Your Guide to Getting an Amex Black Card

The American Express Centurion Card is arguably the most famous luxury card. There are other exclusive cards out there, but none of them have the recognition of the Amex Black Card.

To get most of the top credit cards, you just need to apply and be approved. With the American Express Centurion Card, you need to be invited by American Express. If you accept, you then pay a $10,000 initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee. Assuming you're a high roller and you really want this card, here's the most recent info on scoring an invite.

What does it take to get an invite for the American Express Centurion Card?

For years, the typical advice was that you needed to spend at least $250,000 to $500,000 per year on your American Express cards. But it's not nearly that straightforward.

American Express looks at more than just your total spending. The amount you spend matters, but based on reports from credit card forums, there are a few other key factors.

• How you spend is just as important as how much. American Express seems to look for cardholders who spend heavily on luxury expenses, such as jewelry, first-class flights, and fine dining. Business expenses, such as online advertising, don't move the needle much.
• Where you live also matters. It will take much more spending if you're in a high-cost-of-living area, such as New York City or Los Angeles, compared to if you live somewhere more affordable. You need to have very high spending compared to others in your area -- not the United States as a whole.
• One year of spending isn't always enough. It could take a couple years of heavy spending to get an invite.

How to be considered for an invite

With that information, we can come up with a plan to potentially get an American Express Centurion Card.

You'll need at least one American Express card -- that's the easy part. The hard part is that you'll probably need to spend $500,000 or more on it per year. If you don't spend at least that much, you're unlikely to get an invite. And if you live in an expensive area, you might need to spend significantly more.

Make sure at least some of that spending is on luxury expenses. Spending six figures at five-star hotels, designer stores, and on airfare (or even better, a private jet rental) helps. Spending six figures on printer paper or Google ads probably doesn't.

Keep in mind that there's no way to guarantee you'll receive an invite. Some people have reported spending over $1 million on their American Express cards without getting an invite. You can do your best to qualify for an invitation, but it's ultimately up to American Express.

Exclusive isn't always better

Just because the American Express Centurion Card is exclusive doesn't mean it's the absolute best of the best. It gets mixed reviews from cardholders who have shared their opinions online. Some love all the travel and lifestyle benefits it offers. Others don't think it's worth the money and plan to downgrade.

If you want to level up your travel experience, there are plenty of excellent travel rewards cards. They may not offer all the perks of the American Express Centurion Card, but you can get airport lounge access, elite status with hotels, and concierge service.

Most people don't spend nearly enough to get an invitation for this card, and that's fine. It's far from a necessity, and it's too expensive to make sense for the average person. But if you're a big spender and are interested in it, now you know how to get considered for an invite.