points double in value, at exactly 2 cents per point.
•You receive Lounge Club membership that gives unlimited complimentary access to 350 lounges worldwide for you and your guests. Please see our featured review on airport lounge access for details.
•Black Card VIP Hotel & Travel program that is advertised to give you VIP treatments at over 3,000 hotels, resorts, and villas. This program actually consists of three parts. This first one is a luxury hotel collection of 560 four- and five-star hotels and resorts through Ensemble Hotel & Resort Collection network and the benefits include room upgrades when available, early check-in and late check-out when available, and hotel specific amenity such as breakfasts, spa credit, food and beverage credit, afternoon tea, lunch, etc. While anyone can find an Ensemble travel agent (or an agent associated with similar networks such as Virtuoso and Signature Travel Network) to book a hotel in the collection, Black Card's program does save you from finding such an agent that will work with you (some agents may have specific spending requirements for new clients or charge a fee). The second one is for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group whose global portfolio has less than 30 luxury hotels. We don't have details about the program; however, we suspect it may be through a MO Fan Club travel agent and the benefits shall be similar to Ensemble's. Note that Amex Platinum Fine Hotels and Resorts (FHR) program has a larger coverage (over 750 hotels) than Ensemble and MO combined, and in general FHR's benefits are more consistent than Ensemble's. The third one is Villas of Destination for booking benefits at over 2,400 villas worldwide. Amex Platinum has a similar program called Platinum Villas. So the bottom line is that Visa Black Card's hotel offering is comparable but not superior to Amex Platinum's offering.
•Other Benefits: waived foreign transaction fees. Luxury gifts for the members from time to time. As a typical high-end card, Visa Black Card also enjoys 24-hour concierge service and member-only magazines.
•Other Facts: Visa Black Card was introduced in 2008 to mock Amex Centurion aka "the Black Card" but was not very well received. In late 2013, Barclays tried again with this new version hoping to gain some market share. The new Visa Black Card is made of stainless steel and carbon (Amex Centurion is made of titanium).
The Math
The first question most readers will ask is "is it worth paying $495 in annual fee for the Visa Black Card?" Let's break it down to the four major perks of the card: 1) 2% rewards in airfare redemption, 2) Lounge Club membership, 3) Black Card VIP Hotel and Travel, and 4) concierge service. First of all, Exclusive Rewards program, unlike Chase Ultimate Rewards or Amex Membership Rewards, is a fixed value program. 2% cash back equivalent travel rewards is not bad at all; however, you can have a non-fee card such as FIA Fidelity or Citi Double Cash that offer 2% straight cash back. Also Barclays' own brilliant Arrival Plus WEMC, with an annual fee of $89 (waived for the first year), offers 2.2% cash back equivalent travel rewards and other great benefits such as waived foreign transaction fees and embedded EMV chip. So we won't value Visa Black Card's first perk more than $90. For the Lounge Club membership with unlimited access, you can have JP Morgan Ritz-Carlton, which comes with an effective annual fee of $95 and offers other great perks such as Ritz-Carlton lounge upgrades, Ritz-Carlton & Marriott Gold status after $10K spending, and primary rental car insurance at the same time. By the way, the Ritz-Carlton Card is made of pure metal, and it is also black in color but more elegant in style to our eyes. So we won't value Visa Black Card's second perk more than $95. Amex Platinum, with an effective annual fee of $250, offers FHR and Platinum Villas which is comparable to Black Card VIP program, in addition to complimentary access to Delta, Centurion, and Priority Pass Select lounges. When you split the $250 between its hotel and lounge benefits, we will say we won't value Visa Black Card's third perk more than $125. So after we tally the first three perks' value and subtract it from the $495, we have $185 left for the fourth perk - now do you want to pay $185 for Visa Black Card's concierge? 24/7 concierge service is also a selling point for the aforementioned JPM Ritz-Carlton and Amex Platinum. We understand some consumers may preferred just one card like Visa Black Card other than having three terrific cards (Arrival Plus, JPM Ritz-Carlton, and Amex Platinum), and this may justify paying a little extra in annual fees. So the bottom line is that it is probably not worth paying $495 a year for Visa Black Card since you can get similar perks plus some extra from some awesome alternatives; however, if you do want all these perks to be on one single card and are willing to pay a little extra, Visa Black Card will certainly serve you well.
To see how Amex Platinum competes with other cards with similar annual fees, please check out our featured review Comparing High-end Cards covering Amex Platinum, Amex Delta Reserve, Chase United MP Club, JPM Ritz-Carlton, JPM Palladium, Citi Executive/AA, Citi Prestige, Diners Club Elite, and Visa Black Card.
The Conclusion
Compared to some of our favorite high-end cards such as Amex Platinum and JPM Ritz-Carlton, Visa Black Card doesn't stand out as much. However, for travelers who prefer all the perks in one single package, Visa Black Card may be a good choice.
Jul 8, 2015, 9:06 am
#70
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: SAF
Programs: HH Gold, IHG Gold
Posts: 675
Card now appears to be dead.
"When you go to the new site you’re informed that Barclaycard are no longer accepting applications for the Black Card and that they’ll be launching the Luxury Card with “NEW PRODUCTS. MORE BENEFITS. ENHANCED VALUE.”"
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/barcla...h-luxury-card/
"When you go to the new site you’re informed that Barclaycard are no longer accepting applications for the Black Card and that they’ll be launching the Luxury Card with “NEW PRODUCTS. MORE BENEFITS. ENHANCED VALUE.”"
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/barcla...h-luxury-card/
Jul 8, 2015, 12:06 pm
#71
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,528
Card now appears to be dead.
"When you go to the new site you’re informed that Barclaycard are no longer accepting applications for the Black Card and that they’ll be launching the Luxury Card with “NEW PRODUCTS. MORE BENEFITS. ENHANCED VALUE.”"
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/barcla...h-luxury-card/
"When you go to the new site you’re informed that Barclaycard are no longer accepting applications for the Black Card and that they’ll be launching the Luxury Card with “NEW PRODUCTS. MORE BENEFITS. ENHANCED VALUE.”"
http://www.doctorofcredit.com/barcla...h-luxury-card/
Jan 12, 2016, 11:52 am
#72
Moderator
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,958
Moderator action
The apparent replacement for VISA Black is discussed in this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...isa-black.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/credi...isa-black.html