Comments on: American Express Black – The Ultimate Credit Card http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/ Bridging the gap between saving money and investing Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:42:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: chris http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-4/#comment-978114 chris Sat, 03 Dec 2011 04:00:14 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-978114 What is puzzling me is why would i want to give away 2500 dollars a year just to have a card. I don't knock the card but i just don't get paying that much money for something. I would rather just give 2500 a year to family or someone that need it. Maybe i just have a good heart, I don't know. What is puzzling me is why would i want to give away 2500 dollars a year just to have a card. I don’t knock the card but i just don’t get paying that much money for something. I would rather just give 2500 a year to family or someone that need it. Maybe i just have a good heart, I don’t know.

]]> By: cathy http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-962119 cathy Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:34:37 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-962119 A Black Card is the ultimate in snobbishness. But then, if you want to be snobbish - and we all do to some extent - then you should work hard to be able to afford one! A Black Card is the ultimate in snobbishness. But then, if you want to be snobbish – and we all do to some extent – then you should work hard to be able to afford one!

]]> By: Brandon Blevins http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-957020 Brandon Blevins Fri, 19 Aug 2011 12:44:00 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-957020 Well I have read this article and many of the comments. I do not know the last time i laughed so hard. Apparently everyone who owns a Black card has commented on this page. Where do you jackasses get off on lying about owning this card? It is a very interesting card but no one wants to hear your bs. Well I have read this article and many of the comments. I do not know the last time i laughed so hard. Apparently everyone who owns a Black card has commented on this page. Where do you jackasses get off on lying about owning this card? It is a very interesting card but no one wants to hear your bs.

]]> By: Alex http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-950412 Alex Sun, 03 Jul 2011 23:33:59 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-950412 Oh just so we all know..very large purchases trigger AMEX to track your spending. I paid payroll using my AMEX Gold on June, July and August of 2010 and I received a phone call asking me to sign up for a black card. The payroll amount each month was 36,544. I have not spent that much since then...maybe average 8,200 on it monthly. Ohhhh and let's get this right!! You can't go to a car dealership and use an AMEX. They flat out refuse!! They don't want to pay the 3% fee AMEX charges them especially for a car over 75k. One more thing all AMEX cards have a limit. The no limit ones take an average of what you spend on it and that is your limit. Oh just so we all know..very large purchases trigger AMEX to track your spending. I paid payroll using my AMEX Gold on June, July and August of 2010 and I received a phone call asking me to sign up for a black card. The payroll amount each month was 36,544. I have not spent that much since then…maybe average 8,200 on it monthly. Ohhhh and let’s get this right!! You can’t go to a car dealership and use an AMEX. They flat out refuse!! They don’t want to pay the 3% fee AMEX charges them especially for a car over 75k. One more thing all AMEX cards have a limit. The no limit ones take an average of what you spend on it and that is your limit.

]]> By: Dr Bill Hadd http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-949575 Dr Bill Hadd Sun, 26 Jun 2011 23:09:04 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-949575 American Express Black...although good..is having a lot of trouble in these economic times...it reads credit reports from 6 months back and if you have a lot of activity..ie refinancing a 2million business loan and clearing up debt, disputing and litigating hospital bills, applying for more credit cards and more credit....paying off your balance early and paying more than you owe....it sends the staff and the monitoring computers into a tail spin. I have two black cards and run 20 of my businesses thru them...I do not expect to have my limit decreased to $1000 just because I payed them off early and had this activity which should have had a positive impact! Until they get their act together...I will be dieting on Platinums of Visa and MC...they may not have an unlimited budget but I can pay them off 20r3 times a month!! With an operation budget in the millions you would think they would fly their ass over to Thailand and straighten this out. All my empoyees have Platinum Amex card that run thru the Blacks! Not happy or please with the Black! Count me trying to deal with Amex in Thailand where only 1 in 50000 business even know what it is..musch less honor it! The banks here close at 330 every day and for the weekend on Friday...they reopen on Monday at around 9-10am but all the banks and credit card systems in the USA are at least 13hr earlier which means it will be Tuesday before Amex or the US banks will be able to do anything for me and the banks will close in two more days on Friday. Try dealing with that!! WILLIAM MD>>DDS American Express Black…although good..is having a lot of trouble in these economic times…it reads credit reports from 6 months back and if you have a lot of activity..ie refinancing a 2million business loan and clearing up debt, disputing and litigating hospital bills, applying for more credit cards and more credit….paying off your balance early and paying more than you owe….it sends the staff and the monitoring computers into a tail spin. I have two black cards and run 20 of my businesses thru them…I do not expect to have my limit decreased to $1000 just because I payed them off early and had this activity which should have had a positive impact! Until they get their act together…I will be dieting on Platinums of Visa and MC…they may not have an unlimited budget but I can pay them off 20r3 times a month!! With an operation budget in the millions you would think they would fly their ass over to Thailand and straighten this out.
All my empoyees have Platinum Amex card that run thru the Blacks!
Not happy or please with the Black!
Count me trying to deal with Amex in Thailand where only 1 in 50000 business even know what it is..musch less honor it!
The banks here close at 330 every day and for the weekend on Friday…they reopen on Monday at around 9-10am but all the banks and credit card systems in the USA are at least 13hr earlier which means it will be Tuesday before Amex or the US banks will be able to do anything for me and the banks will close in two more days on Friday.
Try dealing with that!!
WILLIAM
MD>>DDS

