American Specific Centurion Black Card Evaluate

Our take: Wish to get the American Specific Centurion card, recognized for its smooth metallic because the Amex Black card? Good luck with that. Amex notoriously gained’t reveal what it takes to attain an approval for this luxe journey card that carries a $10,000 “initiation” charge and an ongoing $5,000 annual charge.

Centurion Card overview

Saying that the Centurion Black card is exclusive amongst bank cards is like saying that Elon Musk is exclusive amongst CEOs—a laughable understatement. In contrast to the Platinum Card from American Specific and or actually every other premium bank card, the Amex Centurion card isn’t marketed and you may’t straight apply for it.

This aura of thriller solely provides to the enchantment of a card that prices as a lot because the annual social dues at a rustic membership. What is understood concerning the card is socialite-slim: It’s a must to be an present Amex Platinum cardholder and you need to have constantly spent someplace within the neighborhood of $200,000 yearly or extra on that card. 

Those that are invited to use will unlock an unparalleled trove of advantages. The Centurion Black card capabilities much less like a bank card and extra of an unique membership for the 1% of the 1%.

Who’s the Amex Centurion card good for? 

The Amex Centurion card is right for a jet-setter who spends rather a lot, desires to place an additional “V” in VIP standing and doesn’t thoughts paying for it. The cardboard confers elite standing at a number of hospitality manufacturers, skip-the-line rights at Centurion airport lounges and perks like reductions on personal airport ready rooms at Los Angeles and Atlanta airports. 

Maybe most significantly, its high-profile, hard-to-get standing implies that those that do acquire it get the last word bragging rights.

Who shouldn’t get the Amex Centurion? 

The Amex Centurion card isn’t proper for anybody who has a extra modest finances with regards to spending on their bank card. It additionally isn’t proper for somebody who not often travels as the majority of the advantages (exterior of the satisfaction of possession) are travel-related.

And, we’re compelled to level out once more that the Centurion is invite solely. So, somewhat than eager for the unobtainable, we’d suggest testing this listing of finest bank cards as a substitute.

Amex Centurion: Tips on how to earn rewards

For a card that’s to date above the remainder of the pack of ultra-premium playing cards as to mainly be in its personal class, the Amex Centurion card has a surprisingly lackluster rewards fee of simply 1 Membership Rewards level per greenback spent. And, there’s no welcome bonus with this card. 

Nevertheless, understand that the purpose of the Centurion card isn’t the rewards however attaining the hard-to-get invitation to use and unlocking the wealthy perks that include it.

Tips on how to redeem Amex Centurion rewards 

Membership Rewards factors are versatile, which means they are often redeemed in a number of methods. Let’s break down what you are able to do with the rewards earned on the Centurion card.

Pay with factors at checkout

You should utilize your stash like money to pay at checkout with eligible companions like Amazon, Finest Purchase and PayPal. Factors are usually value 0.7 cents per level this fashion.

Redeem for journey with Pay with Factors

You should utilize Membership Rewards to e-book journey via AmexTravel utilizing the Pay with Factors characteristic. Utilizing factors this fashion will provide you with a worth of 1 cent per level for flights and motels within the Amex Wonderful Accommodations & Resorts Assortment, and 0.7 cents per level for pay as you go lodge bookings, cruises, rental automobiles, and trip packages.

Enterprise Centurion cardholders get a 50% factors rebate when reserving reward flights via Amex Journey.

Redeem for journey by transferring to airline and lodge companions

Among the finest makes use of of Membership Rewards factors is transferring them to one in every of Amex’s airline companions. Amex has 18 airline companions and three lodge companions and normally you’ll get extra worth out of your Membership Rewards by transferring factors to a accomplice.

That’s as a result of while you use your rewards to e-book a flight via Amex Journey, some extent is at all times value 1 cent. For instance, a $300 flight booked this fashion would price 30,000 Membership Rewards factors. However, switch 30,000 factors to an eligible switch accomplice and issues get extra attention-grabbing — and probably, extra invaluable.

Right here’s a fast instance: We discovered a spherical journey nonstop flight from Miami to Toronto on Air Canada in June 2024 for $377.90. That very same flight prices 27,400 Aeroplan factors, which means you save by transferring your rewards to Air Canada’s Aeroplan program and reserving straight.

Redeem for reward playing cards

You possibly can redeem your rewards to purchase reward playing cards from quite a lot of choices together with lodge manufacturers, airways, restaurant chains, retailers and extra. The worth of redeeming your rewards this fashion ranges from 0.5 to  1 cent per level, relying on the precise reward card.

Redeem for assertion credit

Redeeming Membership Rewards for an announcement credit score is value simply 0.6 cents per level, making this one of many least invaluable redemption choices.

