Saw a black American Express card at LaGuardia last week

[coolbreeze]

So I'm using the United self check-in at LaGuardia airport, and the lady beside me asks me how to use the machine. I tell her that you need a credit card to validate your identity, and she pulls out a Black American Express card!! I've heard these are very rare, only a handheld # of celebrities and very wealthy people have them, but never believed it. I sad "wow, I've never seen a Black AmEx before!" She responded with "it's for business," and instantly began fumbling in her purse like she was ignoring me.

I was late for my flight so I had to run. Wonder who she was? More importantly, I wonder why black AmEx cards exist. (it was 5am, but I am absolutely sure it was a black AmEx).

Anyone else ever seen/heard of these?

[polyesterlester]

From what I've read, it's called the Centurion, and it has no limit. You could buy a basketball team with it. You can't apply for it; if AmEx thinks you're wealthy enough, they give it to you. But you pay $1,000 a year for the privilege. There's apparently only about 100 of them in existence. It's the ultimate status credit card.

Some additional perks to the black card are the upgrades you get when you use it. Book a flight from New York to London and you get a complimentary upgrade on the Concorde. Book a room at the Ritz-Carlton, and you get an automatic room upgrade. Buy a burger at Hooters and you get oral (just kidding).

Frankly, I'm surprised that whoever was wealthy enough to be holding a black card wasn't smart enough to figure out the self check-in.

[sonofslim]

people who pay $1000/yr for unlimited credit generally have people who do their ticket buying & other grunt work for them... maybe her valet was sick that day.

[coolbreeze]

I know it sounds suspect as to why she was doing this herself/didn't know how to use the kiosk, but I know what I saw. I'd always heard about the mysterious "black" AmEx, and Friday morning confirmed it.

I should have asked her to marry me on the spot:D

[baby duck monge]

black card = power

you can get yourself a table in a restaurant with a 3 month waiting list any day you want. you never even have to make any arrangements yourself. if you call the card company, they take care of everything for you.

[shecky]

people who pay $1000 for the supposed privilidge of having a black amex card just goes to show that you can be rich and still be an idiot.

[ColoJohnBoy]

Originally posted by shecky
people who pay $1000 for the supposed privilidge of having a black amex card just goes to show that you can be rich and still be an idiot.

Too true, too true.

But if I had the money, I'd sure as hell take one!!

[rainman::|:|]

Originally posted by shecky
people who pay $1000 for the supposed privilidge of having a black amex card just goes to show that you can be rich and still be an idiot.

uh, right, the priviledge of having a black card... maybe you missed what it DOES? i think you can get a black credit card about anywhere, but this is in a class by itself.

jealous? i think so.

pnw

[shecky]

-Upgrades to the Concorde at no additional cost with the purchase of a full-fare, first-class transatlantic ticket to or from London and any British Airways gateway in the United States.

do you have any idea what a full-fare 1st class ticket costs? just about $5900 US from NYC to London. for that kind of money i think i should get a hooker and an ounce of coke to snort off her ass also, nevermind the "free" upgrade to the concorde. if you have the $6K to drop on that flight, the the $11,000 US ticket on the Concorde is probablly not going to bug you too much either. The catch is that the Concorde is booked tightly and therefore the odds of you actually getting that upgrade are slim unless you book it 6 months in advance anyway. So, is that a true perk? If you fly a full fare, 1st class ticket to london here and there and if the circumstances work out then yes, the $1000 is well spent. Other than that the other stuff is all fluff. But i guess when you have $ falling out of your ass then that $1000 is chicken feed. But apparently that doesnt buy you the intellect to use an automated check in at the airport now then does it?

hell yes i am jealous, im a student seeing my loans pile up and up and up and i can think of a thousand things i can spend $1000 on that are actually useful instead of on some idiotic status symbol and an upgraded plane ride.

[polyesterlester]

Originally posted by coolbreeze
I know it sounds suspect as to why she was doing this herself/didn't know how to use the kiosk, but I know what I saw.

Oh, I believed you! I just thought it was kind of funny.

Originally posted by shecky
people who pay $1000 for the supposed privilidge of having a black amex card just goes to show that you can be rich and still be an idiot.

