MYTH BUSTER: There IS a spend limit on the Centurion card!!

[Diesellife]

As mentioned previously in this thread and others, $200K per year will not get you a Centurion Card automatically. I put that though some months and have not been offered a card as my spend is work related and therefore not "included" when Amex look at me.

ejb

I noticed your posts and a few others in flyertalk, it seems that Amex would prefer "entertainment" type of spending on personal account. But did you ask for a centurion business card then? Perhaps if you can't get the centurion personal card, you may be able to get a business one instead?

 

[SOPOOR]

thanks drewbles, great response!

 

[Homer]

I noticed your posts and a few others in flyertalk, it seems that Amex would prefer "entertainment" type of spending on personal account. But did you ask for a centurion business card then? Perhaps if you can't get the centurion personal card, you may be able to get a business one instead?

It's not that American Express prefers evidence of "entertainment" spending. It seems as though they look for evidence of discretionary income regardless of the type of spending that it is. Running your own business expenses through a card does not provide evidence of this type of income and spending pattern.

I have never heard of a Centurion business card and I seriously doubt that one exists.

 

[Diesellife]

It's not that American Express prefers evidence of "entertainment" spending. It seems as though they look for evidence of discretionary income regardless of the type of spending that it is. Running your own business expenses through a card does not provide evidence of this type of income and spending pattern.

I have never heard of a Centurion business card and I seriously doubt that one exists.

Hi Homer, what you said about the disposable income / discretionary income is indeed true and correct.

But the reason that I put the double quote over entertainment is because AMEX checks the spending categories of purchases and the type of the merchant to determine the spending pattern. And "Entertainment" is one of the merchant categories, which primarily indicates disposable income spending.

The site below has numerous pictures / info of Centurion and there is a picture of Centurion Business Kit down the bottom. Whether it's reliable or not, I could not comment. It also appears that such card only exists in the U.S.
About American Express Centurion Card

 

[Homer]

The site below has numerous pictures / info of Centurion and there is a picture of Centurion Business Kit down the bottom. Whether it's reliable or not, I could not comment. It also appears that such card only exists in the U.S.
About American Express Centurion Card

It is possible that there is a US business Centurion card. The Centurion program over there is quite a bit different to ours. However the packaging on that site looks very similar to the packaging we get here so that does not, by itself, suggest the information is accurate.

 

[deluxeflyer]

I found this on the Amex AU website.
The first line in the 2nd paragraph is amusing as it so succinctly states the bl....ing obvious.

American Express Australia - American Express Centurion Card

 

[Flying Fox]

I'm clearly not committed enough to Amex for one of these. I probably never will be!

 

[ejb]

I'm clearly not committed enough to Amex for one of these. I probably never will be!

I do think however that they don't only base it on spend. simongr was offered one and he indicated he did not meet the spend levels. I think it is a combination of spend and employment and lifestyle factors that Amex use to decide whether you are worthy of Black.

Although I spend a lot through Amex I am sure they will not offer me a card as my spend is heavy on fuel and business items and not on lifestyle purchases.

ejb

 

[simongr]

Centurion is an unpublished Charge Card from Amex, usually only available by invitation and is around $9k per year to have in your wallet to cough up for an annual fee (Jerry Seinfeld was the first person to be issued one).

The annual fee is not $9000. I was offered one for $4300 I think. I still have the invite for when I can afford to have one - still no idea on how I was invitde.

 

[Homer]

The annual fee is not $9000. I was offered one for $4300 I think. I still have the invite for when I can afford to have one - still no idea on how I was invitde.

Yes it is exactly $4,300.

 

[FuzzyAUS]

Yes it is exactly $4,300.

Ill confirm that as right too

 

[Dave Noble]

I'm clearly not committed enough to Amex for one of these. I probably never will be!

I think that anyone prepared to pay >$4000 for a charge card may well ought to be committed

 

[ejb]

I think that anyone prepared to pay >$4000 for a charge card may well ought to be committed

Dave,

I assume that the people who have them don't consider $4000 to be much money. I would say that if you earn $1M plus a year $4K is less than 1 days pay so it would be comparable to someone paying $100 per year for a card and earning $30000 per year.

I also assume the extras that come with the card are valuable and then there is the "wa&^er value" of the black card (and that would be valued very high by some).

ejb

 

[Dave Noble]

Dave,

I assume that the people who have them don't consider $4000 to be much money. I would say that if you earn $1M plus a year $4K is less than 1 days pay so it would be comparable to someone paying $100 per year for a card and earning $30000 per year.

I also assume the extras that come with the card are valuable and then there is the "wa&^er value" of the black card (and that would be valued very high by some).

ejb

I know people who do/have had them and saw what the benefits are and they were worth nowhere near $4300. Would have hoped someone in a position earning that sort of money would have sense with money

 

[ejb]

I know people who do/have had them and saw what the benefits are and they were worth nowhere near $4300. Would have hoped someone in a position earning that sort of money would have sense with money

I have not seen one nor do I know anyone with one. I just assumed that for $4300 there would be more than ego value to the card.

ejb

 

[Dave Noble]

I have not seen one nor do I know anyone with one. I just assumed that for $4300 there would be more than ego value to the card.

ejb

At the old price of around $2600 there was close to getting value if you actually would need all the benefits associated with it; with the increase to > $4000 , it is , to me, something for people who need AMEX to tell them how special they are

 

[hazel]

I read a book last week titled 'Affluenza' by Hamilton & Dennis 2005. That says that the Centurion was introduced because platinum cards had been devalued by the banks 'giving them to everyone' & Amex wanted to stay ahead of the game.

This has probably been spotted before but the section in the book talking about the above cites AFF! www.frequentflyer.com.au/discuss/viewtopic.php?p=2651>
11 Jan 2005.

 

[NYCguy]

At the old price of around $2600 there was close to getting value if you actually would need all the benefits associated with it; with the increase to > $4000 , it is , to me, something for people who need AMEX to tell them how special they are

The Centurion card was intended for cardholders who don't bat an eyelid at spending the equivalent of the annual fee on a bottle of good Burgundy at Tetsuya's. It's the card you use when you fly 16 people to the Maldives for a ten-night stay at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. Benefits, schmenetifts. I'm not convinced that the average Centurion cardholder is concerned about "benefits" associated with holding the card.

 

[Dave Noble]

The Centurion card was intended for cardholders who don't bat an eyelid at spending the equivalent of the annual fee on a bottle of good Burgundy at Tetsuya's. It's the card you use when you fly 16 people to the Maldives for a ten-night stay at Four Seasons Kuda Huraa. Benefits, schmenetifts. I'm not convinced that the average Centurion cardholder is concerned about "benefits" associated with holding the card.

Or the card you get when nowhere near this and think that having the card will somehow make you special. The people I have come across with a Centurion are not that type of person

 

[NYCguy]

Or the card you get when nowhere near this and think that having the card will somehow make you special. The people I have come across with a Centurion are not that type of person

Then we clearly move in different circles.