topic Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards in Credit Cards

The number of American Express Centurion Cards

birjest — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:36:06 GMT

Ok, I am no where close to owning one, however, I am an AMEX fanatic. I had a debate in the office about the number of AMEX "black cards" in existence. I was told that there were only 100,000 cards issue and that only people like "P-Diddy" (whatever), have them. I explain to the group that this is not true, but no one believe me. There are just too many millionaires and billionaires in the world for AMEX to restrict the number of people who can have this card. Anyone knows the true or idea numbers...

Re: the number of American Express Centurion Card

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:32:12 GMT

You have to also remember it is issues outside the US and it is issued in a Personal and Business version, from what I have read I believe there are well over a million US versions out right now

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

youngandcreditwrthy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:38:35 GMT

I think that you just have to spend $150,000 a year to be considered/invited... Which really isn't a lot... Compared to the millionaire/billionaire income the card i associated with... But I'm not 100% as I clearly don't have a Centurion card haha!

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

youngandcreditwrthy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:38:47 GMT

Is*

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:52:52 GMT

@youngandcreditwrthy wrote:
I think that you just have to spend $150,000 a year to be considered/invited... Which really isn't a lot... Compared to the millionaire/billionaire income the card i associated with... But I'm not 100% as I clearly don't have a Centurion card haha!

My parents have a centurian card, although they got their when they were easier to get and it's the Business Version.

The criteria used to be you have to spend 250K a year to get the invite, after they issues so many they went to you had to spend 250K a year on luxury items as too many businesses were just running inventory purchases through their amex and could hit the spend pretty easily.

they haven't iussed you centurian card in over a year in the US and from what I have heard the spend for a business card is going to go upto 1mm and the personal will stay at 250K in luxury items.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 14:55:52 GMT

Also my parents are just average middle class people, not super wealthy by any means, my dad has been a gold and platinum card holder for over 25 years now (platinum for the last 10). they do own their own business and spend almost exclusively on AMEX, that is how there were able to hit the 250k spend, they got the card before the 7.5k initation fee was there and there is no way he would have paid that fee as he doesn't travel very often and doesn't use the benefits. He only got the card for the prestige.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

isoldmyatlas — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:02:32 GMT

I come in contact with a LOT of Centurion card holders. Heck, I'm even pretty jaded and don't think the card is a big deal anymore. It's definitely not just celebrities with them; bankers, lawyers, doctors, and people with family money make up the bulk of the cardholders I see.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:16:57 GMT

@isoldmyatlas wrote:
I come in contact with a LOT of Centurion card holders. Heck, I'm even pretty jaded and don't think the card is a big deal anymore. It's definitely not just celebrities with them; bankers, lawyers, doctors, and people with family money make up the bulk of the cardholders I see.

Same. I've even seen people add their children as ACMs for birthdays/Christmas gifts haha.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:30:57 GMT

Hey I read on someone's blog that there's about 17,000 people that have an American Express black card. But most of them aren't in the U.S - less than 10. They said more than half are in Asia and the Middle East. I don't know if theses numbers are true or not since it was just from a blog though.

It does seem like everyone [rich] has one now. I know they bumped up the fee from $2500 to $5000 to join which was probably needed so this card doesn't oversaturate the market. A lot of business people have them because all you have to do is charge 250k or more a year on your Platinum and you can get upgraded. If you have a business and put all your supplies, orders, and traveling on your American Express that wouldn't take long.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

aplast — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:43:48 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hey I read on someone's blog that there's about 17,000 people that have an American Express black card. But most of them aren't in the U.S - less than 10. They said more than half are in Asia and the Middle East. I don't know if theses numbers are true or not since it was just from a blog though.
It does seem like everyone [rich] has one now. I know they bumped up the fee from $2500 to $5000 to join which was probably needed so this card doesn't oversaturate the market. A lot of business people have them because all you have to do is charge 250k or more a year on your Platinum and you can get upgraded. If you have a business and put all your supplies, orders, and traveling on your American Express that wouldn't take long.

I dont believe these figures are accurate. I am sure more people have the centurion than that.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:50:22 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
Hey I read on someone's blog that there's about 17,000 people that have an American Express black card. But most of them aren't in the U.S - less than 10. They said more than half are in Asia and the Middle East. I don't know if theses numbers are true or not since it was just from a blog though.
It does seem like everyone [rich] has one now. I know they bumped up the fee from $2500 to $5000 to join which was probably needed so this card doesn't oversaturate the market. A lot of business people have them because all you have to do is charge 250k or more a year on your Platinum and you can get upgraded. If you have a business and put all your supplies, orders, and traveling on your American Express that wouldn't take long.

There are well over a million in the US have a Centurian Card, the fee to join is 7500 not 5000. Also the spend is more like 1 Million if it's on business items. The spend for a personal card is more like 250k but only on luxury items.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

scenery_guy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:58:12 GMT

I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

kekrre — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:13:19 GMT

@scenery_guy wrote:
I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).

Ah, see I've heard it doesn't matter what card you have and with sufficient spending, you could get invited with a Green, Blue or even an affiliate card.

The only thing (IMO) that the Cent offers that is truly worth such a huge annual fee is Delta status (maybe US?), which just became harder to achieve otherwise (as of next January). But then again, the type of people who are likely to get this card are, like you, likely to already have a lot of the things they want to have.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Revelate — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:19:44 GMT

@scenery_guy wrote:
I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).

