How would you like to have a credit card that lets you buy almost anything? Imagine having a credit card so powerful that you could use it to buy anything, from a jet plane to a jar of Dead Sea sand. So powerful are the Black American Express cards.
The Centurion Card, which is also known as the Black American Express credit card, is the most exclusive piece of plastic that American Express makes. It gives you a lot of special rights that no one else has. It is said that less than 10,000 Black American Express credit cards are in circulation around the world.
Urban Legend
A lot is unknown about where Black American Express credit cards came from. Since the 1980s, there have been rumours about a black credit card with unlimited spending power that is only given to famous people and important people. These black credit cards were said to let people into the best and most expensive stores after hours.
Were these black American Express credit cards also black? Definitely not! At the time, there were no Black American Express cards. But American Express saw the chance right away and launched the Black American Express credit cards in 1999 to take advantage of the free publicity.
Created to be Unique
About Black American Express credit cards, not much is known. Even on the American Express website, these are not shown. But this mystery doesn't make the credit card hard to understand. Instead, it just makes it more interesting.
Titanium is used to make black American Express credit cards. This is probably the most interesting and unique thing about it. Black American Express credit cards are different from other credit cards because they are heavy and can set off metal detectors.
Since the magnetic strip is made of metal, most credit card scanners can't read it. But if you think that's a problem, you're wrong. Black American Express credit cards can be used at high-end shops and boutiques that have everything they need to accept them. In smaller shops, though, the card numbers have to be typed in by hand.
With all of these features, it's hard to argue that Black American Express credit cards aren't made to be different.
How to Get It
Most credit card companies will constantly bug you to get a card, but companies that give out Black American Express credit cards do the opposite. You can't get a black American Express credit card because they are so rare. In fact, you can't just have one. You have to be invited. Also, you need to have a good credit score and an American Express card if you want to even be considered for an invite. Also, you must charge about $250,000 a year on average.
You also have to pay a huge annual fee for a black American Express credit card. When the cards came out for the first time, the annual fee was just $1,000. It has gone up to a whopping $2,500 now.
Benefits
Black American Express credit cards come with a personal concierge who can be reached directly by phone or email. As long as it's not against the law, the concierge does what the cardholder wants. Most of the time, personal concierges make travel plans and get tickets to sold-out events with very little notice.
As if that wasn't impressive enough, Black American Express credit cards also come with special perks like free companion tickets for trans-Atlantic flights, personal shoppers at high-end stores like Gucci and Saks Fifth Avenue, and a free suite at any Mandarin Oriental hotel in the world every year.
With a Black American Express credit card, all you have to think about is what to buy and when. It's not a plastic for people who are easily scared. Only people who know how to live well and in style can do it.
