Visa Black Card Vs. Amex Platinum Benefits

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Visa Black Card vs. Amex Platinum Benefits: Not Even Close

These two premium cards offer an assortment of interesting benefits, but there's a clear winner on this comparison.

Matthew Frankel

Jun 10, 2015 at 10:47AM

The American Express Centurion Card - typically called the "black card" - has run out of reach for almost all consumers. Fortunately, you'll find premium cards which might be easier to obtain, like the Visa Black Card and also the American Express Platinum card. Let's take a peek at what the two of these cards have to give, and which could be the right premium bank card for you.

The Visa Black Card: Some good benefits, but at what cost,

Issued by Barclays, the Visa Black Card offers rewards and benefits that sound great at first glance. There is currently an introductory offer of 25,000 bonus points after working $1,500 from the first ninety days of membership, and points might be redeemed for airline travel at a two-to-one rate (so 25,000 points you can get $500 price of airplane tickets).

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The card carries a 24-hour concierge service, VIP privileges at greater than 3,000 hotels, and use of about 350 airport lounges in 200 cities. Customers will also get elite Emerald Club status with National car rentals, and pay a somewhat low 14.99% interest on purchases.

Furthermore, one of several card's most unique benefits will be the array of insurance programs it offers. There is around $300 in "trip delay" coverage, $1,500 in trip interruption and cancellation insurance, and also a baggage delay reimbursement that may refund around $100 in daily purchases for three days should your bags are misplaced being delivered.

These benefits all sound very good until you hear the charge. The Visa Black Card posseses an annual fee of $495 plus $195 per authorized user you may add to your account. An annual fee, even one this high, is justifiable, but only when the benefits outweigh the expense. And with the Visa Black Card, that's not the case.

Amex's "junior black card" offers superior benefits for less

The American Express Platinum card is usually referred to since the black card's younger sibling (or some variation of their), and for good reason. The card gives a lot of the identical benefits at the fraction from the Centurion card's $2,500 annual fee.

In short, the Amex offers many of exactly the same benefits (for example the concierge service), but one-ups the Visa Black Card in a number of different ways. For example, cardholders have the same hotel VIP program, and acquire automatic SPG Gold status at Starwood Hotels. They will also get National's elite status plus elite status with Avis and Hertz.

The airport lounge perk can also be better. Cardholders get use of Priority Pass lounges (including virtually all of Visa's lounges), as well as entry to every Delta Sky Club along with the ultraluxurious Centurion lounges.

Finally, Platinum cardholders earn American Express Membership Rewards points, that have more flexible redemption options than those from the Black Card. And points is usually transferred to several traveler reward programs, for instance Delta SkyMiles, Hilton HHonors, and Starwood Preferred Guest. The current welcome bonus offer is 40,000 points after working $3,000 within 90 days, and though there isn't a "double redemption" option for flight, by transferring those points with a partner program, you might easily buy a round-trip domestic ticket or get several free nights for a hotel.

The American Express Platinum charges a $450 annual fee ($175 for authorized users), though the fee might be more justified. In fact, cardholders get approximately $200 per annum in statement credits to reimburse incidental charges while on a trip, and have a $100 Global Entry credit every 5yrs. The Visa Black Card doesn't have such reimbursement programs.

Also, it's worth noting that the American Express Platinum is often a charge card, not a plastic card. In other words, cardholders pay no interest as the balance have to be paid completely each month.

Not even close

To sum it up, when you compare the two of these cards side-by-side, it's difficult to justify make payment on Visa Black Card's high expense of admission. Don't get me wrong - the pros aren't bad, however are more of what consumers expect when paying a $100 annual fee, not $495. In fact, CardHub referred to as Visa Black Card the worst general consumer debit card out of a lot more than 1,000 it reviewed, primarily because of its outrageous annual fee.

However, if you're inside the market for reduced card, the American Express Platinum card actually offers many of a similar benefits because coveted Centurion card at the fraction in the price. And for people that actually use its benefits, the $450 annual fee may very well be well worth it.

Matthew Frankel owns shares of American Express. The Motley Fool recommends American Express and Visa. The Motley Fool owns shares of Hertz Global Holdings and Visa. Try some of our Foolish newsletter services free for thirty days We Fools might not all hold the identical opinions, but many of us believe that considering an easy range of insights causes us to be better investors. The Motley Fool carries a disclosure policy

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