Centurion Card Gets Exclusive Again
Sorry for the lack of posts, I’ve been on an extended vacation from this site. I am actually in Paris right now, I’ll write more about Centurion service for my trip later. I am a little late on reporting this, but apparently Amex has semi-closed its doors on the Centurion card for now. According to this user over at Flyer Talk, he called in and asked to apply, and they told him it was invite only now. Even though he met the previous requirements.
I could kind of see this coming as it appeared a lot of people had been calling in and getting Centurion cards lately, that met the requirements of course. I am sure they’re just afraid of diluting the brand and decided to scale back on the number of new members. I actually want to see if anyone is “invited” in the near future.
This sucks for the people who want one and qualified under the previous requirements, but it is probably a good thing for the current cardholders and the program. Maybe they will add back Starwood Platinum stats while they’re at it; I guess that’s just wishful thinking.
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My plum card manager just mentioned the centurion card to me the other day so I looked it up online and liked what I saw. So she said to call an 800# and ask them about the benefits. Anyway, they won’t even tell you the benefits unless there is an invitation on your account.
So I gave her my info confirmed some information and there was an invitation on my account. From my understanding it is almost solely based upon your account spending level. My plum manager said it was a minimum of $500k per year. But she didn’t know any of the benefits so she could have been wrong.
Anyway, so after the centurion rep said I had an invitation she explained the benefits, which I thought were pretty cool. My favorites that I can remember, and I sure hope they are true lol, are:
- Access to booked up restaurants and hotels the same day by calling your centurion rep
- Free upgrades to first class
- Late checkout at hotels
- VIP treatment at some stores, hotels and restaurants
- 3 extra years extended warranty for purchases
- Personal concierge
- Exclusivity of the card
So I should have it in a few days. Whether it’s worth the $5k up front fee and $2500/yr fee I don’t know. I hope at least somewhat!
I spoke with Centurion today and they did tell me they are invitation only at this point. They also said that the spending amount is no longer their main focus it is no longer 250,000, but did not elaborate. They had actually given me an invite in April, but they honored that and are sending me one.
to “Shawn”: If anyone actually told you those benefits on the phone, you either misheard them, or they don’t work for Amex.
you said:
- “Access to booked up restaurants and hotels the same day by calling your centurion rep”
Come on. Don’t be naiive.
Any credit card “concierge number” on a visa signature, or any amex, etc etc can call and make restaurant reservations for you. If a hotel is booked, or a restaurant is full - your magic card will not do anything unless amex reserved their own room/table there and re-allocated it to you.
- Free upgrades to first class
This old wives tale has been discussed and joked about for years. No, it’s not true at all.
- Late checkout at hotels
Not a special cent benefit.
Use any card, or just join their frequent guest program.
If you book through the amex travel desk (which you don’t need a cent card to do) and pay the higher FHR rate, and that hotel is one of the 600 participants, then you can request a late checkout up to 4pm.
- VIP treatment at some stores, hotels and restaurants
This sounds like something a wannabe rapper would tell you. And no, it’s not accurate.
LOL ok if you say so Andy 
About the only one that may not be “true” is the “VIP Treatment”. Reading that I kind of had a laugh at myself for believing it.
But no first class upgrades?! LOL that’s one of their biggest benefits.
Quote from Andy: - VIP treatment at some stores, hotels and restaurants
This sounds like something a wannabe rapper would tell you. And no, it’s not accurate.
Andy,
Why is that not accurate? Last I checked, with a Centurion card you get private shopping hours at a couple of top tier department stores. That perk might not be exclusive to centurion members (I remember this benefit from the Platinum card) but it still constitutes as VIP treatment in my book.
As far as restaurants, I don’t know if you get a free bottle of Dom w/ a cent reservation but I have heard from credible sources that at some restaurants the manager will come and personally greet you.
Finally, I don’t know much about the hotels program (heard it’s been downgraded a lot lately) but what about the free night stay (some strings attached?)at the Mandarin Oriental? And the complimentary room-upgrades at select hotel properties?
Sure, the cent rep might not fully disclose restrictions to some “perks” and some benefits may be considered “an old wives tale” as you put it, but what Shawn heard about the VIP treatment at the above-mentioned establishments is indeed accurate, to a degree.
