The hardest Amex card to get is the Centurion® Card from American Express. Also known as the “Black Card,” this Amex card is hard to get because it is available by invitation only, and potential candidates are rumored to need an annual income of at least $1 million.
The highest level American Express card is the Centurion card, which is also known as the 'black card.
When applying for the Amex Blue Card, try to have a good credit score, which is a FICO® Score of 670 or above. This is one of the easiest Membership Rewards cards to open, and even consumers with average credit scores have a decent chance of approval.
Yes, it's hard to get an American Express card because they all require good or excellent credit for approval. But American Express isn't the only credit card company to target people in the highest tiers of the credit score scale. Barclays and Wells Fargo do too, for example.
Yes, it is hard to get the American Express Platinum card because applicants need a 700+ credit score and a high income to qualify for approval. But if you have good or excellent credit and make a lot of money, you have a good shot.
Annual income of $100,000 or more. Aged 18 years or over.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a high-end card that is packed with benefits and a hefty welcome offer.
Another major requirement is a steady income. American Express does not disclose a specific income requirement, but it will need to be enough to make payments on the card and to afford the $250 annual fee.
Getting the Amex Gold Card isn't the easiest card to qualify for as you need good or excellent credit. That means having a minimum 670 FICO score and existing cards in good standing. Being an existing American Express cardholder can also make it easier to qualify.
Although American Express doesn't specify any minimum credit score requirements, you'll need good credit (or better) to qualify, which means a FICO score of at least 670. A premium Amex card — say, the American Express Gold Card — likely requires a “very good” FICO score, somewhere in the range of 740 and above.
Amex Platinum ultimately offers more value, though. For example, its benefits include airport lounge access, while the Amex Gold Card's perks do not. When it comes to ongoing rewards on purchases, Amex Platinum has a higher maximum earning rate and better travel rewards. But Amex Gold provides more everyday value.
The Platinum card is great for people who love to travel. There are obviously many more perks that come with the Platinum card than with the Gold, especially when you consider the higher annual fee. Rewards can be used for merchandise, gift cards, dining, shopping, entertainment, or for use at the Amex travel website.
The Black Card is an exclusive charge card offered to high-net-worth individuals by invitation only. The Platinum Card is one tier lower. Prospective cardholders may apply online and must meet minimum eligibility requirements.
Make at Least $250,000 in Purchases on Your Amex Cards
Although Amex doesn't publish a spending threshold to get invited, a solid rule of thumb is that you need to make at least $250,000 in annual purchases across all of your Amex cards.
It has an initiation fee of $10,000 and an annual fee of $5,000. It's also invite-only; you can't apply without permission from Amex. The card offers some incredible benefits, like complimentary elite status across four hotel chains and with Delta, airport arrival services, and access to a concierge.
But luxury comes at a cost, and Chase Sapphire Reserve® charges a $550 annual fee. The Platinum Card® from American Express, though, is the most popular luxury card on the market. This is a very good card for high-spending frequent travelers.
If you consider yourself a foodie, the American Express® Gold Card could be the ideal luxury card for you. This card earns a competitive 4X points per dollar spent at restaurants and 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per year in purchases, then 1X).
If you're spending more than $500 per month at U.S. supermarkets and spend a lot on travel, the Amex Gold card delivers better value. If you subscribe to select streaming services and spend a lot on transit or gas, consider the Amex Blue Cash Preferred card.
Does the American Express Gold Card have a limit? The American Express® Gold Card has no preset spending limit, which reflects its origins as a charge card — a card that requires you to pay your bill in full every month.
The American Express® Gold Card can be well worth it even though it doesn't offer as many travel benefits as The Platinum Card® from American Express. In fact, some would argue that the long-term rewards rate is significantly more generous on the Amex Gold Card, or that the lower annual fee makes it a better deal.
They will request tax returns and bank statements. What they're looking for is to make sure the income you reported on the application is true. The process typically takes 2-3 weeks, and you're assigned a specialist to talk to.
The Amex Platinum Card is only worth the annual fee if you'll use enough benefits to recoup the fee. You could easily offset the fee with the statement credits alone, but this card also offers the chance to earn boosted rewards on travel purchases, too.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is another exclusive credit card that millionaires tend to prefer. Also, this card isn't invitation-only.
The Amex Platinum is a premium credit card that offers a welcome bonus, luxury perks, and other value-added services. Cardholders benefit from Uber credits, airfare discounts, bonus points, cashback and much more. Unlike typical credit cards, this card allows you to carry a balance for certain charges, but not all.
Before the pandemic, the $1,450/year American Express Platinum charge card was rather popular with frequent flyers. Despite the high annual fee, it represented excellent value for many cardholders due to all the extra benefits like travel credits, hotel status and airport lounge access.