Amex Centurion

[CSS]

Hi All,

I currently hold the Amex Platinum Charge Card and my annual spending at the moment is just above 110K.
Big part of the spending is luxury, some travel, some accommodation, some dining and minimal utilities.
My platinum charge is due for renewal in April and I am interested in upgrading to Centurion for the added travel perks since I spend 1/3 of the year away on travel.

I have a new Maserati that is arriving late April or early May and that would be an additional 200K on-top of my current spending which the new total would be 310K.

My question is:
1. Would I qualify for the Centurion?
2. Should I ring AMEX to express my interest?
3. If I should ring AMEX, should I ring now or after my new car arrives?
4. Whats the chances of having the 5K joining fee waived and how would I have them do that for me?

Thanks!

 

[Cynicor]

My guess is if you have to ask them, then they aren't going to waive the joining fee. No idea on all the rest.

 

[Irishbazz]

Joining fee has been reported as waived previously for AFF'er(s).

 

[Deleted member]

I don’t own a Maserati, just a rusty old MG. was offered centurion card twice and knocked it back both times.

 

[Cynicor]

I know it's been waived, but I doubt it for anyone who has to ask to join.

 

[cove]

It was always a lower price in the US.

 

[docjames]

COsts little to call and ask about options / fee reductions.....

I think you’d be in a better position to reduce/negate fee once you’d had the card for a while then threatened to cancel it.

 

[Deleted member]

Centurion cards are offered, never advertised or able to be applied for.

 

[Daver6]

I'm sure I read somewhere on this forum (or perhaps elsewhere) that someone called to express interest and then it was offered shortly after.

What are the additional travel benefits over the Platinum card? I believe you get top tier hotel status instead of mid-tier, but what else? It would need to be pretty significant to justify the annual fee.

 

[Matt_01]

I was offered the card 10 years ago and if my memory serves me correctly, you needed to be spending north of $250K to get the offer and the annual fee was in the vicinity of $3600.

I only keep it for the first year as I was not getting $2700 value over the Platinum Charge.

Neither the annual fee for the first year or when I canceled was waived.

 

[Saltywings]

Hi All,

I currently hold the Amex Platinum Charge Card and my annual spending at the moment is just above 110K.
Big part of the spending is luxury, some travel, some accommodation, some dining and minimal utilities.
My platinum charge is due for renewal in April and I am interested in upgrading to Centurion for the added travel perks since I spend 1/3 of the year away on travel.

I have a new Maserati that is arriving late April or early May and that would be an additional 200K on-top of my current spending which the new total would be 310K.

My question is:
1. Would I qualify for the Centurion?
2. Should I ring AMEX to express my interest?
3. If I should ring AMEX, should I ring now or after my new car arrives?
4. Whats the chances of having the 5K joining fee waived and how would I have them do that for me?

Thanks!

I have a friend of a friend with ~220k annual spend on his platC who got in touch with Amex w.r.t. the Centurion and ended up being offered it (he had already spent around that much per year for 3 years - so obviously had the history to back it up).

We put about $220k per year on the platE + $80k on the exp and haven't been offered - so I suspect holding the platC is an unwritten pre-req.

As an aside, w.r.t. putting a car on your CC - did you somehow manage to get the CC fee waived? We had thought about doing that with our car but there was no way they would waive the surcharge.

 

[Deleted member]

I'm sure I read somewhere on this forum (or perhaps elsewhere) that someone called to express interest and then it was offered shortly after.

What are the additional travel benefits over the Platinum card? I believe you get top tier hotel status instead of mid-tier, but what else? It would need to be pretty significant to justify the annual fee.

That may be a coincidence, I was just last week contacted by the National manager of Amex ( he erroneously assumed me to be someone else due to a similar company name) during our discussion I mentioned my history with Amex and the fact tha5 I had twice been offered a centurion card. And I mentioned this thread specifically. He was quick to point out that it did not matter who you were or whether or not you expressed an interest in a centurion card. They will only ever be issued as invitation only.
I’m guessing you can’t get any more “horses mouth than that” !

 

[Deleted member]

I was offered the card 10 years ago and if my memory serves me correctly, you needed to be spending north of $250K to get the offer and the annual fee was in the vicinity of $3600.

I only keep it for the first year as I was not getting $2700 value over the Platinum Charge.

Neither the annual fee for the first year or when I canceled was waived.

It’s now around $5 k PA

 

[Matt_01]

It’s now around $5 k PA

I do not know or at what point in time it went up to $5K, so after 10 years at is somewhere between $36K-50K in annual fees. That is a lot of hotel stays to retain top level "free membership" the only other recollection I have from the invite was that MR points reduction was at 500K (P Charge is 250K). It promised a lot and did not deliver.

IMO if you have cash to burn the Centurion card is one of the must haves for the DYKYIA types. Other than that just a marketing gimmick for those who think they have more money than others.

 

[cove]

We ran up zillions on Amex Ultimate and never needed a CC to imply we are important somehow.

 

[Deleted member]

I do not know or at what point in time it went up to $5K, so after 10 years at is somewhere between $36K-50K in annual fees. That is a lot of hotel stays to retain top level "free membership" the only other recollection I have from the invite was that MR points reduction was at 500K (P Charge is 250K). It promised a lot and did not deliver.

IMO if you have cash to burn the Centurion card is one of the must haves for the DYKYIA types. Other than that just a marketing gimmick for those who think they have more money than others.

Mrs GPH and I discovered AFF in late 2001, the catalyst for this was the first time I was invited to take up a Centurion card. The annual fee then (according to Mrs GPH who’s long term memory of these things is better than mine) was $7,000 or so plus the annual fee. The second time I was invited to join I seem to recall that the fee was $5,000 plus an annual fee of $5,000. I’m going to hope my memory hasn’t let me down here .

 

[CSS]

I have a friend of a friend with ~220k annual spend on his platC who got in touch with Amex w.r.t. the Centurion and ended up being offered it (he had already spent around that much per year for 3 years - so obviously had the history to back it up).

We put about $220k per year on the platE + $80k on the exp and haven't been offered - so I suspect holding the platC is an unwritten pre-req.

As an aside, w.r.t. putting a car on your CC - did you somehow manage to get the CC fee waived? We had thought about doing that with our car but there was no way they would waive the surcharge.

The credit card fees were waived for the car purchase as part of the negotiation.

 

[Saltywings]

The credit card fees were waived for the car purchase as part of the negotiation.

We should have negotiated harder for the Tesla. Damn.

 

[djchuckles]

The credit card fees were waived for the car purchase as part of the negotiation.

But surely you could have negotiated and even better price if not paying with the card (as they'd still be hit with the fee)?

 

[Daver6]

Can anyone outline what the benefits of this card are over the Platinum Charge, other than an increased points limit?