Is it just me, or is the Visa "Black Card" the Tackiest Thing in the World?

https://www.blackcard.com/

Something about having "BLACK CARD" emblazoned on the front (in case you can't tell what it is) and having "made of stainless steel" being one of its selling points... And it costs $495 a year for relatively shitty benefits.

 

The Visa Black Card is a terrible deal. Amex Platinum is better if you have a family and use it to book trips/upgrades for several people. Otherwise for personal use of a single person household I don't see how it could be worth the $500/year.

If you are really into a card made of metal instead of plastic then get the Chase Sapphire Preferred.

Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep.
 

Troll?

When a plumber from Hoboken tells you he has a good feeling about a reverse iron condor spread on the Japanese Yen, you really have no choice. If you don’t do it to him, somebody else surely will. -Eddie B.
 

While I don't currently have a credit card (only a debit card), Chase Sapphire has always had a certain appeal to it, though it's probably just all of the commercials that I used to see for it on CNBC. As for the Visa Black Card, when I picture the credit card that a hedge fund manager would have, that's the card that I picture. I'm not saying it makes sense to have it, but then, neither do a lot of the things that rich people spend money on.

 

Rich people have centurions or JPM private bank cards. Shit that CC companies fall over themselves to give to clients. I'm willing to bet that the majority of people with there cards are aspirationally wealthy and not rich.

 

There is no such thing as a "Visa Black Card."

What you have linked is the Barclays Black Card. Visa is not a card issuer like American Express is, and "Black" is not one of the Visa product tiers. The Barclays Black Card is a shit product, and Visa is none too happy about them trying to pass it off as a Visa-endorsed competitor to the American Express Centurion.

 

The Centurion card is quite possibly the best thing that has ever happened in the history of credit based spending. Why? Simply because its rarer than diamonds in minecraft.

Follow the shit your fellow monkeys say @shitWSOsays Life is hard, it's even harder when you're stupid - John Wayne
 

Are you getting enough values from the amex platinum to justify the annual fee? I have looked into that card on several occasions but could never justify the 500 bucks per year. But then I don't really use airport lounges--prefer to arrive just in time for departures and usually travel with no checked luggage.

Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep.
 

Unless you use the concierge for every need you ever have, then no. It really depends on how much you want to use them. There's a reddit thread by one of the concierge agents and she had some amazing stories about some of the things people have requested. My whole family has one so that's why it makes sense for us.

They've actually come through clutch a number of times. For example: when my sister had her passport, wallet, jewelry and cell phone stolen while she was traveling abroad, she called my parents crying barely able to form words (she was somewhat drunk coming back from a club). My parents dialed in Amex concierge, they contacted embassy, arranged for temporary passport, money, food, and plane ticket back to the country she was staying in. That right there was probably worth $1,000.

 
Best Response

Good to know that Amex concierge came in handy to help your sister out. Thou they were going to charge all the expenses on the card so they made money too.

Visa Signature also has a concierge service and the cards have much less/no annual fees. I don't really use the concierge service much anyway. The concierge service might have been really helpful before the internet era but nowadays I can just pull up a list of recommendations off yelp/tripadvisor in minutes instead of calling and then waiting for the concierge to get back with me. One benefit I do appreciate however are the room upgrade and perks when you book hotels including automatic late check out.

I think Visa Signature serves me just fine and I don't really need the Amex Platinum and certainly not the Visa Black Card. I do have an Amex card for tickets pre-sales and reserved seatings thou I don't use it otherwise.

Too late for second-guessing Too late to go back to sleep.
 

Platinum is only worth it if you travel a lot and use your personal card instead of a corporate card. The lounge access alone takes care of the annual fee and you get upgrades in different hotels, you can snag a tough to get dinner reservation and some other perks. Centurion looks cool but unless you really use the concierge service it's a pretty high fee (I think $3k/year) but you can get the companion airline ticket so two fly for the price of one. If you're booking business or first internationally saving one ticket per year can easily cover the high fee.

 

I'd take a Crapital One card before that one. Amex Platinum is far better, not even close. I do have the CSP card and it does get comments when a cashier takes the card, but really who cares. I personally would be far greater impressed with a Chase Palladium card or similar. WF Advisors (Private Bank) By Invitation Visa Sig as well.

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
 

Beatae at molestiae sunt quis molestiae voluptas voluptatem. Dolor vero natus eaque qui et iste. Aut blanditiis aut voluptatem possimus. Aut rerum fugiat laudantium sed dolores sit. Eum aliquid exercitationem quod.

Omnis aut sunt voluptatibus non quod consectetur aut. Pariatur ut nemo cupiditate non ipsum nemo omnis facilis.

Quos explicabo qui hic at odio aut id. Sit sed velit dignissimos aut deserunt facilis rerum dolorem. Et et temporibus temporibus iusto nulla deleniti explicabo. Nemo at aut perferendis quis qui in corrupti. Vel odit at nostrum quisquam et laborum. Perspiciatis voluptatibus quia aspernatur et. Iure enim minus qui earum ut temporibus reiciendis atque.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”