Centurion card charges and charges

• Annual charge: $5,000 plus a one-time initiation charge of $10,000 while you open the account.
• Overseas transaction charge: None.
• Buy APR: 21.24% variable.

Extra advantages

This card is all concerning the perks, which fast-track you to an upscale expertise while you journey, train and store.

• Elite lodge standing: You’ll get top-tier elite standing with Hilton and IHG properties, which suggests advantages like room upgrades, factors bonuses, meals and beverage credit, and most popular check-in and checkout choices. You’ll additionally get Marriott Bonvoy Gold standing, which comes with a factors enhance, enhanced room upgrades and late checkout.
• Delta Air Strains Platinum Medallion standing: This elite standing tier with Delta means limitless complimentary upgrades, waived charges for baggage and ticket modifications, precedence check-in and expedited baggage, reciprocal elite standing with SkyTeam alliance airways, and an annual selection profit which incorporates your choose of assertion credit, reductions on future journey packages and extra.
• 50% factors rebate on airfare (Enterprise Centurion solely): Those that maintain the Enterprise model of the Centurion card will profit from getting 50% of their factors again once they e-book reward flights via Amex. Sadly the private model of the Centurion card doesn’t provide this perk.
• Skip-the-line Centurion airport lounge entry: The Centurion playing cards provide the identical lounge entry because the Amex Platinum playing cards, which incorporates Centurion lounges, Escape lounges, Delta Sky Membership, Lufthansa Lounge, Plaza Premium Lounge, and Precedence Move Choose, however solely Centurion cardholders can deliver as much as two friends totally free and may skip the road to enter if there’s a wait.
• Hertz President’s Circle standing: This profit comes with the Delta Platinum Medallion Standing and features a 50% factors enhance on leases, a free further driver, assured automotive upgrades and skip the counter entry to your confirmed automotive.
• Equinox All-Entry membership: Get annual credit towards an Equinox All-Entry membership, which incorporates each in-person and on-line entry to courses and services, and which might usually price $405 a month.
• Two complimentary visits for PS airport service: PS lets you skip the airline terminal at Los Angeles and Atlanta airports and undergo a personal, line-free TSA screening, entry devoted customs and immigration companies on arrival and chill out as PS drivers escort you throughout the airfield on to and out of your plane.
• Entry to Centurion Wonderful Accommodations & Resorts: Take pleasure in a step past the Wonderful Accommodations & Resorts program advantages provided to Amex Platinum cardholders and consists of upgrades confirmed at reserving and an announcement credit score towards motels booked along with your card via Amex Journey. 
• Trusted traveler software charge credit: Get both a $100 assertion credit score for World Entry or a credit score of as much as $85 for TSA PreCheck — per a four-year interval for World Entry or four-and-a-half 12 months interval for TSA PreCheck.
• CLEAR Plus credit score: Obtain a credit score of as much as $369 per calendar 12 months for a CLEAR Plus membership. Clear makes use of biometrics to get you thru safety quicker at choose airports.
• Saks Fifth Avenue credit: Get a $250 quarterly credit score while you use your card to buy at Saks.
• Worldwide arrival companies: Fly internationally in first or enterprise class booked via Amex and get a ​​devoted information to expedite you thru customs and immigration.
• Unique provides and occasions: Centurion cardholders will obtain invitations and entry to unique eating, sporting and leisure occasions, and extra.

Bank cards just like Amex Centurion

For the reason that Centurion card has no equal and is invite-only, it’s exhausting to match it to different bank cards. However in the event you’re in search of a bank card that conveys your hotshot standing, listed here are two to think about:

J.P. Morgan Reserve Card vs. Amex Centurion

The J.P. Morgan card from Chase can be for these with bulging financial institution accounts, requiring an account with J.P. Morgan’s personal financial institution with investable belongings of not less than $10 million. If you happen to meet that standards, you possibly can apply for the cardboard, in contrast to the Amex Centurion. Nevertheless, except for the quiet luxurious of proudly owning a card that few can qualify for, the $550-annual-fee card is a mirror picture of the Chase Sapphire Reserve, proper all the way down to its beneficiant rewards on journey and eating. 

The cardboard earns 10X factors on motels and automotive leases while you buy journey via Chase Final Rewards® instantly after the primary $300 is spent on journey purchases yearly, 5X factors on flights via Chase Final Rewards® instantly after the primary $300 is spent on journey purchases yearly, 3X factors on different journey and eating (together with eligible meals supply companies) not booked via Chase instantly after the primary $300 is spent on journey purchases yearly, 1X on all different purchases.

