The Black Card | Centurion Card | Visa Black Card | Luxury Credit Cards

I was out in the Hamptons this past weekend and saw the van for Royal Pains out and about. If you haven’t seen it already USA has a new series that starts this Thursday at 10PM EST titled Royal Pains. Royal Pains is about a doctor “Hank Lawson” (played by Marc Feuerstein) who was fired from his position and against his judgment becomes a “concierge doctor” for the rich.

In the show pilot, the writers wasted no time on black card references, the son of the heir to family that invented the blender (Tucker Bryant) wrecks his Dad’s Ferrari and is injured. After some emergency care, Tucker needs transport to a hospital, “[Tucker Bryant] The Hamptons heritage no way man, Dad calls it the local cemetery. [Hank Lawson] What would your Dad suggest we do? [Tucker Bryant] Go into my wallet and get the little black card that says American Express on it.” Tucker is then taken by helicopter to Mount Sinai in Manhattan. You can watch the full pilot for Royal Pains on Hulu

1. Takes personal service to new heights, strives to provide you with access like you’ve never experienced before and unparalleled privileges in abundance.
2. As a Centurion member, you’ll find that just one phone calll will summon the connections and expertise of service professionals, Seek, and Centurion Service will do their utmost to find.
3. Centurion Concierge can help source and secure whatever it is you seek.
4. As a Centurion member you have access to professional assistance every minute of the day, every day of the year. Our team of consultants are available to assist you with any request.
5. Centurion travel from Amex Canada Inc.
6. Centurion website: Visit the exclusive Centurion Website to stay up to date. It gives you access to the very latest Centurion privileges, service and unique offers, whenever you need them.
7. Centurion Travel can exert its influence on your behalf – securing your arrangements whenever possible even when a property is otherwise fully booked.
8 Complimentary access to airport lounges around the world, including complimentary Air Canada Maple Leaf Club Worldwide, which opens the doors to more than 235 lounges around the world including all Star Alliance member airline business lounges. Centurion membership also entitles you to access American Airlines Admirals Clubs, Continental Airlines Presidents Club, Delta Crown Room Club, Northwest Airlines, Servisair Executive, Plaza Premium, and also give you complimentary access to Priority Pass Lounges opening doors to over 450 airport lounges worldwide.
9. Hotel Privileges, complimentary room upgrade at check-in, complimentary continental breakfast and additioanl special amenities at over 600 of the worlds most glorious properties in exquisite locations. Including Raffles Hotels and Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Hotels, Mandarin Oriental to name just a few. Also gives room upgrade at reservation to more than 440 boutique hotels around the world.
Centurion members receive complimentary Elite Statu memberships such as Fairmont Presidents Club Platinum , Starwood Preferred Gold, Hilton HHonours, Relais and Chateaux and Club 5C, and InterContintal Hotels Group.
10. As a centurion member you can take advantage of the International Airline Program, that offers you complimentary companion tickets, complimentary upgrades, special class fares, or discounted fares on some of the worlds finest airlines to destinations around the world. Airlines include Air Canada, Air France, and Continental to name a few. Private Jet Services can be arranged.
11. Cruise Privileges, Access premium benefits such as onboard privileges and shipboard credits on some of the worlds best cruise liners such as Silversea Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and more.
12. Complimentary Avis President Club and Hertz #1 Club Gold Membership, and Elite Rent a Car benfefits.
13. Centurion Concierge can help secure tickets to shows you want, the Centurion network has been known to help create once in a lifetime opportunities for some of the worlds biggest fans to actually meet some of the worlds biggest bands.
13. Centurion Dining, There tables reserved every day for Cardmembers for many of the finest restaurants across the country.
14. Shop VIP, your enjoy special shopping privileges at some of the finest retails spots around the world and right here in Canada. These benefits may include personal shopping services, extended shopping hours, complimentary alterations, gift wrapping, and much more, partners include Harry Rosen, Saks Fifth Avenue and many more.
15. As a Centurion member you’ll be invited to our most exclusive events, from evenings with celebrated figures, luxury retails, or sporting events.
16. A special rewards offering, for redeeming your points from the most lavish to the most everyday rewards. Redeem your points for an exceptional selection of travel and lifestyle rewards.
17. You earn 1.25 membership points for every dollar you charge to your Card. Your automatically enrolled in this top Tier of the membership rewards program, gives you access to our entire catalogue of rewards including an array of prmium brands and experiences.
18. Travel Insurance Benefits.
19. Retail Protection, that extended warranties, and coverage for damaged and stolen purchases.
20. Emergency Assistance, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Artist Adam McEwen recently created two sculptures for his exhibit “Switch and Bait” in New York, both sculptures were made from “machined graphite.” Graphite, like its allotrope diamond, is a form of carbon. One of his two exhibits is an American Express Platinum Card created from Graphite. Art is in the eye of the beholder, but to us it seems that he is implying that the Visa Black Card is pulling a “Switch and Bait” and ripping off American Express Platinum Card (which the Visa Black Card more accurately compares to).

