# Visa sent me an application for their "Black" Card. I'm somebody now! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 14, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932 "2011-11-14T20:38:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/1 "2011-11-14T20:38:41Z")
I’m kind of flattered in a way (I guess-if I should be in the first place of course). Ostensibly it gives you all sorts of perks, like 1% cash back, 24 hour conceirge service, a “rewards” program, VIP airport lounge access, and some “luxury” gifts of an indeterminate nature. All for a nominal fee of $495 annually. I’m tempted… Hmmm… Nah. Maybe when I win the lottery. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/2 "2011-11-14T20:48:43Z")
Go for it - if you charge $50,000/annum on it and keep your balance at zero, it’ll pay for itself. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/3 "2011-11-14T20:50:51Z")
They think you have nice big pockets. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/4 "2011-11-14T23:07:06Z")
Heh, that’s cute. Of course they’re trying to offer a poor man’s version of the [Amex Centurion card](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centurion_Card), i.e. the _real_ black card. That’s the one that costs $5,000 to join, $2,500 annually, is made of titanium instead of plastic, and I’m pretty sure includes a personal blowjob service. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/5 "2011-11-14T23:15:58Z")
I got one too. And I think it is issued by a bank, not Visa (which is a payments network used by banks). I agree with the poster above in that it is a knockoff of Amex’s Centurion Card. Credit Card companies love gimmicks nowadays - cards with funny orientations (ooo- vertical credit card wow), cards with custom images (sorry, I’ve seen cuter kittens), and whatever else they can come up with is worth it if it will gain new customers or get existing customers to charge more or more often. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/6 "2011-11-15T00:13:49Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Credit Card companies love gimmicks nowadays - cards with funny orientations (ooo- vertical credit card wow), cards with custom images (sorry, I’ve seen cuter kittens), and whatever else they can come up with is worth it if it will gain new customers or get existing customers to charge more or more often. Not just credit-card companies! ING Direct here is advertising their new chequing account, with a banking card that is [dramatically restyled](http://www.ingdirect.ca/en/chequing/index.html). But I got one because the account has no monthly fee. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![GameHat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ed655f/32.png) [@GameHat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GameHat)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/7 "2011-11-15T03:03:56Z")
LOL, I’ve gotten a few of those in the past. Not because of my income, but because my credit pretty good (OK, really good.) I’ve always been tempted to apply just for the pimp cred, but $500/yr is just too much and I’d never use the services enough to justify it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/8 "2011-11-15T03:21:27Z")
[Black Card](https://www.blackcard.com/). I got an invite as well. Shredded it. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/9 "2011-11-15T03:23:12Z")
Why’s it gotta be a BLACK card? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/10 "2011-11-15T11:38:07Z")
"The Black Card is made with carbon, creating a **more unique** card, guaranteed to get you noticed. " :rolleyes: x20. Or maybe I’m just miffed because I haven’t received any invites for a “more unique” card. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/11 "2011-11-15T12:02:58Z")
It’s pretty sad when your self-worth is tied to the color of your debt… :rolleyes: Do people really pay ridiculous amounts of money so they can carry around some faux prestige in their wallets? Amazing. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/12 "2011-11-15T14:59:28Z")
Yeah, I got one of these invitations and my net worth is negative when you take my educational loans into account. I would be more flattered about getting it if the website didn’t have a huge APPLY NOW button. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/13 "2011-11-15T15:29:08Z")
I turned in my “black” card after seeing Color Me Badd in concert. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/14 "2011-11-15T15:38:56Z")
Looks to be about equivalent to the American Express Platinum card… ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/15 "2011-11-15T15:43:32Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > It’s pretty sad when your self-worth is tied to the color of your debt… :rolleyes: > > Do people really pay ridiculous amounts of money so they can carry around some faux prestige in their wallets? Amazing. I’d hardly call it _faux_ prestige. A acquaintance of mine (close friend of my parent’s) has an Amex Black Card. Yes, you pay a lot to have it, but they also jump through hoops for you. Along with all the perks that come with it, you have what amounts to your own person concierge service just a phone call away 24/7. I’d call it real prestige. ---
**Author:** ![Spit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/16 "2011-11-15T15:44:02Z")
> [@FairyChatMom](#): > > It’s pretty sad when your self-worth is tied to the color of your debt… :rolleyes: > > Do people really pay ridiculous amounts of money so they can carry around some faux prestige in their wallets? Amazing. It’s not faux prestige. There are some amazing perks that come with the card that are well worth the fees. (Not to mention the perks that are not officially recognized, but are given by pretty much anyone that you purchase from with the card) That card can open some serious doors, and with the very, very, VERY strict membership requirements, debt is not an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/17 "2011-11-15T15:45:31Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > I turned in my “black” card after seeing Color Me Badd in concert. Ha! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![mkecane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@mkecane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mkecane)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/18 "2011-11-15T15:46:35Z")
I’m still waiting to just get in the phone book. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/19 "2011-11-15T15:53:04Z")
> [@Spit](#): > > It’s not faux prestige. There are some amazing perks that come with the card that are well worth the fees. (Not to mention the perks that are not officially recognized, but are given by pretty much anyone that you purchase from with the card) > > That card can open some serious doors, and with the very, very, VERY strict membership requirements, debt is not an issue. Actually, there is no debt involved with the Amex Centurion. It’s a charge card - not a credit card - that has to be paid off monthly. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/20 "2011-11-15T15:58:51Z")
It’s the VIP airport lounge access + the 1% cash back which would be appealing to my SO. He pays $400 a year for the Delta Sky Club already (and when we travel together, I get in with him for free). He travels for work a bit and I make a meal out of cheese and humus in there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932.md?page=2)