According to Visa’s Marketing Team:

“Visa Black Card is focused on providing the highest level of service to each Cardmember. Marketed towards the top 1/3 of America, the Black Card member is one who demands only the best of what life has to offer.”

The Visa Black Card team has a new TV Ad campaign that’s very similar to the American Express Campaign run a few years ago called “My Life, My Card;” The Visa TV Ad spot seeks to identify the various demographics of individuals the card applies to as well as the benefits for those individuals. The difference is, as far as the true Black Card aka Centurion Card is concerned, it’s not advertised American Express (they don’t need to).

The captions of Visas Commercial are:

Bryan Iguchi – Pro Snowboarder
“No blackouts, no restrictions, the rewards program, takes more places”
Joy Lewis – Physician
“Limited membership, means a higher level of service”
Bob Schuster – Attorney
“My Concierge gets me into the best spots”
Kim Whitman – Executive Producer
“I like the look and feel of carbon, it’s unique”

To Apply for your Visa Black Card Now, visit Blackcard.com or call 866-BLACK CARD
Black Card, The World Awaits

Remind anyone of these American Express TV Ads?

A few of our readers that have the Visa Black Card just let us know that the received a monthly newsletter stating that there will be a Black Card 2009 Rolex Giveaway. The letter states that card members are automatically entered in a drawing to win, and one card member will be selected at random on December 31, 2009 and will receive a $10,000 Rolex gift card that is redeemable at an authorized Rolex dealer. Primary account holders in good standing are eligible for the drawing.

One of our readers has recently submitted these photos on a gift they received with their new Visa Black Card. We are assuming that this is just the initation gift, and that users that spend more over time will get more “luxurious gifts” as part of the $495/year membership.

Here is the letter that was included:

Dear Black Card Member:

Congratulations on becoming a Visa Black Card member. Black Card and Cross have teamed together to bring you a welcoming gift of the unique Cross Tech3, a 3-in-1 writing tool that allows you to switch from black ink to red ink to pencil with a simple twist.

Like Black Card, Cross stands for the highest levels of quality and service: each of our writing instruments is backed by a lifetime mechanical guarantee and reflects the commitment to superior craftsmanship first made by Richard Cross in 1846. I trust you will enjoy the benefits of your new Visa Black Card as well as the pleasure of writing with your new Cross pen.

Sincerely,

Chad Mellen

President, Cross Accessory Division

Umm, Oooops!

Originally rumor and urban myth, the American Express CENTURION CARD came to be in 1999 (see the original AMEX press release). “There had been rumors going around that we had this ultra-exclusive black card for elite customers,” says Doug Smith, director of American Express Europe. “It wasn’t true, but we decided to capitalize on the idea anyway. So far we’ve had a customer buy a Bentley and another charter a jet.”

So, although the urban myth and legend referred to the card as the “Black Card” American Express decided to call it the “Centurion Card” named after their private bank, and trademark that instead; The challenge for AMEX is now, however, that they left themselves open by not also trademarking the term “Black Card“, despite the fact that the American Express Centurion Card is ubiquitously known in popular culture as the “Black Card” or Black AMEX, and less so the “Centurion Card”.

Visa readily tells those applying for the card that the “Black Card is not for everyone”, apparently, they mean American Express as well. You can check out patents filed for “Black Card“  and “Centurion Card” on the United States Patent Office Site.

It doesn’t matter legally, that the cards don’t really compare in terms of exclusivity or benefits because Black Card, LLC, Barclays and Visa currently do own the trademark “Black Card”. Maybe we will see a new Black Card for Dummies Guide targeted at the Visa’s Black Card instead?

Steve Colbert on his show The Colbert Report makes fun of racial issues and the Visa Black Card: “Visa: it’s everywhere you want to be, unless that place is a Jimmy Buffett concert. (01:55)” Colbert also correlates Visa’s vague 1% requirements and statement that the card is “not for everyone” as an implication of Visa behaving in a racist manner (he’s joking of course!).

For Visa Black Card, it may all be hype and marketing science (as it can now be seen in ads in Robb Report, Snow Magazine, etc), but some sample stats we’ve collected so far it appears Barclay’s is at least successful in attracting the higher end customers (although, time will tell as this card itself may not be all that exclusive, as it’s allegedly only a “Visa Platinum Plus” which is below the Visa line of Signature Cards: ). All the charm of luxury may come in the from of the British accent featured in Barclay’s TV Commercials .