If you’re in NY, exhibit is held @

Switch and Bait
Through 18 April 2009
Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery
520 West 20th Street
Chelsea, New York City map
tel. +1 212 243 3335

Noel Gallagher has been acting up once again. In an interview early March, Noel Gallagher from Oasis bragged to talkSPORT magazine that he could buy anything he wanted and that his black AMEX card could not be denied anywhere.

Noel Gallagher: “I don’t mean to be f***ing rude but I do won a black Amex card that has unlimited credit and cannot be denied anywhere. I could walk into a showroom selling Boeing 747s and, regardless of whether I could afford it, they’d have to accept the card.” and continued to say “When I was taking drugs on a regular basis it was a frightening experience for the record company. You could have literally gone out and bought a house on a whim – and I have more whims that I care to mention.”

Apparently he likes to take it out, Noel Gallagher took out his black American Express card during the filming of the 2007 BRIT Awards backstage show, see culture references.

Paper, Plastic, Titanium, and Carbon Graphite?

Credit cards had existed prior to American Express, namely Diners Club (which was actually a paper or cardboard card that was in circulation).

The first AMEX credit card was actually introduced October 1, 1958 – American Express introduced travel-and-entertainment charge card (The original card was actually paper printed with purple ink to resemble Travelers Cheques)

The first plastic American Express appeared in the early 1960s, while their adoption had become increased as vendors found traditional AMEX booklets too difficult to manage. It was because of this that well received the new plastic cards, which used charge plate machines, thereby making transaction and record keeping easier and less error prone.

Plastic cards became dominant and remained the main player, however, it was not until 1966 that the common credit card came to, when Bank of America established BankAmerica Service Corporation to franchise the BankAmericard which then became known as “Visa“, still not black). Mastercard, originally Mastercharge, came to be in 1966 in addition, where both Visa and Mastercard credit cards were open-loop (inter-bank), and American Express was closed-loop (intrabank).

American Express took the lead again in 2004 in some parts of Europe, and in 2006 in the United States by changing their elusive BLACK CARD (formally known as the Centurion Card), to a hand crafted titanium card to replace it’s plastic ancestor. Times as changed, this isn’t your grandfather’s “purple cardboard,” although American Express Charter Members (Members since 1958) do get some special privileges.

2008 of course brought the “Visa Black Card“, made from Carbon Fiber. The Wikipedia editors, however, did neglect to include credit cards in applications of carbon fiber (we’re kidding): “The properties of carbon fiber such as high tensile strength, low weight, and low thermal expansion make it very popular in aerospace, civil engineering, military, and motorsports, along with other competition sports.”

We’ll stick with black hand hammered titanium for now, someone update Wikipedia.

In December 2008, American Express sent out invitations for the Centurion Card in Canada. The invitation eligible, includes about approximately 274,000 consumers, or 2.7% of the population. In Canada the qualifiers are a bit different than in the US, and requires that eligible candidates have

at least $1 million in financial assets, excluding collectibles, homes, cars, and general consumer goods. That is, you need to have $1 million in liquid assets, or cash.

Despite economic turmoil, Trevor Van Nest, VP of Consumer Card Marketing @ American Express Canada says “We had sweaty palms, but the response has exceeded expectations,” and that although “There has been a slight dip in spending, but the absolute dollars are still higher than any other market,” and their targeted cardholders spend “several hundred thousand dollars a year [on their credit cards].”

The Canadian Centurion Card, or Black Card, similar to the US, is made from titanium, requires a one-time initiation fee, annual membership fee of $2,500. The benefits on the card itself, for the most part match that of the US Centurion Card, although severely lack when it comes to US travel benefits which include elite status on multiple arlines (Continental, Delta, US AIR, Virgin Atlantic). VIP Shopping priviledges (personal assistant, after hours shopping, free gift wrapping and alterations). at retailers including: Harry Rosen, Bergdorf Goodman, Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The American Centurion Card in Canada now competes with the Visa Infinite Black Card launched by RBC and CIBC in March 2008, which includes typical luxury credit card benefits, has an annual fee of $120, and requires cardholers have a minimum household income of $100,000 CAD.