That rewards fee is much better than what’s provided on the Centurion and the cardboard comes with Precedence Move Choose and Sapphire lounge entry, plus, in contrast to the Chase Sapphire Reserve model, the J.P. Morgan Reserve provides United Membership membership, value $550 to $650, relying in your standing with United.

In order for you bragging rights, however are pissed off by the dearth of an invite to use for the Centurion, the J.P. Morgan Reserve card will nonetheless allow you to flex your internet value — and you may apply for it via your J.P. Morgan consumer advisor.

The Platinum Card® from American Specific vs. Amex Centurion

The unique standing image card is obtainable to anybody with wonderful credit score and a willingness to pay a $695 annual charge. Though The Platinum Card® from American Specific might not be as elitist because the Centurion, there are nonetheless loads of individuals who take into account it a mark of privilege given its hefty annual charge and in depth advantages.

The Platinum Card earns 5x Membership Rewards® Factors for flights booked straight with airways or with American Specific Journey (as much as $500,000 on these purchases per calendar 12 months), 5x Membership Rewards® Factors on pay as you go motels booked with American Specific Journey and 1X on all different spending. Just like the Centurion, the true advantage of the cardboard isn’t within the rewards fee however the perks. No different publicly out there card provides as widespread airport lounge entry because the Platinum Card. Possession consists of entry to the Centurion lounges, the Escape lounges, Delta Sky Membership, Lufthansa lounges, Plaza Premium and Precedence Move Choose.

The cardboard additionally comes with a bevy of credit together with a $200 lodge credit score for eligible pay as you go bookings made via Amex Journey, a $200 airline incidental charge credit score, a $240 digital leisure credit score, a $155 Walmart+ membership credit score, $200 in Uber Money for rides or Uber Eats, a $300 Equinox credit score, a $189 CLEAR Plus software charge credit score and extra. Phrases apply.

You’ll additionally take pleasure in Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite standing, Hilton Honors Gold standing, and premium standing with automotive rental applications for Avis, Hertz, and Nationwide. And if you would like somebody to e-book your restaurant reservations or enable you to discover the right reward, Platinum concierge service is at your fingertips.

Though you don’t must have internet value within the seven-digit vary to be a cardholder, the Amex Platinum nonetheless provides loads of clout, significantly on the airport.

Is the Amex Centurion best for you?

The Amex Centurion card is true for somebody who fees a whole lot of hundreds of {dollars} a 12 months to their Amex Platinum and may rating an invitation for the Platinum’s elusive massive sibling. Whether or not or not you’ll get sufficient worth out of the Centurion card to justify the excessive value of possession isn’t the purpose. 

Getting an invitation to use is the tip objective for many. If you happen to do get one, you’ll be in elite firm, as comic Jerry Seinfeld is rumored to be a Centurion cardholder and rappers from Nicki Minaj to Romeo have referenced the Amex Black card of their work.

Incessantly requested questions 

Who’s eligible for the Amex Centurion card?

Though there isn’t any publicly out there definitive standards, anecdotal experiences point out the invitation-only card requires wonderful credit score, willingness to pay the initiation and annual charge, possession of an Amex Platinum card and several other hundred thousand {dollars} a 12 months value of spending in your Platinum card. You possibly can request an invite to use, however that gained’t enhance your probabilities in the event you don’t match the above standards.

What are the perks of the Amex Centurion card?

The primary perk of the Amex Black card is the bragging rights in the event you had been in a position to get it. If you’re lucky sufficient to have obtained an invitation to use, the cardboard provides high-level luxurious advantages together with top-tier lodge statuses, Delta Air Strains Medallion standing, Centurion lodge perks and credit and reductions for high-end experiences like personal airport lounge entry and Equinox All-Entry membership.

How a lot is the credit score restrict on the Amex Centurion?

The Centurion card doesn’t have a preset credit score restrict, and account holders are anticipated to pay their card in full on the finish of every billing cycle. It’s potential to make use of Amex’s Pay Over Time characteristic on this card for eligible purchases, which might then be topic to the cardboard’s APR like a standard bank card.

It’s value noting that because the standards to use consists of common spending of a number of hundred thousand yearly on an Amex Platinum that the Centurion can probably be used to cost high-ticket objects with none points.

---

Please word that card particulars are correct as of the publish date, however are topic to alter at any time on the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the cardboard issuer to confirm charges, charges, and advantages earlier than making use of.

All details about the Centurion® Card from American Specific bank card has been collected independently by Fortune Recommends™.

Phrases apply to American Specific advantages and provides. Enrollment could also be required for choose American Specific advantages and provides. Go to americanexpress.com to study extra.

Eligibility and Profit degree varies by Card. Phrases, Situations, and Limitations Apply. Please go to americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for extra particulars. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Firm.