What Are the Centurion Card Requirements?

• Written by Joseph Hostetler
  

  Joseph Hostetler

  Credit cards, travel rewards

  Joseph Hostetler is a credit card rewards expert who has covered travel and loyalty programs professionally since 2016. He has authored and edited for prominent travel rewards sites such as Million Mile Secrets, The Points Guy, and point.me. He has also written for dozens of national publications, including Business Insider, Newsweek, CNN, TIME and AP News, and more.

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• Edited by Jasmin Baron
  

  Jasmin Baron

  Credit Cards, Travel Rewards, Loyalty Programs, Family Travel, Credit Building, Credit Scores

  Jasmin Baron is CardCritics’ senior SEO editor, responsible for editing and writing credit cards, travel rewards, loyalty program, and other credit-related content. She is passionate about personal finance education and enjoys sharing tips and tricks for making the most credit card points and miles with her readers. Her expertise in maximizing credit card travel rewards originated from over two decades of aviation industry experience, including 18 years working as a pilot and college professor/flight instructor in her native Canada. Her work has appeared on sites such as CNN Underscored Money, Business Insider, The Points Guy, and point.me. When she’s not planning her next trip with credit card rewards, you’ll probably find her tinkering around in the kitchen, hanging out with her three kids, or playing with her dog, Benji.

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• Last Updated Jun 23, 2025

Whether you’re part of the 1% or just a credit cards enthusiast — or even if you’ve killed an hour watching the Real Housewives of Orange County — you’re probably familiar with the “Amex Black Card.”

The card’s official name is Centurion® Card from American Express**. It comes with thousands of dollars in potential savings each year, along with fun travel perks like airport lounge access and hotel elite status.

The Centurion Card is more than just a beautiful, gleaming titanium card; it’s a social status symbol. That’s because it’s hard to get. In fact, American Express doesn’t reveal the exact qualifications needed to open the card.

Here’s what we do know about the Centurion Card requirements — and why you might be interested in pursuing it.

What Are the Requirements to Get the Centurion Card?

• Invitation-only application process.
• Must be a high-spending Amex cardholder (estimates of $250,000–$500,000+ annually).
• Significant net worth and financial stability.
• Excellent credit score and longstanding relationship with Amex.

How to Get a Centurion Card: Step-by-Step Guide

Not just anyone can get the Centurion Card. It’s one of the few cards that requires an invitation from American Express to open. Again, Amex doesn’t publish the financial qualifications it looks for in a perfect candidate — but data points indicate that you must do the following to have a shot:

• Step 1: Open and hold The Platinum Card® from American Express (a CardCritics™ advertiser)
• Step 2: Spend a lot on your Amex cards — at least $250,000 (possibly more) per year.
• Step 3: Wait for an invitation or inquire directly (criteria still apply).
• Step 4: Pay the initiation fee and annual fee ($10,000 and $5,000, respectively).

Spending Requirements: How Much Do You Need to Spend?

If American Express is going to extend this card to you, it wants to know that you’re going to use it for some heavy lifting. The approximate annual spending you should be making with your Amex cards is between $250,000 and $500,000. It may take years for you to maintain this velocity before Amex considers you.

Other Eligibility Criteria for the Centurion Card

Not only do you need to spend (and pay off) hundreds of thousands of dollars per year for the Centurion Card to notice you, but you must also have a stellar credit profile.

For example, you should have a lengthy positive membership history with American Express. You should also have an “excellent” credit score. Finally, you should have a high net worth — seven figures wouldn’t hurt. But if you’re cycling $250,000+ through your card each year, you probably check this box, anyway.

Why Is the Centurion Card Invitation-Only?

The Centurion Card is so iconic not just because it’s exclusively for the wealthy. It’s that even the affluent of the world aren’t guaranteed to be approved. Poke around online forums, and you’ll see plenty of “rich” folks asking why they’ve not been invited to open the Centurion Card. The invitation-only approach takes this card to the next level.

Aside from the high annual spending thresholds ($250,000+) and the requirement to have Amex Platinum, one of the biggest Amex Black Card requirements is patience.

This is only what’s reportedly necessary to qualify for the card. Even if you meet these criteria, Amex may still never reach out to offer you the card.

