Centurion selection criteria

[Flying High]

Received an offer to take up a Centurion card in the mail. Certainly can't justify the expense, and I'm struggling to see any real benefit over my Platinum charge card.

But what I'm really curious about is why on earth I was sent the invitation in the first place?!? I really don't spend all that much (by what I would have thought were Centurion level standards), and don't travel all that much. If I was someone who was rich, powerful and/or influential I would feel unhappy that someone like me was offered the card. I figure that the 'exclusive' nature of the Centurion program is well and truly gone if someone like me is getting an invite these days.

 

[haydensydney]

Some of us have hypothesised that Amex are on a membership drive because:

1) They need to counter the drop in membership for those who have left Centurion in recent months/years - GFC may have hit luxury items such as expensive credit cards

2) They need more membership fee's coming through the door for revenue purposes

However if they are sending Centurion invites to those who aren't really in a position to pay $4800/yr for the privilege, they may be just wasting their time.

 

[Stephen65]

Aside from the GFC you'd think Amex's Australian division would be making much better profits due to the rise in the $A versus the USD - that $4300 charge which once would have only been worth circa US$2500 is now worth US$4500. Not that that has prompted them to lower the fee to match the US fee of course!

I went through the same exercise of valuing the Centurion benefits when I got an offer a few weeks ago. I couldn't justify the cost when I compared the Centurion and platinum benefits. I'm very happy with my plat charge and had the Centurion been maybe double the cost I would have taken it but not at almost five times the cost.

The other thing that's been noteworthy recently is the considerable decline in the quality of the Centurion offer package - I got a nicer package from CBA for their Diamond amex card! if Amex know that many people are not going to accept then saving money on the invitations might be one consequence.