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The AMEX Centurion card, colloquially known as the Black card, is the most feature-laden card out there.
But it’s a shadow of what it used to be.
The card’s annual fee started off at $1,000 before climbing to $1,500, $2,500, and currently a whopping $5,000 per year. The additional user annual fee is also $5,000 per year.
The initiation fee for new Centurion cardholders is currently $10,000.
The benefits though have crumbled. The card used to offer top-tier status on Continental, USAirways, Virgin Atlantic, Hyatt, and Starwood. Those days are long gone. The card does still offer Delta Platinum, Hilton Diamond, and Hertz Platinum status.
Other benefits like airline fee credits, unlimited inflight WiFi passes, and free premium roadside assistance also fell by the wayside.
But the Business Centurion card does have one killer app. Cardholders got a 50% points rebate on all airfare redemptions, making AMEX points extremely valuable!
It’s a more premium version of the 35% points rebate offered by the AMEX Business Platinum Card. The Business Platinum card also used to offer a 50% rebate, but that was devalued after just 8 months. Currently, it offers a 35% rebate on all airlines in premium cabins and on the airline of your choice in economy, but the offer is capped at 1,000,000 points rebated per year.
Sadly, several readers share that the Business Centurion’s key benefit is being devalued. Effective 2/1/25, you will only be able to receive a rebate of up to 3,000,000 points per calendar year. While that may sound like a lot, you need to spend some seriously major bucks just to qualify for a Business Centurion card, so cardholders earn and burn millions of points annually from spending. With the benefit now capped at 6,000,000 redeemed points, for a rebate of 3,000,000 points per year, you’ll get the rebate on only $60,000 in annual airfare redemptions.
I know some Business Centurion cardholders that redeem tens of millions of points annually, so this will put a serious dent in the card’s value for big spenders.
Are you affected by this change? Will you still keep your Business Centurion card after this change?
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27 Comments On "AMEX Massively Devalues The Business Centurion Black Card"
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Seen this, this morning, really bad news.
“Seen this” ugh nails on a chalkboard
The benefits are still worth it, will keep it.
Once you hit 6 mm in spend for travel you can use a plat and get 35%.
Can you please elaborate on how you get $5,000 a year in value?
If you purchased a lot of tickets until now, that could have made sense. How does it still make sense for you?
If he is cashing out 6M points per year, he is getting 3M points extra, worth $30K+. Still more than covers the $5K cost. Even if you just figure the 900K extra points over a Plat (50%-35%) – if you could redeem that many – it would still be worth the cost.
Keep in mind, you are not talking about the average Joe redeeming a few hundred K points per year, or even a Dan, redeeming a M or 2, you are talking about a whale redeeming 5M+ points every year.
For the spend side – no, it absolutely sucks, not worth it in any way, shape or form. Same goes for most of the benefits – not really any different or better than a Plat (unless you have very niche spending habits).
On Platinum card did the maximum of 1 million points that you will get using 35%, so that’s not much bargain
Rich man’s problems
And they also removed the ability to purchase MR points on Centurion.
Not that it was great value (at 2.5c, up to 250k annually) but at least the option existed, if you wanted to top-up for a big redemption or transfer to an MR loyalty program partner.
Do you think a petition from Black Cardholders fighting this would sway the AMEX opinion on whether to do this or not?
It can’t hurt, but it would probably take actually canceling en masse to move the needle.
Dan, Do you think this is a harbinger of devaluation in the platinum universe?
They’re allowed to remove benefits as they want?
Legally?
And rise up the annual fee for existing customers?
We should try to petition that
Personal black card has less benefits for air rebate!
Yes, that has long been a poor value compared to the business card.
Still worth it
Status symbol plus lots of “extras” received via special invites
Can you share examples?
1. Complimentary Equinox membership (valued at $3,000+)
2. $1,000 annual credit at Saks Fifth Avenue
3. Two private terminal visits at LAX
4. Additional perks this year: $300 wine credit, two free nights at the Rosewood on the Big Island (a significant bonus!)
While the benefits are impressive, it’s essential to note that they may not outweigh the initial membership fee for new members. However, for those who have already paid the initiation fee, the benefits are still worthwhile and provide excellent value.
As I stated above, not really a great value on the benefits side unless you have niche spending habits. Even the AMEX Offers are no better – I literally just logged in and saw this one on a Bus Cent:
Earn 20% back as a statement credit after using your enrolled eligible Card to make purchases in-store at ShopRite or online at shoprite.com by 12/31/2024. Limit of $15 back in total statement credits. See terms.
On a $5K-per-year card!!! (I mean, I’ll add it, of course, but what a joke.)
Michelin chef small dinners and other curated small events
These are not advertised
Sounds like a good problem to have.
This is terrible. I hope a lot of people quit using centurion card and paying $5,000 per year and then American Express being the benefit back. They have gotten rid of so many benefits already
AXP has a market cap of 192 Billion and is up 76% in the last 12 months. Hope they add new benefits in 2025 as they are as $ strong as ever.
Because everyone who got shut down from Chase switched to Amex
Why is the centurion any better than the Sapphire reserve? I can also get 1.5 on my points when using the portal.
50% back is more than 1.5cpp.
I used to get two free nights at any Mandarin Oriental hotel around the world. With a guaranteed room upgrade.
I would get a two-room suite overlooking Columbus Circle on Thanksgiving, throw a party for the kids & nieces and nephews so they could watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade balloons. The hotel even provided a pair of binoculars for each of the kids, myself and my siblings, and my in-laws.
That benefit went away, all the Max tier airline frequent flyer status that you mentioned went away (although to be fair, with all the airline mergers, some of them were just merged away)
Gave my centurion up a long time ago. Or rather downgraded to a platinum to keep the trip cancellation, global pass, and car rental insurance benefits.