Here’s some of the data we have seen of that exclusive “1%” cardholder profile:

• 31 year old male, income approx $175,000 3 credit scores average 765, approved for Visa Black Card with 25,000 limit, alternate cards: Chase Freedom Visa Signature Limit = $50,000.
• 28 year old male, income approx $300,000 3 credit score average 740, approved for Visa Black Card with 20,000 limit, alternate cards: American Express Centurion Card.
• “Schiffy”income approx $10,000, credit score average 598, approved for Visa Black Card with unknown limit.
• “Dave” income approx $170,000, credit scores above 765, approved for Visa Black Card with unknown limit.
• “Pashok” MBA with 6 figure income, credit scores 765, approved for Visa Black Card with unknown limit.

If you Apply for the Visa Black Card and are accepted, please feel free to update us with your stats to include in the profile!

The more information that is gathered about the new Visa Black Card, the more it seems that the card is not as high end as the American Express Centurion card. So the whole theory of, you get what you pay for ($495/year vs $2500/year) holds true. Here’s some photos our reader sent in showing the card side by side to the Centurion Card, our reader tells us card itself feels like a normal credit card — nothing special. You can check out our review/unboxing page for more photos, and our comparison chart for card benefits comparison. American Express doesn’t have an online application for their Black Card, but Visa allows you to apply directly for the card here

We were fortunate enough to have one of our readers who recently received the Visa Black Card and send us photos of the unboxing as well as photos side-by-side to their Centurion Card. Without even diving deep into the benefits you can see right off that this card is more appropriately competing with the American Express Platinum Card, and you will see will see further from the photos and even the unboxing that the card does not “feel” that luxurious.

Here’s the box as it arrives to your house:

And our reader opening the box:

The World Awaits

Open box including card terms and conditions, as well as Visa Black Card box.

Black Card Concierge and Benefits Guide cover.

Details on The Concierge and Visa Black Card Benefits

Details on the Visa Black Card Rewards Program

Here’s an image of the front of the Visa Black Card in person.

This is somewhat interesting as our reader expected the card to be stiff or special in some form since it is allegedly made from Carbon Graphite (Carbon Fiber), but apparently it feels and bends just like plastic.

Our reader says they even felt weird putting the cards side by side, as the more they learn (and we learn too), they don’t really compare.

The TV ad is also posted on Barclay’s official Visa Black Card Site.

History of the Black Cards, and the Visa Black Card

On October 2, 2007, ThinkTank Holdings LLC (founded by Scott Blum, located in Jackson, Wyoming.) announced a new Patent Pending (filed 2007) Credit Card Venture titled “Next Card“. The concept for “Next Card” was simply for a high-end/luxury credit card made from a special carbon/carbon based material. Concept from inception was that this card would be available to corporations and individuals for an annual fee of $495, it was also anticipated that the card would launch with typical luxury card services such as 24-hour concierge, points and rewards program, as well as other benefits.

After Black Cards and the Black Card Brand (that is, American Express)

Chasing the American Express Black Card brand was no doubt a goal of Scott Blum with this concept. The American Express Centurion Card started out as an urban myth (see history) that American Express ultimately decided to capitalize on October 14, 1999. “There had been rumors going around that we had this ultra-exclusive black card for elite customers,” says Doug Smith, director of American Express Europe. “It wasn’t true, but we decided to capitalize on the idea anyway. So far we’ve had a customer buy a Bentley and another charter a jet.”

Visa after having launched it’s “signature” series of cards in 1999, launched a higher tier of “signature preferred” cards in May of 2007 targeted at customers who spend $50,000 a year or more on their cards (Visa Signature average spend is approximately $27,600 a year). Merchants actually pay 14% more per transaction vs a regular Visa or Signature card.

“The whole purpose of this card is to take share from American Express,” said James McCarthy, Visa senior vice president for consumer-credit products. They may be a ways away, according to a 2007 survey in Europe, Centurion cardholders spend 11.5 times more (see demographics) than the typical American Express card member, and on average have income in excess of 1M a year.

Combine urban myth and Black Card allure with Visa salivating over American Express and Centurion Card premiums and what do you get? The Visa Black Card.