Mao Zedong, standing on a box of Dom Perignon, with the American Express Black Card/Centurion Card in his hand. As a strong status symbol in popular culture it is not surprising that the Black Card is emerging in Art work.

“Getting Rich is Glorious”
– Deng Xiaoping

About the Artist:  R. Lloyd Ming
R. Lloyd Ming uses photography, video art, installation and sculpture to ask hard questions about society. He is inspired by artists who use found or readymade objects to create their work and Ming typically also works in this way. Notable influences are Marcel Duchamp, Subodh Gupta, Ai Weiwei, Fred Wilson, Haim Steinbeck, Joseph Cornell, Louise Nevelson and Felix Gonzalez-Torres. Ming is particularly influenced by the work of American artist Robert Rauschenberg. Throughout his career Rauschenberg used objects he found on the street to make sculptures he called combines.

http://www.RLloydMing.com

A new partnership between American Express Centurion and Maserati has resulted in the creation of the Maserati Quattroporte for Centurion, Special Series. First unveiled at Forbes House (Belgravia, London) for an exclusive audience of American Express Black Card (Centurion Card holders), the Pininfarina designed luxury saloon was received with excitement.

“The Maserati Quattroporte for Centurion special series is exclusively built to order: finished in stunning metallic Nero Carbonio (carbon black), it features a sumptuous Bianco Polare (polar white) Poltrona Frau^® leather interior with embossed Centurion logo on the headrests, a bespoke numbered plaque, titanium coloured trim and 20” ball polished rims. The Maserati Quattroporte for Centurion 4.2 is powered by an impressive 400HP 4.2 litre V8 engine, powering the car to a top speed of 167 mph and allowing it to sprint from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. The fully automatic ZF gearbox ensures a smooth and responsive ride in all conditions.” If that’s not fast enough for you, the Centurion Edition Maserati is also available in a 4.7 litre edition, with 430HP engine that can reach 174mph top speed, and go from 0 to 62 mpg in 5.4 seconds.

Unique Serial # Plate Identification

Centurion Logo Embossed Headrest

American Express announced late February that they are offering $300 payments to a limited number of cardholders who agree to close their accounts; The new direct mail program, offers prepaid American Express gift cards valued at $300 for those that enroll and pay off their account in two months. AMEX said that the program is targeted at reducing the risk of future defaults. Gail Hillebrand from the Consumers Union says that the deal is positive in that it is allowing consumers a choice, and told NPR that “We’re seeing all kinds of cutbacks and harsher terms”, and that the deals are “designed to respond to the fact that the credit card industry pushed out too much debt to American consumers and too much credit availability, and now they’re trying to pull it back all at once”.

What does $199 get you? A semi-decent hotel room, probably a good dinner, plenty of drinks for a night (so long as you’re not drinking a really nice wine), or some crazy book on how to get a Centurion card? Our guess is that the only thing this book “Getting A Black Card For Dummies” gets you, is $199 closer to your $250,000 required annual spend (in a rolling 12 month period) with American Express. Ever hear the expression if it is too good to be true it probably is? Well, if you could get the card by spending $199 everyone would have it, and it wouldn’t be worth anything anymore would it? Worried about Madoff Ponzi schemes of late? If yes, steer clear, if not, hey, buy this book that alleges “no need to increase your spending”! Although hey, we don’t know first hand, since we haven’t read the book, but it does remind us a lot of our previous post on the “black card kit” that you too can buy for $75 or $29.99 (is it even metal??). So now you can look like you have money, even though you really don’t, but paid $29 to look like you do? We think it would be best if to focus on actually making money, and if you do want a Centurion Card, then you should read our guide, which many of our readers and (Centurion card holders) helped write.

If you don’t believe us regarding the “Black Card for Dummies Book“, feel free to prove us wrong (prove that the books truly are meant for dummies), and buy the book (good luck).

We welcome you to submit your stories and comments to us when you get your Centurion Card, or if you’d rather waste a little less (it is the time to save) spend $29.99 and get the black card kit?

Don’t worry, we have nothing to do with either of these schemes!

The luxury credit card market is heating up, and they’ve moved over from plastic to carbon graphite and titanium (maybe so the cards won’t melt from over use); Visa wants their share of the premium space American Express holds, especially with it’s Centurion Card aka the Black Card.