Like I said I just got the card two days ago. I got two room reservations on two trips, late check out, a room upgrade, $100 spa credit. Im now also Gold on some airlines.
The biggest perk is for someone like me who doesnt travel ALL the time, would never make gold, but now I too have a shot at upgrades. In terms of personel on the phone I have heard horror stories but the three times I have delt with the travel advisors they went out of their way to help me, explain benefits, and literally compare 10 hotels in vegas based on price and the Cent perks I would get.
Don`t know where Andy`s head is at but I get the First class upgrades all the time. Out to dinner, on flights, and retail. Either he doesn`t have the card or he just carries himself like a tool.
Johnnie - Where do you get “upgrades” on dinner and retail?
There is no such policy with the card. Whether a particular restaurant wants to give you a better table or anything else is solely up to the manager, regardless of what card you have.
In general, in a retail establishment or restaurant, you would first have to show the card for anyone to even know you have it - so unless you walk into a restaurant or store and proclaim “hey look at my card” (rather than waiting until the end to pay), why would anyone even think to treat you differently (and if you did do that, I would hate to be on the receiving end…).
As for first class flight upgrades, everyone thinks that by showing the card, you can get upgraded at the airport; which is simply untrue. In almost all cases, check-in staff no longer have the ability to upgrade you even if they wanted to.
This misconception is based on the fact that the centurion card allows you to register in the frequent flyer programs of two airlines as a “second-tier” elite (Continental and US Airways) and in another as a “third-tier” elite (Delta). Those individual airlines can give you a space-available upgrade - just like any of their other frequent flyers of the same status.
Not because you have a black card (nor would they even know that you did).
One more airline (Virgin Atlantic) also gives you an elite status, which only provides lounge access - not upgrades.
True Story: My wife and I presented our cent to a salesman at Tiffany in Charlotte Southpark Mall this past week and simply asked if they would clean my wifes engagement ring while we shop for our nieces sweet 16 charm bracelet. His response was “no…unless the ring was purchased from Tiffany they are not allowed to handle “other” jewelry as the ionizer might damage the stone. I can understand store policy however quite surprised with the inability and or unwillingness to make an exception for a “qualified” buyer…
Seth,
I work at a brand store and that is common policy. It is not a matter of inability or unwillingness there is just a policy that has to be followed even though you are rich, “qualified”, or anything else for that matter. Would you take a Gucci bag to Louis Vuitton for repair? If you think about it that way, it’s quite out of the question.
Seth, when I was in college I worked at a jewelry store and used to change batteries in watches, remove links, clean jewelry etc and our policy was the same. We weren’t allowed to do any work on a piece unless it was a brand that we sold. It didn’t really have to be purchased there, although it was probably supposed to be, but it just had to be a brand that we sold.
The real issue behind it is that if it wasn’t a brand we sold we would have no way of assigning a value to it if it broke.
Agreed and understood however anyone who has the card knows that many of the best benefits are the ones not printed in the guide and come from people going out of the way to make your experience special. Whether that means a free appetizer, an unexpected room upgrade, or in my case dunking my wifes ring in an ionizer with water and bleech. It’s no big deal but in this case I was illustrating the lack of special retail service I received even if it meant adhearing to company policy. In life we all know there are exceptions made to rules and the black card is gateway to such exceptions…just not at Tiffany in Charlotte
Yeah, and Tiffany’s is likely looking at it from a “liability” standpoint as well. They figure if their equipment ruins a customer’s jewewlry that came from another store, they can be sued… which is probably one of the main reasons they have that policy.
Real quick for Arbuck on the upgrades—I received a $500.00 gift card from Domenico Vacca and a 2 Nights stay at Wynn Resorts in Vegas. Have had more but these just in the last 6 months. Plus, I am very very happy with concierge. Great card!!
johnnie - so did I (i have received those 2 bonuses, plus several others this year).
but that’s not upgrades on shopping, retail and restaurants. it’s a rap-culture misconception to believe your card gives you anything in a store or a restaurant (unless your personality, or relationship at the establishment is such that you receive something regardless of what charge-card you carry).
