# 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:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/21 "2011-11-15T16:03:39Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > "The Black Card is made with carbon, creating a **more > unique** card, guaranteed to get you noticed. " The “made with carbon” line was ridiculous enough (aren’t _all_ plastics made with carbon?) that I called up the Black Card people to ask exactly what material the card was made of. (Also, I’m bored at work.) The woman who took the call had to put me on hold to ask her supervisor, but eventually I was told that it’s made of carbon graphite. (FYI, the American Express Centurion card is anodized titanium, according to Wikipedia.) ---
**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, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/22 "2011-11-15T16:42:31Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > [Black Card](https://www.blackcard.com/). > > I got an invite as well. It’ll give you the world! Except that it doesn’t have a chip, so there’s a good chance it won’t work in unattended card readers overseas. Oops. > [@robert\_columbia](#): > > I got one too. And I think it is issued by a bank, not Visa (which is a payments network used by banks). If you look at the fine print on the website, it says that the card is issued by Barclay’s Bank of Delaware. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/23 "2011-11-15T16:59:58Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 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. The Shocking Secret is that the Centurion concierge service is exactly the same service you get with a _hoi polloi_ platinum card. (Of course, it seems like it’s much better, because if you have a black card you’re probably buying much more expensive stuff and services to begin with. But it’s the same people arranging all of it.) I’ve used the concierge service for my platinum card on several occasions to organize travel and get tickets to stuff, and have been pretty pleased with them. But if I ever start earning ten times as much money, I’m not gonna waste it on a black card membership. 🙂 ---
**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, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/24 "2011-11-15T17:57:09Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > But if I ever start earning ten times as much money, I’m not gonna waste it on a black card membership. 🙂 If you make the money needed, you wouldn’t bat an eye at the cost. Again, the perks of having the card outweigh the fee. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/25 "2011-11-15T18:17:28Z")
Amex doesn’t even offer the Centurion card unless you charge at least $250,000 each year. So few of the patrons are going to have a problem with a $2,500 annual fee. ---
**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, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/26 "2011-11-15T18:56:59Z")
> [@friedo](#): > > The Shocking Secret is that the Centurion concierge service is exactly the same service you get with a _hoi polloi_ platinum card. (Of course, it seems like it’s much better, because if you have a black card you’re probably buying much more expensive stuff and services to begin with. But it’s the same people arranging all of it.) I’m going to go ahead and disagree with you there, unless your Platinum concierge will [find and buy the horse ridden by Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves and send it to Europe, courier you a handful of sand from the Dead Sea for your kid’s school project, or arrange for you to audition for your favorite soap opera.](http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/blackcard.asp) ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2011, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932/27 "2011-11-15T21:49:08Z")
> [@ReticulatingSplines](#): > > I’m going to go ahead and disagree with you there, unless your Platinum concierge will [find and buy the horse ridden by Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves and send it to Europe, courier you a handful of sand from the Dead Sea for your kid’s school project, or arrange for you to audition for your favorite soap opera.](http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/blackcard.asp) They’ll do it if you’re willing to pay for it. You don’t get horses and Dead Sea sand for free, you know. ETA: The Centurion card _does_ come with much in the way of travel benefits and all sorts of automatic upgrades and stuff. I was only speaking of the concierge service which is the same. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visa-sent-me-an-application-for-their-black-card-im-somebody-now/602932.md?page=1)