A $1,000 is nothing to someone with that kind of money. And worth it too, for those kind of perks.

[MattG]

Originally posted by polyesterlester
From what I've read, it's called the Centurion, and it has no limit. You could buy a basketball team with it. You can't apply for it; if AmEx thinks you're wealthy enough, they give it to you. But you pay $1,000 a year for the privilege. There's apparently only about 100 of them in existence. It's the ultimate status credit card.

Some additional perks to the black card are the upgrades you get when you use it. Book a flight from New York to London and you get a complimentary upgrade on the Concorde. Book a room at the Ritz-Carlton, and you get an automatic room upgrade. Buy a burger at Hooters and you get oral (just kidding).

Frankly, I'm surprised that whoever was wealthy enough to be holding a black card wasn't smart enough to figure out the self check-in. I doubt there's only about 100 in existence...At the store I used to work at, we used to see them come in now and then. Granted the town I live in has some VERY wealthy people in it (myself not included), however due to the amount of these cards I saw on a regular basis, I'd have to say there's probably more than 100 of them floating around.

Sometimes I think the Amex card that *I* have is more rare than the black ones. I've got one of these clear ones, and I swear, EVERY TIME I go somewhere and buy something with it, the checkout guy/girl says "wow I've never seen a clear one before," and then they go and show it to everybody!

http://homepage.mac.com/mattgudites/amex.gif

[iGav]

Black AmEx cards aren't that rare... they invite you to have a centurion card if you spend a certain (substantial) amount per year on your credit card simple as. As someone above stated, you have to pay for the privilege as well. :rolleyes:

The major pain in th ar$e is that AmEx cards, even the usual Platinum and Blue sort like the ones I used to have, are not accepted in a hell of alot of places... meaning that it's still abit of a lottery if you want to be able to use them everywhere.... and from personal experience their service is pi$$ poor too....

[MattG]

Originally posted by iGAV
Black AmEx cards aren't that rare... they invite you to have a centurion card if you spend a certain (substantial) amount per year on your credit card simple as. As someone above stated, you have to pay for the privilege as well. :rolleyes:

The major pain in th ar$e is that AmEx cards, even the usual Platinum and Blue sort like the ones I used to have, are not accepted in a hell of alot of places... meaning that it's still abit of a lottery if you want to be able to use them everywhere.... and from personal experience their service is pi$$ poor too.... Really? I've got one of the Blue ones, and I use it all the time. I have yet to have someone reject it...

[iGav]

Originally posted by MattG
Really? I've got one of the Blue ones, and I use it all the time. I have yet to have someone reject it...

That's cos your in America!!! :p outside of there, and particularly here, I've been in situations when I've tried to pay for meals in VERY expensive resturants only to have them turn around and say they don't accept AmEx cards.... :rolleyes: *cue, fiddling in wallet counting notes*, it's very embarrassing when that happens...

I had the Blue one first, right when they came out, and like yourself, everyone that saw it would moochy off and show it to people.... (made me feel quite special actually) once my spending hit a certain level (I used to live on my credit card) I was invited to have a Business Platinum.... but my experience with that was pretty dire, crappy Platinum service from AmEx themselves, and again, sometimes a pain to get it accepted in stores or bars etc etc....

I don't have any credit cards now, but that's because I'm trying to save £50k for a deposit on my own place.... :rolleyes: :eek: :D

[Kwyjibo]

i've actually heard of the black card being mentioned on tv shows.... I think the biggest conveince is the unlimtied credit ppl with that money want to abuse the thing as much as they can without worrying about a balance. any pictures of this mysterious card?

[macstudent]

I think it looks something like this

[coolbreeze]

Originally posted by macstudent
I think it looks something like this
YES, THAT'S IT!!
Bwahahaha!!

[jphoenix]

A quick search on google turned up the following:

1999 Press Release announcing the Black Card (http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/latestnews/centurion_launch.asp)

2000 TIME Asia article that mentions a few thousand of the cards are in circulation. (http://www.time.com/time/asia/asiabuzz/2000/12/01/)

[ColoJohnBoy]

Here's the link to the AmEx press release about it:

American Express Centurion (http://home3.americanexpress.com/corp/latestnews/centurion_launch.asp)

[britboy]

Originally posted by Kwyjibo
any pictures of this mysterious card?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38101000/jpg/_38101648_centurion150.jpg

hmmm. I wonder where I could find one for myself.....nope, too expensive :rolleyes:

[ColoJohnBoy]

Found a picture.

