DISQUS

Shelley · 2 months ago

The real benefit to the Amex Platinum and the Visa Black Card is in the concierge services. You can get a table at exclusive restaurants that are booked for several months anytime with these cards. You can also get better seats at concerts and theatre events, again, at the drop of a hat and as late as the day of the event. If that's your lifestyle, then it's worth the $495 annual fee. It's greatest benefit is "exclusive spontaneity." It's not for everyone, but it's great for some of us who value the convenience of never being told "no table" or "no seats available."

meg · 2 months ago

I just today received my pre-approved invitation in a lovely jet black envelope. My motto: Any financial institution that wants me as an exclusive member (for a fee) is probably not an institution I want to belong to.

Great gimmick.

Dave · 4 months ago

Chris-I'm running into the same situation with my Platinum. Have had one since the mid-90's and originally got it due to the great travel-related benefits. But now, they've taken some of them away, the cost has gone up, etc. I actually was on the phone with AMEX yesterday and will be transitioning to a Gold when the next annual fee rolls around. Account is still the same, credit is not effected, etc. Give them a call...

Henry G. · 4 months ago

Dave and Chris R., ..both of you guys are correct... I too hold a American Express Platinum Card . American Express did indeed discontinue the free 'Domestic' Companion ticket portion of their program. But they kept the 'International' Companion ticket part. I actually thought about going back to Gold or even the Green Card because the value of the Platinum Card had been cheapened or de-valued with no decrease in annual fee. I am glad to see Visa Black come on the market because it gives some other choices to guys like us that feel we were lured to Amex Platinum with such perks as Free Domestic Companion tickets, and then had the rug snatched right from under us.

prl · 5 months ago

Just got a VISA Black Card, NOT impressed with quality of the card for $495.....any of my other credit cards are nicer looking, thought a carbon card would be a stiff metal like material, however it appears to be just cheap plastic.... Come on you guys at Visa Black Card marketing, spend a little more out of the $495 and give folks at least a nice looking card they can showoff and help boost their ego's, not some cheap piece of plastic that you bs folks into thinking is carbon! You'll be getting lotsa returns/cancellations of the card before its activated because of this!

mganderson1 · 3 weeks ago

Ditto, I got one of the Visa Black Cards last month. My brother has the Amex Centurion Card and thought this this would be somewhat comparable. Wrong. It looks like cheaper plastic than my Visa Signature card.

Erik · 5 months ago

Total wastes of money. I will go out on a limb and say that the only people that carry the black cards are ones that can qualify for it and are immature enough to care about telling people that they have one.

KC · 5 months ago

I have a Mastercard that is all black and looks really cool. At first I thought it was some sort of promotion, but it wasn't - same no fee card I've always had. I think I'll keep it instead of applying for one of these - afraid I don't meet the spending requirements.

JimmyDaGeek · 5 months ago

I have a couple of Citi World cards which apparently let me borrow above my credit limit without any fees, but must be brought below the limit by the next due date.

Taj · 5 months ago

I got a pre-approved offer in the mail today for this card. I can't see any other reason to apply for it beyond saying that I have the card in my wallet. I currently have a black diamond card from CITI with no annual fee and a platinum from Bank of America, again without the fee, so what's the point of the black card? Just a waste.

Chris R · 5 months ago

I'm an American Express Platinum card member. They used to have a benefit where you could get four free domestic companion airline tickets per year. Most of the time this wasn't worth it as you had to purchase non-discount tickets though American Express Travel. However there would typically be at least one blackout-date trip back home per year and the savings for my wife and I to fly to a non-major airport would more than exceed the annual $495 fee. It's also nice to get higher status memberships to rental car companies, hotels, and you can get into the nicer waiting areas at the airport (such as American Airlines' Admirals' Lounge).

However since they've done away with the companion ticket program, I'm really wrestling with keeping the card. It certainly doesn't pay for itself now and I don't travel enough to take advantage of most of its benefits. The only thing holding me back at this point is not wanting to inflict any damage to my credit score by closing an account with whom I have a great credit record. Too bad I closed my "Green" card with AMEX once I got the Platinum card (no reason to pay two annual fees).

john l. mccowen · 2 months ago

PRAY... TELL ME WHAT GOOD IS THIS CARD ? A $495 FEE ? UGA MUGA ! YOU ARE BLOWING A GREAT DEAL OF ARTFUL SMOKE ON YOUR SELF... I REALY WANT TO KNOW...







4495 FEE