Coutts World Card
The bank of the Queen of England – it is no wonder that this prestigious British bank offers this famous purple charge card by invitation only. Her Majesty herself is apparently one of the privileged few to have been asked.
One of the requirements for opening a Coutts account is having £500,000 in liquid assets. Coutts, now part of the art of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, sets an initial spending limit of £20,000 per month.
Everything about this card oozes exclusivity. Designed by British fashion designer Ozwald Boateng OBE, it looks the part and its perks more than compliment its standout appearance.
The real pull is the 24 hours a day, seven days a week concierge service that comes as standard to each cardholder. Assisting you with everything from flight information, tickets, accommodation and car hire, to emergency currency, lost passports, messaging and interpretation services.
You can even secure last minute Champions League final tickets – a privilege that most eager football fans would say you can hardly put a price on…especially if it’s your team fighting for the trophy.
On top all of this, you and any additional cardholder gets access to over 600 executive airport lounges worldwide at no charge.
American Express Centurion Card
The iconic charge card from American Express, often known as the ‘AmEx Black Card’ prides itself in being exclusive and is arguably the most prestigious on the planet. Holders of the “rarely seen, always recognised” card are chosen by invitation only and its requirements have never been officially revealed – although account holders say you must already be a Platinum card holder, charging $250,000 to your card.
The story goes that the card was officially introduced after American Express heard false rumours that an “ultra-exclusive black card for elite customers” was already in existence. Deciding to capitalise on the idea, the card was made available in 1999.
A flash of this wallet-sized titanium beast can get you tickets to sold-out sporting events and concerts (American Express reserves them for customers), automatic upgrades, an on-call personal shopper, financial assistant and travel or personal concierge.
In the US, opening an account costs an initial $5,000, while you can expect to shell out $2,500 per year for the privilege of carrying the card, spending over $250,000 to keep hold of it. With this in mind, it is perhaps wise to ask whether carrying a ‘Black Card’ status is worth the money…but then if you qualify for one of these cards, money is probably something you can afford to spare!
Stratus Rewards VISA White Card
The challenger to the Centurion Card, the Stratus Rewards card couldn’t appear more different than its main competitor, prompting praise from some commentators that “white is the new black”.
Created by Stratus Rewards and the US Bank, the by-invitation-only “360 degrees lifestyle club” and credit card rewards system supports and enhances the affluent lifestyle enjoyed by a select few. Geared towards the private jet setter, the premise of the card is to reward customers for spending by issuing points for purchases that can be exchanged for such luxuries, including rare auction items and “life-inspiring experiences”.
The globally accepted card reportedly carries a $1,500 annual fee but holders can expect benefits from a number of world-class niche lifestyle clubs and luxury oriented companies as well as a number of personal services.
Stratus assumes that holders of its precious plastic refrain from commercial travel and so foregoes many of the airline benefits included with the World Card and Centurion. But who would need access to VIP lounges at airports when your racked up points can get you a seat on a private Marquis Jet anyway?
African Business Review is now available on the iPad. Click here to download it.