EDIT: Sorry - Didn't see the previous posts :P

[panphage]

I work at an upscale restaurant in Santa Monica and I've personally handled at LEAST 20 of these cards. So they're not that rare. Also, the no-limit thing isn't really a perk, no amex card has a limit...but you have to pay off in full every month. You also have to pay a "membership fee" for any sort of Amex, but I think for the greenies it's only like $100 per annum. The "Blue" card is different, it's like a real credit card, but I bet they want their membership fee there as well.

I spoke with a customer once about his and he said the no-limit thing is bunk anyway, if he wanted to buy a Porsche with the thing the merchant would be directed to call Amex for approval. Apparently the black card is purely for status. But isn't having an Amex at all supposed to be a status thing? And how much status does it confer if you can't buy a measly Porsche w/o the dealer having to check up on you?

[Kwyjibo]

All in all i bet its more about the dealer not wanting to give away a porshce a person may not be able to pay for

[polyesterlester]

Okay, I guess they're not that rare. The publication I read it from was from 1999.

[MattG]

Originally posted by panphage
I work at an upscale restaurant in Santa Monica and I've personally handled at LEAST 20 of these cards. So they're not that rare. Also, the no-limit thing isn't really a perk, no amex card has a limit...but you have to pay off in full every month. You also have to pay a "membership fee" for any sort of Amex, but I think for the greenies it's only like $100 per annum. The "Blue" card is different, it's like a real credit card, but I bet they want their membership fee there as well.

I spoke with a customer once about his and he said the no-limit thing is bunk anyway, if he wanted to buy a Porsche with the thing the merchant would be directed to call Amex for approval. Apparently the black card is purely for status. But isn't having an Amex at all supposed to be a status thing? And how much status does it confer if you can't buy a measly Porsche w/o the dealer having to check up on you? The Blue cards do not have any membership fees, and they DO have a limit (mine's $6300--says so right on my account page).

[Phil Of Mac]

Originally posted by sonofslim
people who pay $1000/yr for unlimited credit generally have people who do their ticket buying & other grunt work for them... maybe her valet was sick that day.

Maybe she was a do-it-yourself type of millionaire :)

Originally posted by shecky
-Upgrades to the Concorde at no additional cost with the purchase of a full-fare, first-class transatlantic ticket to or from London and any British Airways gateway in the United States.

The Concorde is unfortunately grounded.

Originally posted by iGAV
That's cos your in America!!!

That's right. American Express :)

[Vector]

When they came out i think you had to have spent around 1 mil in a year on your card in order to get one. They also have perks other than those already mentioned. The main one that i can think of is 24/7 personal assistance in finding or buying almost anything from a special account rep. (kind of like a personal shopper that has access to lots of places combined with an information person).

[Stelliform]

I cancelled my Amex Corporate cards. I use a simple VISA now. It is alot cheaper a year, and I can float the purchases until my clients pay me...

[kiwi_the_iwik]

A friend of mine at work's got a black card - he made a special point once that you can get ANYTHING you want with it... for a price.

Example:

He called up the Amex Centurion helpline, and ordered a Big Mac to his door. Sure enough, it was done (but it cost @£45, after paying for the handling charge and taxi!).

Odd thing, though - he's on roughly the same per year than I'm on (which isn't that much ;))...

All I can suggest is that we all carry Corporate Amex cards with us, and usually run up bills in excess of $30,000 when travelling away for "miscellaneous" expenses; such as buying transportation, paying for translators and guides, for accommodation, and for carnets and the like (of course, WE don't actually pay - our WORK does - but WE are accountable for putting in our expenses, and therefore, our names are on our cards).

So what's happened is Amex have looked at his transaction record, and realised that he's used his card for thousands of pounds worth of transactions - and it's given him a high status.

Excellent!

(Pointless, but excellent nonetheless.)