There was a thread on a different forum recently where an actual Centurion holder suggested that the benefits weren't really worth it anymore unless you're doing high end luxury travel, and even that he thought was a little overrated. He did suggest that there was definitely the "wow" factor, which is worth a varying amount to folks, but beyond that it wasn't a tremendously large deal.

Admittedly, if you're throwing around the kind of money that typically receives the invite anyway (I've heard that $250K number as well) typically people treat you pretty well anyway.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:44:51 GMT

@Revelate wrote:
@scenery_guy wrote:
I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).
There was a thread on a different forum recently where an actual Centurion holder suggested that the benefits weren't really worth it anymore unless you're doing high end luxury travel, and even that he thought was a little overrated. He did suggest that there was definitely the "wow" factor, which is worth a varying amount to folks, but beyond that it wasn't a tremendously large deal.

Admittedly, if you're throwing around the kind of money that typically receives the invite anyway (I've heard that $250K number as well) typically people treat you pretty well anyway.

The biggest benefit is to someone who ovbiuosly has money but don't travel very often but still wants to get treated well when they do travel with airline/hotel status

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

scenery_guy — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 19:46:19 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@Revelate wrote:
@scenery_guy wrote:
I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).
There was a thread on a different forum recently where an actual Centurion holder suggested that the benefits weren't really worth it anymore unless you're doing high end luxury travel, and even that he thought was a little overrated. He did suggest that there was definitely the "wow" factor, which is worth a varying amount to folks, but beyond that it wasn't a tremendously large deal.

Admittedly, if you're throwing around the kind of money that typically receives the invite anyway (I've heard that $250K number as well) typically people treat you pretty well anyway.
The biggest benefit is to someone who obviously has money but don't travel very often but still wants to get treated well when they do travel with airline/hotel status

Well I am throwing some money (to my suppliers at work) but I hardly look like someone who has money. I guess technically it's my money but my clients expect me to actually do a job for them so... spend it as needed to get my payoff. I get plenty of wow factor where I live with the Platinum (really?) and the CSP (um again really it's just a Chase card).

Yes it does seem to parallel Platinum on many perks but will give you status on many major US carriers without flying a single mile and seems to have some nice hotel perks in status that you do not get with Platinum.

Who knows, I have a year to make the spend. I'll consider it if invited but I need to see value out of the AF.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

LionLaw — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 22:08:47 GMT

This card isn't that rare anymore. One of my friends works at a divey mexican restaurant in lower Manhattan, and she sees at least a couple of them every night. Also, one of my sisters works at a wine shop in Connecticut, and she also sees them regularly. Also, I don't think the benefits are justifiable, especially when a combo of Platinum and BCP gets you great travel benefits and great rewards for $525. Yes, it would be kind of cool to have a black amex... but not $10k-plus cool.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

CreditScholar — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:47:29 GMT

@Revelate wrote:
@scenery_guy wrote:
I love reading these rumors, add to the mystique of the card for those that care about it. I do know you have to have the Platinum version (personal or business) for a year and make the spend on that card to qualify. From what AMEX CSR told me spends are still $250,000 to receive invite and that the "luxury items only" is not the case. I asked as I spent $130,000 in a little over 6 months on a gold business, they offered me the platinum upgrade and I took it. If I keep on that track I should get the invite but at $7,500 first year it's simply not worth it (unless there are mystery perks I don't know about as I don't really need a personal shopper and I already have medallion level on my airline of choice).
There was a thread on a different forum recently where an actual Centurion holder suggested that the benefits weren't really worth it anymore unless you're doing high end luxury travel, and even that he thought was a little overrated. He did suggest that there was definitely the "wow" factor, which is worth a varying amount to folks, but beyond that it wasn't a tremendously large deal.

Admittedly, if you're throwing around the kind of money that typically receives the invite anyway (I've heard that $250K number as well) typically people treat you pretty well anyway.

I actually have to agree with this. I had a centurion as an AU and other than the plunk factor, I didn't find it that overwhelming. There are some intangible or semi-tangible benefits to the card, but I didn't feel that it was so unique that it couldn't be replicated by spending huge amounts of money.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

pdog661 — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 03:55:07 GMT

@LionLaw wrote:
This card isn't that rare anymore. One of my friends works at a divey mexican restaurant in lower Manhattan, and she sees at least a couple of them every night. Also, one of my sisters works at a wine shop in Connecticut, and she also sees them regularly. Also, I don't think the benefits are justifiable, especially when a combo of Platinum and BCP gets you great travel benefits and great rewards for $525. Yes, it would be kind of cool to have a black amex... but not $10k-plus cool.

Yup. I have that combo of cards. They are great. Except I paid 527 in fee's last year. 2 bucks for a sharpy, and wham. AMEX black.

Re: The number of American Express Centurion Cards

Anonymous — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 04:06:19 GMT

@pdog661 wrote:
@LionLaw wrote:
This card isn't that rare anymore. One of my friends works at a divey mexican restaurant in lower Manhattan, and she sees at least a couple of them every night. Also, one of my sisters works at a wine shop in Connecticut, and she also sees them regularly. Also, I don't think the benefits are justifiable, especially when a combo of Platinum and BCP gets you great travel benefits and great rewards for $525. Yes, it would be kind of cool to have a black amex... but not $10k-plus cool.
Yup. I have that combo of cards. They are great. Except I paid 527 in fee's last year. 2 bucks for a sharpy, and wham. AMEX black.

Where and what card did you use to buy the sharpy? If it was a grocery store, and you used BCP, that's really only $1.88, so you would have only paid $526.88 in fees! An even bigger bargain!