The Centurion® Card from American Express Review

Overview

The Centurion Card, the famous Amex Black Card, is the ultimate status symbol in the credit card world, and you cannot apply for it, American Express has to invite you. Reports suggest that takes an existing Amex relationship and very high annual spend, often cited in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus a $10,000 one-time initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee after that.

Let me be blunt about the value, because that is what I care about: as a rewards card, the Centurion is a bad deal. It earns just 1x on most purchases, which is terrible for the fees involved. This is not a card you get to earn points, it is a card you get for the status, the concierge, and the elite perks. Whether that is worth $5,000 a year is entirely about how much you value those intangibles.

Our 3.0 out of 5 rating

Each score weighs the rewards rate, value after the annual fee, welcome offer, points flexibility, and perks, with every point valued at a flat 1 cent. This is our editorial assessment to help you compare cards, not a guarantee of approval or of the value you will get.

Rewards: how it earns

You earn just 1x Membership Rewards on eligible purchases, and 1.5x on purchases of $5,000 or more, in transferable points. For a card with a $5,000 fee and a $10,000 initiation fee, that earning is genuinely poor, you would earn far more with almost any decent points card. The Centurion is simply not about earning; it is about everything else.

The fine print on rates: Invitation only — the 'Black Card,' which you cannot apply for. A one-time $10,000 initiation fee applies on top of the $5,000 annual fee. It is a charge card that earns transferable Membership Rewards; the value is in status and service, not earning.

Every point and mile above is valued at a flat 1 cent, the same honest standard we use for every card. Run your own spending through the calculator to see what this card would actually return for you.

Pros and cons

The welcome bonus

There is no welcome bonus, because it is invitation only. You do not apply and you do not chase a sign-up offer, the card is extended at Amex's discretion.

Is the annual fee worth it?

The fees are the whole story, and they are steep: a one-time $10,000 initiation fee, then $5,000 every year. On pure value, that is very hard to justify, the earning does not come close to covering it, and much of the elite status and lounge access can be had on cheaper cards. What you are paying for is the top-tier concierge, the aspirational service, and the prestige of the card itself. If money is no object and those things genuinely matter to you, fine; otherwise it makes no financial sense.

Benefits and protections

Beyond the rewards, the perks and protections worth knowing about include:

• Potential invite requirements: an existing American Express relationship in good standing (often a Platinum cardholder) and very high annual spend on Amex, widely reported in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, plus strong income and excellent credit; extended solely at Amex's discretion
• One-time $10,000 initiation fee, then a $5,000 annual fee
• Complimentary elite status with major hotel programs, such as Hilton Diamond and Marriott Bonvoy Gold
• Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta and a broad airport-lounge collection
• Dedicated Centurion concierge and luxury travel services
• Annual airline, retail, and luxury-brand statement credits
• No preset spending limit
• No foreign transaction fees

Lounge access

This card includes airport lounge access. Here is exactly what you get, including the Priority Pass distinctions that vary by card:

• Extensive airport lounge access: The Centurion Lounge network, Priority Pass Select, and a broad international lounge collection, generally with complimentary guests

Statement credits

• Annual airline fee credit
• Retail and luxury-brand statement credits (e.g. Saks Fifth Avenue)
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Ecosystem and transfer partners

The The Centurion® Card from American Express earns Membership Rewards, one of the more valuable currencies in rewards because of where the points can go. You can move points 1 to 1 to 9 airline and hotel partners: Delta SkyMiles, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, Emirates Skywards, Marriott Bonvoy, and Hilton Honors. As a hub card, this is the one you route points through before transferring out. The sweet spots are usually premium-cabin flights and high-end hotel nights, where a single point can be worth well more than the 1 cent we value it at here.

Airline partners: Delta SkyMiles, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Singapore Airlines, ANA, Avianca LifeMiles, Emirates Skywards.

Hotel partners: Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors.

See the full American Express ecosystem →

Who should get it, and who should skip it

If you are wealthy enough that $5,000 a year is a rounding error and you genuinely value a dedicated concierge, automatic elite status, and the prestige of handing over a metal Black Card, the Centurion delivers that experience like nothing else. It is a lifestyle card for a very specific person.

For everyone else, and honestly for most people who could even get invited, the math does not work. You can get lounge access, hotel and airline status, and travel credits from cards costing a fraction of this, and earn far more rewards along the way. The Centurion is a status symbol first and a financial product a distant second.

How it compares

If the The Centurion® Card from American Express is not quite the right fit, these related cards are worth weighing against it:

Frequently asked questions

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