Actually - Amex isn't the best card to travel with, especially in my line of work. Usually you find yourself in an Arabic country, and the reaction you get from asking if someone accepts the Green Card is reminiscent of a bulldog licking pi$$ from a stinging nettle.

Maybe we should go with Visa...

[FlamDrag]

The difference is between an American Express Charge Chard (no limit - high fees - balance paid every month) and an Amex Credit Card (relatively new for Amex - just like Visa and the rest).

Personally, I use my Discover card all day every day. Cash back is tough to beat - no matter how small the percentage.

[mactastic]

I think I'm gonna go spray paint my credit cards black...

Maybe people will think I'm someone special! :D

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by mactastic
I think I'm gonna go spray paint my credit cards black...

Maybe people will think I'm someone special! :D i can see the cashier now: "hey dumbass, your card doesn't work! oh my god! you idiot, you painted it! what in the heck is wrong with you?!"

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by shadowfax
i can see the cashier now: "hey dumbass, your card doesn't work! oh my god! you idiot, you painted it! what in the heck is wrong with you?!"

that's why you put a strip of tape over the magnetic strip when you paint it.

now who's the dumbass?

[sonofslim]

i know people who have spray-painted their bikes crappy, dull colors so they look ugly and won't be targeted for theft... you might be on to something!

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by jelloshotsrule
that's why you put a strip of tape over the magnetic strip when you paint it.

now who's the dumbass? i'm gonna put a strip of tape over your magnetic stripper, dumbass...

[agreenster]

Originally posted by shadowfax
i'm gonna put a strip of tape over your magnetic stripper, dumbass...

Thats the funniest thing I've read all day! :D

[shadowfax]

i'm glad you picked up on the humor, i was worried that some random weirdo (not jelloshots, though) might not and report it and get me into all kinds of annoying trouble...

[jelloshotsrule]

Originally posted by shadowfax
i'm gonna put a strip of tape over your magnetic stripper, dumbass...

good luck finding it

strip of hot wax? maybe.

[sonofslim]

the only problem with magnetic strippers is (...giggle...) prying 'em off the pole when they're done!

[grlz101]

Black Amex is issued on your spending patterns nothing more, my income is nothing special but I do use the Amex to slam on all my departments flight and travel expenses, around £300k pa

Amex say they invite but if you hold your own platinum or a corporate gold amex as I did you can demand a black one as the threat of losing a high spending client usually gets them to issue.

The only real benefit is Amex's guarantee to secure a seat on any plane leaving some poor b'stard bumped off the flight because you left your reservation to the last minute and BA overbooked the flight. Quite handy given that i'm a lazy git.

Amex also offer a wealth management service but its more a con into making you buy their overpriced and under performing investment products and travel/life insurance.

As for the kudos of presenting a Black Amex card as payment. I tanked my car with fuel at shell, the cashier didn't roll out a red carpet or run around like a headless chicken saying "WOW look a Black Amex". To be honest most shop workers don't even blink or take much notice of it just as long as it swipes, authorises and your signature matches the card, guess its the modern world.

Anyways back to the ipod perhaps the single most important invention this century, well that and peer to peer file transfers.

[KBFinFan]

I was flipping through one of my housemate's Maxim magazines here at school. They had a section on what celebrities are getting their wives/girlfriends in a funny way.

Kobe Bryant was giving his wife a card and inside of it was a picture of a black AmEx.

I didn't get it at first.. but now I do.

[LuckY]

I had only heard of the Black American Express card on the radio (Howard Stern talking about how Sam Simon flaunts it to pretty girls he wants to pick up). I was blown away today while Christmas shopping at the Brea Mall. An older Asian woman carrying a Louis Vuitton purse that my wife has never seen before (and she is very into them) and wearing real jade+diamond earrings and a huge real jade ring on her finger was buying a handful of panties (it was painful to imagine her actually wearing the thongs). When she was about to pay she pulled out a black card of all things. I was in awe, but I wasn't sure it was an AmEx until the light reflected the right way and low and behold it was. I was just shocked repeating to my wife, "Oh my god, that's a black american express card," over and over again. It really was amazing.

Thanks for the info about the card. Just wanted to share my experience (yes I registered just for that, I am actually a PC person :P)!