Visa after having launched it’s “signature” series of cards in 1999, launched a higher tier of “signature preferred” cards in May of 2007 targeted at customers who spend $50,000 a year or more on their cards (Visa Signature average spend is approximately $27,600 a year). Merchants actually pay 14% more per transaction vs a regular Visa or Signature card.

“The whole purpose of this card is to take share from American Express,” said James McCarthy, Visa senior vice president for consumer-credit products. They may be a ways away, according to a 2007 survey in Europe, Centurion cardholders spend 11.5 times more than the typical American Express card member, and on average have income in excess of 1M a year.

Seemingly it’s not enough to be a plastic card and different or luxurious, it needs to be made from some other material.  American Express figured it out first: Starting in 2004 in parts of Europe, and in the US in early 2006 changed it’s exclusive Centurion Card aka Black Card from standard credit card fare plastic, to titanium.

Well, Scott Blum (Buy.com founder) wants part of it too, ThinkTank Holdings LLC, announced in 2007 they would be launching a high-end credit card business with patent pending credit card that would be made out of carbon fiber code named “Next Card” now launched this month (just a few days ago) as The Visa Black Card. This high-tech credit card is aimed at both individuals and corporates for an annual fee of $495. The card has been launched including 24-hour concierge service, points, rewards, and other benefits. Here’s a side by side view of the Visa Black Card and the American Express Centurion card, carbon graphite or titanium? I’ll take titanium. Apply Online for the Visa Black Card Here.

If you want to see for yourself, you can Apply Online for the Visa Black Card Here.

To see the rest of the luxury plastic, or I should now say cards, please see Alternate Cards.

Fat Joe]
I got that black no limit American Express card
Mami you can get whatever you like
Plus I got that all-black Phantom it’s tinted on four sides
Go ‘head kiss it, they can’t see us inside

By the way, the instrumentals of the song were produced by another Black Cardholder, Scott Storch (photo below).

[Speaking]:
[Girl:] What you mean you ain’t gonna save me? I don’t need nobody to save me.
[Chamillionaire:] Oh yeah?
[Girl:] And you talkin’ bout Pimp? P.I.M.P.?
[Chamillionaire:] In the flesh.
[Girl:] You know what that mean to me?
[Chamillionaire:] What?
[Girl:] Paper in my pocket.
[Chamillionaire:] Haha.
[Girl:] Now pull out your credit card and lets see if you can make my bank account pregnant.
[Chamillionaire:] Naw, you crazy.
[Girl:] What color is your card? Oh is it black?
[Chamillionaire:] American Express.
[Girl:] Cause if it ain’t you need to step your game up. Rookie.
[Chamillionaire:] Maaan, who you callin’ a rookie? Get up out my car.
[Girl:] Uh, I was just playin’ baby. You know I love you.
[Chamillionaire:] Yeah, alright. I hope you love to walk. Get out.

Black Cardholder Martin Scorsese in an American Express Commercial.

[hana-flv-player
video=”http://www.luxuryplastic.com/wp-content/plugins/hana-flv-player/martin_scorsese.flv”
width=”500″
height=”500″
clickurl=”http://www.luxuryplastic.com”
player=”3″
autoplay=”false”
loop=”false”
autorewind=”true”
splashimage=”http://www.luxuryplastic.com/wp-content/plugins/hana-flv-player/scorsese.jpg”
/]

American Express Ellen DeGeneres – The most amazing bloopers are here

In addition to being a Centurion cardholder, Robert DeNiro agreed to be featured in an advertisement for American Express, the founding sponsor for the Tribeca Film Festival.

$1.45 MILLION DOLLAR LAMBORGHINI REVENTON

The Lamborghini Reventon is a 650-horsepower, 12-cylinder super coupe valued at $1.45 million dollars. This car can move from zero to 62 mph in a mere 3.4 seconds.

Only 20 Reventon’s exist in the world. All of them have been sold. Eleven in the United States, seven in Europe and two in Asia.

American Express has paired with Lamborghini in giving away an experience in sunny Italy for driving the Lamborghini Gallardo around a closed track with instruction from the professional drivers at the Lamborghini Academy near Rome so that those lucky enough to win the car and experience don’t wind up with their new Lamborghini looking like one you would find on wrecked exotics.

Although Lamborghini doesn’t offer their limited edition Reventón model for the American Express giveaway, they have announced that they are manufacturing another 80 models so that you can have your chance to purchase one of your very own. Have your Black Card ready.

Lamborghini Gallardo: