The black American Express card, known as the Centurion, is the original black card. You have to meet very stringent requirements to qualify for the Centurion, and until recently people had to be invited by American Express to even apply for the Centurion card. Black Card LLC responded by coming out with the Visa Black Card. This Visa Black Card credit card offers many similar perks as the Centurion credit card, and it takes an in depth credit card comparison to see which is the better deal.
One of the big selling points on both of these cards is exclusivity. The requirements for both cards must be looked at when doing a credit card comparison. The Centurion credit card requires a nearly perfect credit history, $250,000 spent on an American Express Gold or Platinum card each year, a substantial net worth, and a $5000 activation fee. The Visa Black Card requires a near perfect credit history as well, an unspecified amount of expenditure on another Visa card, US residency, and a substantial net worth. A credit card comparison shows that the Visa Black Card is easier to be approved for, as long as you are a US resident.
Another thing to look at when doing a credit card comparison between the Centurion credit card and the Visa Black Card is the rewards that each offer. Both the Centurion and the Visa Black Card offer a 24 hour concierge service, allowing you to call and get assistance planning anything from a vacation to a party. They both also offer access to exclusive airport lounges for a variety of airlines, allowing you to relax in style before travel, along with upgrades to first class flights.
The Centurion also provides free companion tickets with every airline ticket purchased. The Centurion also gives you a personal shopper for products from companies such as Gucci and Estrada. One last thing the Centurion provides is a membership to a magazine published exclusively for Centurion holders called Black Ink. The Visa Black Card periodically offers exclusive gifts from high end retailers. Overall, the Centurion offers more perks, but the Visa Black Card is close behind.
Both the Centurion and Visa Black Card are made differently than your average credit card. This will play a part when doing a credit card comparison of the two. The Centurion is made of anodized titanium. This makes the card extremely durable, but causes some problems. The titanium makes the Centurion thicker than normal credit cards, and thus it can provide problems when being swiped as it won’t fit into the scanner. The Visa Black Card is also more durable than the average credit card, as it is made out of pure carbon graphite. This provides the durability along with being able to easily swipe the card through scanners, giving the Visa Black Card an edge over the Centurion in this category.
The last thing that should be considered in a credit card comparison between the Centurion and the Visa Black card is the cost of upkeep. The Centurion requires the monthly balance to be paid off in full every month, as does the Visa Black Card. The big difference is the Centurion requires an annual fee of $2,500 while the annual fee of the Visa Black Card is $495. The higher annual fee of the Centurion covers the cost of the more expensive rewards. After looking at this credit card comparison of the Centurion and the Visa Black Card, you will be able to decide which might be better for you.
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