Of course a $500.00 gift card is an nice unexpected retail upgrade. Additionally, my concierge always does a great job of upgrading flights to first class–and yes it might be a few dollars more but never more than $10.00 per seat. Black card is a great gateway (as Seth mentioned) and another tool to use to get additional value at stores and restuarants that I shop at. I love the 3 year warranty extension of goods purchased on the centurion. Not rap culture misconception…just reality…
I own a business and run all of my expenses through a Plum card so am well past the qualifying range for a Black card ($700k+ over the last 12 months). I am about to make a transition to where I’ll be traveling weekly and thought it would be great to have a personal card to get the airline and hotel upgrades - do you know if it’s possible to get a personal Black card if the majority of your expenses are through a Plum card (the card is in my name) and do the hotel & airline benefits work if you do not book through Amex? I was approved back in June but wouldn’t have gotten the use out of the card to justify the cost - I hope the window hasn’t closed now…
Ingram–Try this number–8002973333. I know that it is closed but perhaps they will “grandfather” the invite. Good Luck!
That’s the Business Card Member Services line, for existing cardholders.
Not the right people he should be speaking to.
Nor are they able to help him.
Call Centurion New Accounts Department instead (completely different number and office).
No…That number is good. The representative will be happy to transfer you to new accounts. New accounts closes at 9:00 EST. Give them a call, Ingram. All the reps are eager to help. You will love the benefits and upgrades of this card!
So I do have an invite for a Business Centurion card, but not the personal card.
Does this make any difference? And would I still get premium airline, hotel and car rental status on EVERY flight with those airlines or only on those flights that I purchased with the Centurion card? I have a corporate expense account I’ll be required to purchase my flights with, so am worried I would not get the benefits of the card…..anyone know how this works? Thanks!
Ingram - I had the same questions at first. But now that I have the card, I understand it better.
The airline upgrades are done via the respective airlines frequent flyer program. So you don’t even have to use an amex to get the upgrade, you just need to use your FF number that you get when you enroll in the centurion benefits. But keep in mind the upgrades aren’t guaranteed, but you’ll get them if they are available. I just flew to Vegas with my wife and we both got an upgrade to first via US Air both ways.
As stated the airline benefits are not directly card linked. As a Centurion member, you get preferred status on the airlines, just like an elite frequent flyer would. For instance, on US Airways you are Platinum preffered. The Airline doesnt how you got the ticket, US Airways computers only sees that you are Platinum on your account with them so you are eligable for upgrades.
In theory you can get the card and put it away and never use it and get the Airline and hotel perks without ever taking it from your wallet again. CTS reservations do go on your card when/if you use them.
I got upgraded to first 5 days from my flight to Vegas, so its a nice perk.
The Centurion is all flash. The American Express=provided services (concierge, travel, etc) are seriously subpar.
If you’d like to learn more, hit me up on yelp.
Hey everyone - I think the greatest news for us in the past year is the relationship between united and continental…i don’t know about you guys but it seems usair, continental and delta never fly direct to where i want to go…united seems to always…so now we’ll get unlimited domestic upgrades on united…i’m so pumped
Hey Admin, I miss your post don´t let down this fantastic site I hope to hear news soon of your Trip to Paris and how Centurion Helped you thanks And see you soon!
How many airline miles do you get per dollar spent with the centurion card? Is it an easy to get? credit card?
I have Centurion Card fm HK and we pay the highest annual fee in the world.HK$ 19,800 = US$ 2,538
Buy one get one free ticket on British airway, Virgin etc ( if you call your travel agent , same rate actually )
Exclusive club entrance : China Club , Kee Club , Cipriani ( no one wants to go there) ( almost anybody can get you in those club , not really exclusive )like HK Golf club, Country Club , Aberdeen Mariner’s Club .
My worst experience : I plan a trip to Japan and since I do not speak Japanese I call Centurion and asked them to book the resturants for me. When I check in to my hotel , the conceirge there knows exactly my weeks dinning schedule ( which I hope to be private ). What AE did is first they asked me where I’ll be staying in Japan and call my hotel’s conceirge to do all the work.Now I could have done that easily through email to the hotel directly but since I am a regular in that hotel sometimes I don’t want them to know where I am going .Also, if it is a very popular restaurant Centurion cannot get any reservations but a 5 star hotel may get a better chance.
This yr they are not giving any free mileage to all card holders no matter how you spend. Lots of shops in HK do not accept AE so I may not re-new .
Mrs. Hong Kong–since you did not speak Japanese, perhaps the concierge thought it important to communicate to the hotel concierge your itinery to help you out. They probably didn`t know that you are such a big celebrity and leaks to the papparazzi would be so inconvienent. Since you mentioned it twice in your comment that you didn`t want anyone to know your schedule, you certainly must be a person that is in the public eye and everyone wants to know everything about you. This treatment is totally unacceptable and the Gods should strike down with great fury to these underings. I feel your pain!!
Just an fyi - all the chatter about back to invite only really isnt true. I called in early November and they said I was “on the list” and took my application. I didnt have my EIN on me so just called back today and I will recieve the card next week. My (weak) rationale for getting the card is that my current spending ($1mm/year) will drop significantly this year so this may be my “last chance” to get the card (no spending min once you get it they assured me). So will it be worth $2.5k per year, not to mention 5 GRAND out of pocket right away? Probably not but I am hoping benefits will continue to evolve to make it worth it. If I am wrong, I might dump it in a couple of years. Clearly there is a prestige factor at play but I am worried its getting cheesy/”trying too hard” kind of wallet candy. Anyway, just my $0.02.
“Invite only” policy was confirmed. I called two days ago to see what the hype is all about and the customer service rep refused to reveal any info about qualifications or invitation criteria until I gave her my current account info. Then she immediately told me that I have an invitation and proceeded to explain some of the benefits.
Is the card really worth it? Are card holders just chumps paying for perceived prestige? We don’t need other ppl to acknowledge that we have money. Vendors already know when you use any card and spend exhorbitant amounts of money. Who are we trying to impress? The $5k initiation fee seems like a complete racket to me. It seems to me that only chumps would fall for that. What does it buy you? Do you get anything for it?
I think AMEX should give the cards for free to members who already show a huge spending history and THANK us for giving them as much business as we do. Maybe they should increase the qualifications to a higher amount, like only inviting people who spend $1 million/year.
I’ve been thinking about changing to the True Earnings AMEX which gives you 1+% cash back and no annual fee. Hypothetically, if I spend $1 million/year, that would give me $10,000 cash back minimum. That seems like the way to go. Meanwhile, AMEX charges the vendors 2-3% on all our purchases, so they are already making $20,000 on my purchases each year.
It seems like this Centurion AMEX is just a way for AMEX to charge more money to those who can afford it. They identify us based on our spending habits and think we have too much money and they create this perceived prestige as a way to extract an extra $2500/year and $5,000 initiation fee.
Please correct me if I am wrong. And card holders, please explain to me why it is so special to be a part of this club. And consider that I barely travel, so all those travel benfits are wasted on me. Maybe I’m missing the boat on this, so let me know if I should accept this “exclusive invitation.”
Black AMEX is for people who are insecure and need to show off. Join a real concierge service and get it done right. Notice the edge on the card it’s only good for cutting coke! and most of the loser guys who own one use it to impress the ladies …. not i show off in the bedroom instead!
The “invite only” is just marketing hype. I called in this week and they said “Sorry, but the Centurion is now invite only. Please hold a minute while I pull up your Platinum account.” She then came back on the line and said “I see that we do have an invitation on file for you.”
Really? It’s just been sitting there in my account and was never mailed? Seriously, people in the Centurion spending realm aren’t going to fall for that! Clearly, anyone who meets the minimum requirements for the card will be told that “an invitation is on file for you.” I have no idea what the requirements are; I spent $420k on my card over the past year and have never made a late payment or used the credit line. I’ve always paid in full each month.
Anyway, I decided to get the card, only because one of my very good friends has one and I’m amazed at the upgrades & service he gets with it. Everything from comp room upgrades at many hotels (that have nothing to do with Amex’s ‘formal’ programs), free rounds of drinks after the waiter brings back the check etc. Naturally this never happens where we live in OC, CA where everyone seems to have a black card and no one even notices it anymore. But on the road the special treatment is exceptional. What made me finally call them was watching my friend pay the lowest room rate when checking into a JW Marriott resort and got an upgrade to the VP Suite. That did it for me.
But the bottom line: It is *NOT* invitation only! That’s just marketing bull.
Yeah, it’s been altogether “closed” recently at least for the rest of the year. No more calling in and asking to be invited. The 250k doesn’t matter anymore, and even with a million of spending you can’t get a new invitation.
Supposedly they are re-thinking the requirements for new members and won’t decide this until next year. And in the meantime there will be no new card applications…