Writer: Linsey Knerl
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Jon McDonald
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If you’ve heard the buzz surrounding the American Express® “Black Card,” you already know that it’s the velvet rope of consumer credit options. This invite-only charge card, technically named the Centurion® Card from American Express, has been used to proclaim status, both in spending and in creditworthiness.
With all the buzz around it, you might be curious about how to snag a Centurion Card for yourself. But what exactly does it take to get an invite to this exclusive club? Here’s what you need to know.
While we know that it’s an elite card used most often by celebrities and the ultra-rich, with the card itself being made of anodized titanium, less is known about exactly how to get your hands on one. That said, there are rumors of some rather strict requirements that must be met.
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You Need an Invite, But There’s Another Black Card
Like most elite experiences, the American Express Centurion Card is invite-only, with no indication that this will change anytime soon. Loyal American Express cardholders are likely the most commonly invited, a list that includes both long-time business and personal charge card customers.
Since there’s no official way to apply without an invite, your best strategy is to check the membership requirements to see if your spending habits and qualifications align. Most people find it’s less about knowing how to get a Black Card and more about meeting the very strict eligibility criteria.
If you’ve decided you probably can’t get your hands on the elusive Centurion card anytime soon, you should check out the Mastercard® Black Card®. This card has a long list of perks and anyone who has excellent credit can apply:
- Redeem at 2% value for airfare and 1.5% for cash back. Just 50,000 points will get you a $1,000 ticket on any airline or $750 cash back, issued as a direct deposit statement credit.
- Earn 2X points on Airfare and Hotel reservations booked through LuxuryCardTravel.com. One point for every one dollar you spend for all other categories, earning points every time you spend.
- $200 Annual Airline Credit: Receive up to $200 in annual air travel credits toward flight-related purchases, including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more.
- $100 Annual Dining Credit: Get up to $100 in annual statement credits when you use your Luxury Card at qualifying restaurants.
- Receive up to $120 reimbursment credit for a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee. Global Entry includes access to TSA PreCheck® with no additional application or fee required.
- 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge®: Exclusive to Cardmembers. Your busy life never stops, and neither do our Luxury Card Concierge agents. Enjoy around-the-clock lifestyle management and planning support tailored to your specific needs—and designed to save you time. Our personalized one-on-one service delivers solutions, suggestions and even surprises to make every day exceptional. Book the trip. Get the reservations. Score the tickets.
- With your Luxury Card, enjoy complimentary access to over 1,700 airport lounges and travel experiences in more than 600 cities across 145 countries with Priority Pass™ Select. Access includes unlimited visits for yourself as well as your guests.
- Black-PVD-Coated Metal Card and Made of Stainless Steel®: Beautifully crafted and exceptionally premium, Luxury Card is a statement piece designed to stand out in the most refined way. Weighing in at an impressive 22 grams, its stainless steel, contactless patented card design and metal construction raises the standard. Carry a card with distinction.
- Exclusive Luxury Card Travel® benefits—average value of $500 per stay (e.g., resort credits, room upgrades, free wifi, breakfast for two and more) at over 3,000 properties. Receive protection benefits like trip cancellation and interruption, auto rental car collision waiver, travel accident and baggage delay. Cell phone protection for eligible claims of up to $1,000 each year. Plus additional World Elite Mastercard® benefits.
- Annual Fee: $699 ($249 for each Authorized User). Terms and conditions apply.
While the Mastercard version of the Black Card isn’t made of titanium, it is a black PVD-coated metal card that looks the part. It also comes with concierge 24/7 benefits to help you tackle day-to-day tasks.
According to the Luxury Card website, a couple from Denver used the Luxury Card Concierge service to help them determine the best school districts and narrow down their search for a new home.
The Centurion Card Has Sky-High Requirements
Your credit score plays a crucial role in securing an excellent credit card offer, and the Centurion Card is no exception. According to The Motley Fool, this card is available to just 0.1% of the population and is typically only extended to those who can handle its significant spending power.
While the jury is out on what the exact cut-off is for a qualifying credit score, common sense would dictate that you must have an excellent credit score and an established history of high spending and timely payments with an existing American Express® card to even be considered for this premium offer.
In the end, though, it’s mostly about your spending. The typical card user won’t come close to meeting the Centurion Card’s requirements because most people don’t spend that much.
It’s rumored that only cardholders of The Platinum Card® would have the credit lines available to push spending to the limits of qualifying for a Centurion Card. But the rumored $250,000 a year in purchases and payoffs required could, theoretically, come from any qualifying card.
No matter what card you use, however, it’s obvious that you need the income to both buy and repay a massive amount of goods and services to be Centurion Card material.
In addition to the high spending thresholds needed to be invited and maintain your status, there is a cost to join, as well. The initiation fee is $10,000 on top of a $5,000 annual fee. That means the perks you use must likely be highly valued enough to make it worth the cost.
10 Centurion Card Alternatives
If you haven’t received a Centurion Card invitation — and don’t happen to be a millionaire with a near-perfect credit score — that’s quite alright. There are many other cards that offer robust credit lines, luxurious rewards, and other great features for the rest of us, including the Mastercard® Black Card® mentioned above.
Here are some more of our favorite alternatives to the American Express Centurion Card, along with links to each card’s online application:
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
This card is currently not available.
4. U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
Additional Disclosure: Bank of America is a CardRates advertiser.
- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
- Earn as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $8,000 in purchases on your new card within the first 6 months of card membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.
- Earn 4X Points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases. Also earn 4X Points at restaurants on up to $50,000 per year in purchases, 5X points on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App™, 3X points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App™ or directly through airlines, and 2X points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App™ and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- No foreign transaction fees
- $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at participating partners. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide every time you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or Amex Travel App™
- $325 Annual Fee
- Earn 60,000 Welcome Bonus Points, worth up to $900 in travel, when booked through HSBC Travel, after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of opening the card
- Earn 5× Points on new travel purchases - including flights, hotels and car rentals
- Earn 2× Points at restaurants and dining out, and 1× Points on all other purchases
- Earn up to $400 of travel credits per year for all airfares, hotels and car rentals booked through HSBC Travel
- Elevate your airport experience with complimentary and unlimited lounge access for the cardholder and up to 2 guests worth more than $469 annually with Priority Pass
- Take 3 rides per month and receive a $5 Lyft App credit
- Provides reimbursements up to $800 per claim if your cellphone is stolen or damaged
- $495 Annual Fee
- Intro Offer: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening
- Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, our premier rewards program that lets you redeem rewards for cash back, travel, gift cards and more; 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 1.5% on all other purchases.
- No minimum to redeem for cash back. You can choose to receive a statement credit or direct deposit into most U.S. checking and savings accounts. Cash Back rewards do not expire as long as your account is open!
- Enjoy 0% Intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable APR of 18.99% - 28.49%.
- No annual fee – You won't have to pay an annual fee for all the great features that come with your Freedom Unlimited® card
- Keep tabs on your credit health, Chase Credit Journey helps you monitor your credit with free access to your latest score, alerts, and more.
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Freedom Unlimited® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
+ See More Cards For Excellent Credit
Final Thoughts
For those wondering just how to get a Centurion Card, the answer is pretty obvious (and expensive): spend often, and on big purchases, with the intent to pay back promptly. If you find that you don’t meet the posh requirements of the American Express® Centurion card, you may want to consider your alternatives.
VISA and Mastercard have their own elite cards with elite characteristics, and they may be more open to new recruits. Many of these alternatives offer appealing benefits and rewards that the average user will find very valuable.
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Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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