By Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, Founder and CEO of The Points King. Last updated: October 12, 2026. Editorial Policy
What are the Amex Black Card requirements? American Express does not publish any. The Centurion Card is by invitation only, and the only official step you can take is to tell Amex you are interested through a form on its Centurion page, which requires an existing Amex card. Reported spending levels vary: One Mile at a Time has heard of $250,000 or more a year on Amex cards, and Upgraded Points puts typical invitees at $350,000 to $500,000. If you are invited, it costs a $10,000 initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee, so $15,000 in the first year.
I am Joseph Hellman-Benjamin, and I have run The Points King since 2017. We buy American Express Membership Rewards points, including points earned on Centurion cards, so I have a reason to follow this card. Below I separate what American Express says from what others report, because most of what circulates about Centurion requirements is guesswork. There are no affiliate links on this site.
The Centurion Card at a Glance
| Centurion (Black Card) | Platinum Card, for comparison | |
|---|---|---|
| How to get it | Invitation only | Open application |
| Fees | $10,000 initiation, then $5,000 a year | $895 a year |
| Points earned | 1 Membership Rewards point per $1 on most purchases | 5 points per $1 on flights booked with airlines or Amex Travel; 1 on most other purchases |
| Airline status | Delta Platinum Medallion | None |
| Hotel status | Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum, Marriott Gold (as reported) | Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold |
| Lounges | Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, Lufthansa First Class lounges in Frankfurt and Munich when flying the Lufthansa Group | Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass, Delta Sky Club when flying Delta, with a yearly visit limit |
| Dining credit | Up to $1,000 a year at Resy restaurants, $250 a quarter | Up to $100 a quarter at Resy restaurants |
Centurion details are as reported by One Mile at a Time (updated April 14, 2026) and Upgraded Points (updated August 20, 2026). American Express does not publish the full Centurion benefit list publicly, so confirm with Amex before you count on any one benefit.
What American Express Says About Eligibility
Very little. Centurion is invitation only, and American Express does not publish a spending level, income level or credit score. Anyone quoting an exact number is passing on reports, not Amex policy. Upgraded Points notes that eligibility is reviewed each year.
What Others Report About Spending Levels
| Source | What it reports | Date |
|---|---|---|
| One Mile at a Time | Has heard of $250,000 or more a year on Amex cards and income above $1 million, unconfirmed, and says it may be higher now | Updated April 14, 2026 |
| Upgraded Points | Anecdotally $350,000 to $500,000 a year in Amex spending, paid off; unlikely below $100,000 | Updated August 20, 2026 |
| CNBC Select | Spending “upwards of six figures or more each year” | Updated September 23, 2026 |
What the reports agree on: you need to be an existing American Express customer, spend heavily on Amex cards and pay in full. Most reported invitees already hold the Platinum or Business Platinum card. Treat any single number as a rumor with a range around it.
How to Ask for an Invitation
Since April 2020, American Express has let cardholders ask to be considered (Doctor of Credit). The steps, as CNBC Select describes them:
- Go to the Centurion page at americanexpress.com.
- Near the bottom, select “Interested in Centurion Membership?”
- Enter your name and an existing American Express card number with its security code.
This is not a credit application, and it does not oblige American Express to invite you. If you qualify, the invitation comes by mail. If nothing comes, the honest reading is that your account does not meet whatever Amex is looking for this year.
What It Costs
- Initiation fee: $10,000, once.
- Annual fee: $5,000. Both fees have been at this level since April 1, 2020, when they rose from $7,500 and $2,500 (Travel Update).
- Additional cards: reported at $2,500 to $5,000 a year each; sources disagree, so ask Amex.
- The Business Centurion is reported at the same $10,000 and $5,000.
What Changed in 2026
- Resy credit added, airline credit dropped. Centurion now carries up to $1,000 a year in statement credits at Resy restaurants, paid as up to $250 a quarter, with enrollment required. The old $200 airline fee credit is gone (Upgraded Points, July 17, 2026; InsideFlyer, July 1, 2026).
- Platinum fee up. The Platinum Card’s fee rose from $695 to $895 for new members in September 2025 and at renewal from January 2, 2026 (The Points Guy). That narrows the gap between the two cards a little.
- Amsterdam Centurion Lounge. Opened September 17, 2026 at Schiphol, beyond passport control between the E and F piers, the first in continental Europe (One Mile at a Time).
- Newark delayed. The planned Centurion Lounge in Newark’s Terminal A has slipped to 2027 (One Mile at a Time, October 8, 2026).
Is It Worth It?
Run the numbers against the Platinum. Centurion costs $5,000 a year against $895, a difference of $4,105. The Resy credit can return up to $1,000 of that if you dine at Resy restaurants anyway. Delta Platinum Medallion and Hilton Diamond have real value if you would otherwise earn them by flying and staying. The concierge is the part people describe as different, and it is the hardest to price.
On points, Centurion is weak. One point per dollar, at The Points Guy’s October 2026 value of 2.0 cents for Membership Rewards, is a 2% return on spending. Cards with bonus categories earn more on dining and travel. Nobody should hold Centurion for the points.
My view: Centurion makes sense for someone who already spends at the reported levels, flies Delta, and will use the status and the concierge. For everyone else the Platinum, or a card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve at $795, covers lounges and travel credits at a fraction of the cost. For what Amex points are worth by redemption, see how much Amex points are worth.
If You Have Membership Rewards Points You Will Not Use
Centurion members often build large balances at 1 point per dollar. Brokers, The Points King included, buy Membership Rewards points for cash, and American Express forbids it: its Membership Rewards terms (September 2026) say points “don’t belong to you” and “you can’t sell them,” and let Amex take points away. Read the risks of selling miles and points first, then see selling Centurion card points.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Amex Black Card requirements?
American Express publishes none; the card is by invitation only. Reported spending levels range from about $250,000 to $500,000 a year on Amex cards, and most invitees already hold an Amex Platinum card.
How much does the Amex Black Card cost?
A $10,000 initiation fee and a $5,000 annual fee, so $15,000 in the first year. Additional cards cost extra.
Can you apply for the Centurion Card?
No. You can only ask to be considered, through the “Interested in Centurion Membership?” link on Amex’s Centurion page, using an existing Amex card.
Does the Centurion Card give Delta status?
Yes, as reported in 2026: Delta Platinum Medallion, along with Hilton Diamond and IHG Platinum.
What changed on the Centurion Card in 2026?
American Express added up to $1,000 a year in Resy dining credits and dropped the $200 airline fee credit.
Is the Centurion Card worth $5,000 a year?
Only for very high spenders who will use the Delta and hotel status, the concierge and the Resy credit. For most people the $895 Platinum Card covers the travel benefits that matter.
Sources
- One Mile at a Time: Amex Centurion Card guide, updated April 14, 2026
- Upgraded Points: Centurion Card review, updated August 20, 2026
- CNBC Select: how to request a Centurion invitation, updated September 23, 2026
- Upgraded Points: Centurion adds $1,000 Resy credit, July 17, 2026
- InsideFlyer: Amex Black Card adds dining credit, July 1, 2026
- Doctor of Credit: request a Centurion invitation, April 2020
- Travel Update: Centurion fee changes, October 31, 2019
- The Points Guy: Amex Platinum refresh, September 18, 2025
- One Mile at a Time: Amsterdam Centurion Lounge, September 16, 2026
- One Mile at a Time: Newark Centurion Lounge delayed, October 8, 2026