03CLsPunisher

Going to get an American Express card today. Can't decide between

1. Blue Sky
2. Rewards Plus Gold

Thanks for the input.

GIBSON6594

One is a credit card one is a charge card

Do you need/want the miles that badly? If so get the sky.

Also there is an annual fee got the gold, but it's pretty easy to get waived.

phile

What's the difference?

laidback93

Has anyone ever heard of a black AMEX card? I don't know if its true or an urban legend. Supposedly there are only 15 or so of them in existance.

BENDER08

there is more then 15 you have to be invited to get one. all that card offers is No spending limit, unlimited , my GF works at a hotel a lady used one its not even plastic its made of some metal she had to punch it in manually since their machine could not read it,,,, insane......

laidback93

Yeah I just wiki'd it. There are approx. 10,000 issued. You have to spend a minimum of 250K a year just to keep it. The start up fees are $7500.

I guess it's more of a status thing because honestly the perks are not worth the rediculous fees you have to pay.

Mizouse

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card

rt4563

[QUOTE=laidback93]Has anyone ever heard of a black AMEX card? I don't know if its true or an urban legend. Supposedly there are only 15 or so of them in existance.[/QUOTE]

According to Snopes Urban Legends page, the Black AmEx card is actually real, although not something you see every day.

Quote:

In 1999 American Express announced the introduction of its Centurion™ card. Available only by invitation to selected Platinum card members, this black credit card promises to simplify the lives of the harried rich. In exchange for its hefty annual fee (initially $1,000 US, but now $2,500), cardholders receive automatic upgrades on fifteen of the world's leading airlines. They also receive assistance in securing hard-to-come-by tickets for popular events, reservations at trendy restaurants, and shopping for Christmas gifts. Someone from the service will even call to remind cardholders of upcoming anniversaries. It is akin to having a personal concierge always on call.

"There had been rumors going around that we had this ultra-exclusive black card for elite customers," says Doug Smith, director of American Express Europe. "It wasn't true, but we decided to capitalize on the idea anyway. So far we've had a customer buy a Bentley and another charter a jet."

According to cardholder and record producer Nellee Hooper, the Centurion "arrives at your house with a security guard. You get this big, black, velvet-lined box, with a special mini-computer and two black cards in it, one for business, one for pleasure." If you put your card in the mini-computer, it tells you how much you've spent.

Hooper was probably attempting to add to the black card's mystique by speaking with his tongue planted in his cheek, however. Some of our readers who possess Centurion cards have reported that their new plastic arrived with no hoopla at all, nary a security guard nor a mini-computer. They did receive two cards, but it wasn't a case of one card for business and one for pleasure — one card was the Centurion charge card and the other was a 'Priority Pass' (also black and gold) which allows them into first-class lounges the world over but can't actually be used to pay for anything.

Yet for all of its snob appeal, the Centurion is still a thing of mystery. Though we located numerous references to it on the American Express web site, nothing we came across explicitly outlined its eligibility requirements or benefits. The card cannot be applied for; it is either proffered by AmEx or it is not. As to how the company decides whom it should offer the preferred plastic to, according to American Express their applications for Centurion cards are generally provided to customers who annually charge $150,000 or more to other AmEx cards. Centurion cards are not offered to anyone who has been a cardholder for less than a year.

subinf

I've seen a few of the black cards. One douche bag thought he was hot shit when he pulled one out at the restaurant I was also eating at only to be told they didn't take american express.

saiko_cl_duck

Mizouse

yea i always wondered about that, cause american express isn't accepted at as many places as say visa or master card.. kinda a disadvantage to having the centurion card.

subinf

Since that happened they have started to take american express, though not because of that once time. I guess a lot more people use it and it just seemed to make sense.

BENDER08

I'm Fine with my Visa,


But i am thinking about getting one of them AMEX charge cards just to have one

Will Y.

I just got an AMEX charge card through Costco a couple of months ago-- only for the rebates and for my wife to buy gas at Costco (she doesn't use debit cards).

Otherwise, I got along fine with "just" Visas and Mastercards for 20+ years. As someone else pointed out, fewer merchants accept AMEX.

taz98spin

I have the Blue Cash from American Express.

OP, you should look into that card. Cuz you get cash back instead of miles for flights.

BENDER08

scary you read my mind, i'm planing on going today to costco to get one lol

NiteQwill

AMEX charge cards are worthless unless you use their features. The best feature I've experienced with the Platinum (and I guess the Centurion card would be the same), is the free concierge service.

By far, AMEX is the best in customer service and claims. I had an item break on me 6 or 7 months after purchasing it, AMEX refunded me every cent within 3 business days. The benefits (another I've used: free CDW for all rental cars) of AMEX in its fine print is the reason I use it more ofter than my MC.