Visa Black Benefits vs American Express Centurion Card Benefits

In our initial comparison of the Visa Black Card and American Express Centurion Card we observed that luxury plastic is no longer, well, plastic (although it sure seems that way); The question still remains how truly exclusive the Visa Black Card is? Time (and our readers) will tell, but as stands, 1% of the population is somewhat “undefined” other than by credit record, and other private information (Barclay’s has yet to clarify what this actually means), while American Express has some hard limits, e.g. you have to spend $250,000 on a Platinum Card to qualify, no getting around that. Outside of exclusivity, luxury credit cards aim to offer “new levels of service” for their “elite clientele“  while providing “unique experiences” and unusual “discounts and amenities“. Below, we’ve put together a detailed comparison chart of the Visa Black Card compared to American Express Centurion Benefits. What stands out most is the automatic membership and hotel/airline elite access gained with the Centurion Card, which is nonexistent on the Visa Black Card; Of course, the Visa Black Card only runs $495 a year, compared to the $2500 a yearfor the Centurion Card. At current it appears the Barclay’s Black Card is sorely lacking in many areas where American Express is not, and the card itself is more comparable to the American Express Platinum Card ($450/year membership).

VISA Black Card vs AMEX Centurion Benefits

*We are not fully aware of all Visa Black Card services offered quite yet, and will update as we learn more as our readers get the card and submit info.

The luxury credit card market is heating up, and they’ve moved over from plastic to carbon graphite and titanium (maybe so the cards won’t melt from over use); Visa wants their share of the premium space American Express holds, especially with it’s Centurion Card aka the Black Card.

Visa after having launched it’s “signature” series of cards in 1999, launched a higher tier of “signature preferred” cards in May of 2007 targeted at customers who spend $50,000 a year or more on their cards (Visa Signature average spend is approximately $27,600 a year). Merchants actually pay 14% more per transaction vs a regular Visa or Signature card.

“The whole purpose of this card is to take share from American Express,” said James McCarthy, Visa senior vice president for consumer-credit products. They may be a ways away, according to a 2007 survey in Europe, Centurion cardholders spend 11.5 times more than the typical American Express card member, and on average have income in excess of 1M a year.

Seemingly it’s not enough to be a plastic card and different or luxurious, it needs to be made from some other material.  American Express figured it out first: Starting in 2004 in parts of Europe, and in the US in early 2006 changed it’s exclusive Centurion Card aka Black Card from standard credit card fare plastic, to titanium.

Well, Scott Blum (Buy.com founder) wants part of it too, ThinkTank Holdings LLC, announced in 2007 they would be launching a high-end credit card business with patent pending credit card that would be made out of carbon fiber code named “Next Card” now launched this month (just a few days ago) as The Visa Black Card. This high-tech credit card is aimed at both individuals and corporates for an annual fee of $495. The card has been launched including 24-hour concierge service, points, rewards, and other benefits. Here’s a side by side view of the Visa Black Card and the American Express Centurion card, carbon graphite or titanium? I’ll take titanium. Apply Online for the Visa Black Card Here.

If you want to see for yourself, you can Apply Online for the Visa Black Card Here.

To see the rest of the luxury plastic, or I should now say cards, please see Alternate Cards.

Barclay’s launches their Visa Black Card competing directly with the American Express Centurion card. The Visa Black Card which is made out of carbon graphite, and includes similar benefits to the Centurion Card such as Priority Pass. Currently “Limited to 1% of US Residents” but criteria is currently yet to be clarified (when I called 12/2).

*1% cash back on purchases or $1 = 1 points that can redeemed for travel anytime
* 24-Hour Concierge Service
* Exclusive Rewards Program
* Luxury Gifts
* Patent Pending Carbon Graphite
* Annual Fee $495

Apply for the Visa Black Card Online

Update:
Introductory 0% Balance Transfer for 6 months
Standard APR = Prime + 9.99 =  Currently 13.99%
Cash Advances = Prime + 15.99 % = Currently 19.99%

*The Exclusivity/Limited to 1% of US Residents according to Barclay’s rests heavily on a Credit Score amongst other “personal financial information”.
If you wish to know if you fit Barclay’s criteria, e.g. limited to 1% you can Apply Online with Visa Here

For additional details, articles, reviews, hands on photos and more, go to our main Visa Black Card page.