But we have it on good authority that celebrities including Beyoncé, Oprah Winfrey, and Jerry Seinfeld, who reportedly received the first-ever Black Card, all carry it. Collectively there are thought to be fewer than 20,000 AmEx Centurion cardholders around the world.
Members of the 1% — or perhaps the 0.1% — may get an invitation for a black card, as some of these high-status cards are only available to consumers that the issuing bank deems worthy.
1. American Express Centurion Card. The American Express Centurion Card is the most exclusive credit card in the world and commonly known as the “Amex Black Card.” Launched in 1999, American Express has kept it in a shroud of uncertainty, giving it a very high level of status in the minds of consumers.
Global pop stars Jungkook and Jin of BTS are also reportedly black card holders. Eagle-eyed fans have spotted Jin flashing his black card as he paid for the meals at member Suga's birthday celebration, treating all members of BTS and their staff.
And rightly so as this elusive titanium charge card, known as the Black Card or Amex Black Card, remains available only to select individuals of wealth and only by exclusive invitation. One estimate is that there are just over 100,000 existing Centurion cards worldwide, of which 20,000 have been issued in the U.S.
It's been 21 years since Amex launched the original black card, and card issuers are increasingly offering more and more luxury perks at a more accessible price point to a larger portion of their customers. The biggest draw of elite rewards cards are the many travel benefits they offer.
According to Weiss, one of the most recommended cards for high-net-worth individuals is The Platinum Card® from American Express . While this card comes with a wide range of perks that make it seem too good to be true, it also comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates), which is higher than most other credit cards.
BLACKPINK Jennie
Jennie comes from a very well-off family and is herself one of the most influential figures in the world of music and fashion today. Much like her boyfriend, G-Dragon, she too, owns a black card.
Although Amex doesn't publish requirements for the card—or its perks, for that matter—it typically extends black card invitations only to high earners who have spent and paid off between $350,000 and $500,000 across all of their American Express accounts in a calendar year.
Cardholder benefits include airline status with Delta, broad airport lounge access that includes Priority Pass and American Express Centurion Lounges and an airline fee credit. You can also access an exclusive 24/7 concierge program and you'll receive automatic elite status with various hotel and rental car programs.
According to the cardholder agreement, the Black Card comes with a whopping $10,000 initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee. 2 Most of the high-end benefits are travel-related.
The black card and how to get one
The card is "by invitation only", and to even be considered you'll need to have spent $250,000 on another Amex charge card over the past year. Needless to say, this requires a very high level of income.
Visa Infinite is the highest tier you can get and comes with all of the benefits from Traditional and Signature. Many of the Visa Infinite perks offer higher levels of protection compared to the Visa Signature version of the benefits.
From the richest businessmen to the highest-earning K-pop idols, Black Card is almost like a boon to them, majorly because of its unlimited spending access. It is also rumored that black credit holders need to spend at least $120,000 a year.
BIGBANG Taeyang and G-Dragon
And in fact, Taeyang and G-Dragon would make this list complete for being one of the idols that own a black card. Kwon Jiyong is included in the top 5 wealthiest idols in 2020 who has an estimated $55 Million after breaking the music and fashion industry.
Known simply as the “Black Card,” you need an invitation to get Amex Centurion. And only the super rich and famous can expect to get the call, as it's rumored that you must charge at least $1 million per year to an American Express credit card to even qualify.
EDITOR'S OVERVIEW. The Platinum Card® from American Express is the winner over the Mastercard® Black Card. The American Express Platinum card provides frequent travelers with far better features and much more value overall, despite its higher annual fee.
Oberois, Munjals, Godrejs, Burmans, as well as Bhartiyas, are among the business families said to have gotten the black titanium rectangle. Amitabh Bachchan is a black card bearer among Bollywood's bigwigs. Besides a credit limit of Rs 10-crore, what more does the black card have to offer?
RCBC Black Card Platinum is one of the best black cards in the Philippines. As we know, the Black Card is a superior world card that signifies elite status, power, and elegance.
The most powerful and monied of the Korean entertainment elite is married couple Rain and Kim Tae-hee. Much has been said and written about their combined wealth and astute property investments, and the twosome is reportedly worth a whopping 81.4 billion won (US$72 million) in real estate.
The answer to which, at least at that moment in time, was a single, crisp $100 bill. It should be noted that the next question Gates answered was “Can I have a million dollars?”, which he tactfully answered by explaining he donates the bulk of his money to needy causes.
Visa Infinite is the highest level of Visa-branded credit cards, above Visa Signature and Visa Traditional. There are only a few Visa Infinite cards in the U.S., as they're typically only the most high-end credit cards offering the best benefits of any card on the Visa network.
Millionaires use credit cards like the Centurion® Card from American Express, the J.P. Morgan Reserve Credit Card, and The Platinum Card® from American Express. These high-end credit cards are available only to people who receive an invitation to apply, which millionaires have the best chance of getting.