Benefits of the Centurion Card

Perhaps the most notable perk of the Centurion Card is its white-glove concierge service. From helping you plan travel to helping you locate a hard-to-find gift for the holidays to personally escorting you through immigration when you return to the U.S. from an international first or business class flight reserved through Amex Travel, a Centurion concierge can make your life a lot easier.

You’ll also get perks like (enrollment required):

• The most comprehensive airport lounge access available from a card. It includes entry into 1,400+ airport lounges worldwide, including Priority Pass lounges, Amex Centurion Lounges, Plaza Premium lounges and Delta Sky Clubs (when you’re flying an eligible Delta fare).
• Up to $1,000 in Saks credits each year, doled out in $250 increments each quarter.
• Elite status with major travel brands, including Delta Platinum Medallion status, Marriott Gold status, Hilton Diamond status, IHG Platinum status, Avis President’s Club status and more (enrollment is required for some benefits).
• Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee reimbursement
• Up to $369 in annual credits to offset Clear® Plus membership for you and an adult friend or family member on the same Clear account.
• Equinox Destination Access Membership, which otherwise costs well over $4,000 per year.

You’ll get a variety of other exclusive benefits, as well, such as invitations to exclusive dining experiences and events.

Another perk that will likely come in handy if you’re a big spender is the card’s lack of a preset spending limit. You can buy expensive items that might be impossible to charge with a regular credit card. The card’s also got excellent purchase protections, which can help to insure big-ticket items.

Amex Black Card vs. Other Premium Cards

The Centurion Card perks are nothing to sneeze at. But while it’s possible to squeeze thousands of dollars in value from this card, you’ll pay an eye-watering $5,000 annual fee. Even more devastating is a $10,000 initiation fee upon account opening — meaning you’ll pay $15,000 the first year.

This is exponentially higher than the price you’ll pay for any publicly available premium credit cards, such as the:

• Amex Platinum ($895 annual fee, see rates)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($795 annual fee)
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: ($395 annual fee)

And these cards come with similar benefits to the Centurion Card — sometimes even better.

For example:

• Amex Platinum comes with virtually identical airport lounge access, day-of-travel benefits and annual credits (though most are worth a smaller dollar amount). It also offers similar elite status perks.
• The Sapphire Reserve confers access to more than 1,300 airport lounges through Priority Pass as well as Chase Sapphire Lounges and offers hundreds of dollars in yearly travel credits that are notably easier to use than the Centurion Card. Its travel insurance is also arguably equal to or better than the Centurion Card’s.
• The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card also comes with a Priority Club membership, plus access to Capital One Lounges, after enrollment. It also comes with hundreds of dollars in effortless annual travel credits.

Myths About the Amex Black Card

Because so little is known about the Centurion Card, it’s become somewhat of a mythical product — surrounded by plenty of rumors. Here are a few common ones:

• Myth: You need to be a millionaire to qualify. This is absolutely not confirmed by American Express. But as previously stated, if you’re in the habit of spending several hundred thousand dollars a year, you’re probably worth $1 million, anyway.
• Myth: It’s impossible to apply without an invitation. This is sort of true. Applying for the card is impossible, but you can head to the Centurion website to let Amex know you’re interested in the card. This may at least prompt them to scan your profile if you weren’t previously on its radar.
• Myth: It’s just a flashy card with no real perks. The Centurion Card definitely has perks — thousands of dollars worth each year, in fact. But some, like the annual Equinox credits, are quite niche.

Is the Centurion Card Right for You?

There’s no question that the Centurion Card comes with some valuable benefits — airline and hotel elite status, airport lounge access, etc. It’s significantly more useful than most exclusive cards from other issuers. But again, you’ll pay a comical $15,000 in fees upon account opening. To say the least, you’ll have a tough time getting anywhere near your money’s worth during the first year of card membership.

Plus, you can get similar benefits on the cheaper and more accessible Amex Platinum.

The information related to the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and Centurion® Card from American Express** was collected by CardCritics™ 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. CardCritics™ does not receive a commission for this product.

For the Purchase Protection benefit on the Centurion® Card from American Express** Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company.