The first rule of the AmEx Centurion Card is: You do not talk about the AmEx Centurion Card. Also known colloquially as the Black Card, Centurion membership is so exclusive that American Express will not even officially confirm any of its perks, nor what it takes to be invited to apply. That’s right, you must receive a formal invitation just to apply.
“It’s our long-standing policy not to share the details of our Centurion Membership,” is all the detail on the card that the issuer will divulge.
Commenting on the card publicly, posting about it on social media, or even just flashing it around are all apparently frowned upon. But we have it on good authority that celebrities including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Jerry Seinfeld, who reportedly received the first-ever Black Card, all carry it. Collectively there are thought to be fewer than 20,000 AmEx Centurion cardholders around the world. We managed to speak to a few of them for the inside scoop on how you can get your hands on one and the VIP treatment you can expect once you do.
An application algorithm
American Express remains absolutely silent on the requirements for a Centurion Card invitation. However, card members we spoke with believe the issuer uses a secret algorithm more closely guarded than the Coca-Cola recipe to winnow potential candidates. There is also likely a team of advisers who conduct background checks and handpick each invitee.
Based on various sources, it appears that to be considered, you must be an existing American Express cardholder who regularly spends upward of $350,000 per year on your current AmEx cards, or around $500,000 if you want the business version of the card (yes, there’s a business version, too). It takes more than simply hitting the raw numbers, though. According to a cardholder we spoke with who requested anonymity, AmEx also analyzes candidates' spending and prioritizes those whose purchases tend to be in specific categories like luxury goods, dining, events, and travel. It is also thought to help your chances if a current Centurion Card member personally recommends you.
According to one Business Centurion Card holder who was willing to speak on the record, founder and CEO of The Points Guy, Brian Kelly, you might have luck just calling up and asking for the chance to apply. According to Kelly, his business was regularly spending upwards of $1 million per year on the company’s AmEx Business Platinum Card account. Noting that activity, he phoned American Express to ask about opening a Business Centurion account, and received an invitation two months later.
If you are accepted, expect to pay. A lot. New cardholders are subject to a one-time $10,000 initiation fee plus an annual fee of $5,000 just for the privilege of keeping the card in their wallet. Additional cards for authorized users are $5,000 each, and you can only add up to two of them per account.
Welcome to the elite ranks
That price tag might be worth it, though, considering just how many exclusive perks carrying the Centurion Card confers. Among the most outstanding: Members receive automatic Delta Platinum Medallion elite status, which normally requires flying 75,000 miles and spending $9,000 with the airline each year, plus mid-level Marriott Bonvoy Gold and IHG Rewards Club Platinum status, and top-tier Hilton Honors Diamond status with perks like upgrades and free breakfast during stays.
Card members also receive a statement credit worth up to $100 toward a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee, plus complimentary Clear membership (normally $179 per year) to speed through airport security even faster. Worth another $4,500 per year is membership to PS at LAX, a private suite at the airport with luxurious departure and arrival amenities, though you still have to pay for individual visits. The Equinox Destination Access Membership grants entry to the brand’s 100+ locations and is worth another $3,600 per year. Like AmEx Platinum Card members, those with the Black Card can use Delta Sky Clubs and Priority Pass airport lounges when traveling. At AmEx’s own Centurion Lounges, they will find reserved tables set aside just for them and receive a complimentary glass of Veuve Clicquot (or a choice of other premium spirits).
When traveling in business or first class through over 30 designated airports around the world, they can take advantage of Centurion International Arrival Services including a personal escort to whisk them off the plane and through customs and immigration. Centurion members also receive special benefits like upgrades and on-property credits when booking stays through the Centurion Hotel Program at partner brands including Aman, Belmond, Mandarin Oriental, Oetker Collection, Peninsula Hotels, Rosewood, St. Regis, and Waldorf Astoria.
Through the Centurion Dining Program, cardholders can reserve hard-to-book tables at more than a thousand American Express restaurant partners around the world, including Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Mirazur in Menton, France. They are also entitled to private tours and tastings in Napa and can participate in special wine-collecting sales and advisory sessions.
Interestingly, the Centurion Card only accrues one American Express Membership Rewards point per dollar on most purchases, which actually trails many other AmEx products including the AmEx Gold Card and AmEx Green Card in terms of earning potential. The business version does earn bonuses for big-ticket items. But that’s not really the point, says Brian Kelly. If you carry the card, chances are you’re not stockpiling points to book cheap award tickets anyway.
This one perk alone is worth it
According to Kelly, the most exceptional benefit included with his Business Centurion Card is being able to enlist the services of his dedicated Centurion Concierge, Ray. Kelly says Ray has done everything from arranging private tours for his family in various cities across the globe to nabbing sold-out front-row tickets to a Celine Dion concert and scoring him last-minute invitations to exclusive AmEx cardholder events with luminaries like chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana and tennis superstar Rafael Nadal.
Even more impressive, when Mount Agung erupted on Bali in November 2017, stranding Kelly, Ray got him off the island and to another international airport via van and ferry with the help of AmEx contacts in Singapore. Most recently, Ray was able to change some of Kelly’s travel plans during the quickly intensifying coronavirus travel restrictions within 20 minutes of being contacted. Compare that to the multiple hours many travelers (and even Platinum Card members calling AmEx Travel) had to wait on the phone with airlines.
Kelly says that having access to Ray and the rest of the Centurion Concierge team is the one perk that makes carrying the card year after year worthwhile. Of course, it probably doesn’t hurt that AmEx also sends card members exclusive gifts every so often. Recent items have included a Sofia Cashmere travel set, Bottega Veneta and Tom Ford card cases, and bottles of Dom Pérignon with Baccarat crystal flutes or Tiffany crystal ice buckets. All the better to toast the extravagant benefits the Centurion Card has to offer.