]]> By: FWO http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-946967 FWO Thu, 02 Jun 2011 04:12:30 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-946967 Never have been impressed by credit cards and I'm not impressed with the Centurion. Don't say I cant afford it, because I make plenty and spend plenty more. Checks are the only way I do business and for the people that must have such a card, it doesn't prove a thing. They are not special, just need to feel special. Here's lookin' at you Mr. Lombard. ; ) Never have been impressed by credit cards and I’m not impressed with the Centurion. Don’t say I cant afford it, because I make plenty and spend plenty more. Checks are the only way I do business and for the people that must have such a card, it doesn’t prove a thing. They are not special, just need to feel special. Here’s lookin’ at you Mr. Lombard. ; )

]]> By: Dr Enam Rahman http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-944059 Dr Enam Rahman Sat, 14 May 2011 00:07:03 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-944059 I've had one for about 4 years now, it was stolen a few months back but thanks to its internal tracking device it was recovered, I had no idea it even had this technology built in. I’ve had one for about 4 years now, it was stolen a few months back but thanks to its internal tracking device it was recovered, I had no idea it even had this technology built in.

]]> By: person http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-936599 person Tue, 15 Mar 2011 23:04:06 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-936599 ok i dont know what the big deal is. My dad has had one ever since i can remember. well i guess 13 years cuz thats how old i am ok i dont know what the big deal is. My dad has had one ever since i can remember. well i guess 13 years cuz thats how old i am

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-925220 Anonymous Mon, 17 Jan 2011 17:30:41 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-925220 I have held a Centurion card since 2000. I was invited because I started a company in a basement that grew to be a very successful with offices in 3 countries and was later acquired. I've earned everything that I have and started with nearly nothing but an education that I paid for myself. Here are a few observations. 1) Originally, the Centurion card was by invitation only. It required $250,000 per year spending and also required a certain status (CEO, actor, etc.) The spending requirement was never $150,000 or some of the other numbers posted on this site. 2) The original annual fee was $1,000. That fee remained the same for existing card holders for several years. Then it increased to $1,500 and now is $2,500 for the original owners. People who receive their first card in later years pay more than the original card holders. Apparently, the current annual fee is $5,000. 3) American Express markets the card's "status", but the value of the card is in the perks: airline elite status, hotel elite status, airport lounge memberships, free rental car elite status, special event invitations, free gifts from American Express, etc. (For example, American Express has sent digital cameras, $500 gift cards to stores like Salvatore Ferragamo, etc. They just show up in the mail.) 4) The travel benefit is bogus. The same travel desk serves Platinum and Centurion card holders. They just answer the phone differently if you dial the Centurion number. 5) The card does have a very high spending limit. However, that's not what causes the card to be "frozen" when you attempt to buy a Porsche. All American Express cards track spending patterns. They will question the charge if you make a large purchase that deviates from your typical spending pattern. 6) The "status" of the card quickly wears off and the attention can be embarrassing. Who cares if some teenaged cashier makes a fuss about the card? The only time the card's status has value to me is in certain business settings. 7) There is a certain "convenience" factor, but only because my assistant plans all of my travel through the "Centurion" travel service. I have held a Centurion card since 2000. I was invited because I started a company in a basement that grew to be a very successful with offices in 3 countries and was later acquired. I’ve earned everything that I have and started with nearly nothing but an education that I paid for myself.

Here are a few observations.

1) Originally, the Centurion card was by invitation only. It required $250,000 per year spending and also required a certain status (CEO, actor, etc.) The spending requirement was never $150,000 or some of the other numbers posted on this site.
2) The original annual fee was $1,000. That fee remained the same for existing card holders for several years. Then it increased to $1,500 and now is $2,500 for the original owners. People who receive their first card in later years pay more than the original card holders. Apparently, the current annual fee is $5,000.
3) American Express markets the card’s “status”, but the value of the card is in the perks: airline elite status, hotel elite status, airport lounge memberships, free rental car elite status, special event invitations, free gifts from American Express, etc. (For example, American Express has sent digital cameras, $500 gift cards to stores like Salvatore Ferragamo, etc. They just show up in the mail.)
4) The travel benefit is bogus. The same travel desk serves Platinum and Centurion card holders. They just answer the phone differently if you dial the Centurion number.
5) The card does have a very high spending limit. However, that’s not what causes the card to be “frozen” when you attempt to buy a Porsche. All American Express cards track spending patterns. They will question the charge if you make a large purchase that deviates from your typical spending pattern.
6) The “status” of the card quickly wears off and the attention can be embarrassing. Who cares if some teenaged cashier makes a fuss about the card? The only time the card’s status has value to me is in certain business settings.
7) There is a certain “convenience” factor, but only because my assistant plans all of my travel through the “Centurion” travel service.

]]> By: Peter Bagnolo http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/comment-page-3/#comment-917408 Peter Bagnolo Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:02:01 +0000 http://www.pfadvice.com/2007/02/15/amercian-express-black-the-ultimate-credit-card/#comment-917408 The minimum net worth in liquid cash is $2.5 Million. I was an invited Platinum card member. Original cost was $300 a year and that went to $1,000. The Black Centurion minimum expenditure IS about $250k per annum. The fee is varied depending on how long and how you were solicited/invited or you initiated the request. Like the Platinum, the Black has myriad fringe benefits, such as entree' to membership only private clubs, hotels, guest residencies and much much more. It is also a walking credit reference for huge purchases, even houses. The minimum net worth in liquid cash is $2.5 Million. I was an invited Platinum card member. Original cost was $300 a year and that went to $1,000. The Black Centurion minimum expenditure IS about $250k per annum.
The fee is varied depending on how long and how you were solicited/invited or you initiated the request. Like the Platinum, the Black has myriad fringe benefits, such as entree’ to membership only private clubs, hotels, guest residencies and much much more. It is also a walking credit reference for huge purchases, even houses.

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