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The American Express Business Centurion Card is well known as one of the most expensive and exclusive credit cards in the world. In addition to some excellent travel benefits and access to the top-notch Centurion Concierge service, card members have no pre-set spending limit.
As you might imagine, when you have a credit card used primarily by ultra-high-net-worth individuals and with no spending limit, there have been some massive purchases on American Express Business Centurion Cards through the years. Here are some of the most extreme examples.
Nine-figure artwork purchase
The largest purchase ever made on a American Express Business Centurion Card was reportedly a $170 million painting, bought by Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian Liu. And the 2015 purchase wasn't the first massive art purchase Liu made with the card. He previously purchased a $36 million antique tea cup from the Ming Dynasty on the card.
Even though the American Express Business Centurion Card only earns one Membership Rewards point per $1 on standard purchases and 1.5 points per $1 for purchases over $5,000, this means that the art purchase alone earned Liu about $2.6 million in redemption value toward travel, or potentially even more value if the points were transferred to some of Amex's partner airlines. And traveling for free for life is exactly what Liu told the New York Times that he and his wife planned to do with his points.
Mansions, jets, and cars
To be sure, most people who spend millions of dollars with their American Express Business Centurion Card don't broadcast it, so there is a definite lack of specific, confirmed reports, although they almost certainly have happened.
For example, one report claimed that the American Express Business Centurion Card was used to purchase a $54 million private jet. Other reports have claimed card members have bought yachts, exotic cars, and even houses with their cards.
American Express hasn't directly confirmed any of these (including the well-documented art purchases discussed earlier), due to privacy concerns. But an Amex spokesperson did confirm to the Guardian that large purchases like these are certainly possible, saying, "It is based on our relationship with that individual card member and these decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, based on our knowledge of their spending patterns."
You don't need the American Express Business Centurion to have no spending limit
While the American Express Business Centurion Card is well known for not having a pre-set spending limit, many people don't realize that several of American Express' card products also don't have one. So, theoretically, you don't need a American Express Business Centurion Card to buy a $2 million Bugatti -- you could make the purchase on any of the following cards:
Or, if you're a small business owner, all of these have a business version as well.
However, the key word is pre-set. Just because there is no pre-set spending limit like most cards have doesn't mean that I could walk into a Ferrari dealership with my Amex Platinum card and walk out with a new car. My spending patterns with Amex wouldn't come close to justifying that. But if you're looking for a card that has a flexible spending cap that can let you earn points on large purchases, one of these Amex products could be worth a closer look.
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FAQs
For example, one report claimed that the American Express Business Centurion Card was used to purchase a $54 million private jet. Other reports have claimed card members have bought yachts, exotic cars, and even houses with their cards.
What was the biggest purchase on the American Express black card? ›
The largest known purchase made with the Centurion card is the Nu couché painting by Amedeo Modigliani, which businessman Liu Yiqian bought for US$170,405,000 at a Christie's auction in New York in 2015.
How many people own the Amex Black Card? ›
While AmEx services over 100 million cardholders, there are estimates that AmEx only has 100,000 Centurion cardholders worldwide.
What is so special about a black Amex? ›
Holding a Black Card will also grant you elite status at four major hotel chains: Marriott, Hilton, Intercontinental Hotels Group, and Relais & Châteaux. Elite status with these chains offers exclusive benefits such as room upgrades, late checkouts, resort and spa credits, and free breakfast.
What card do billionaires use? ›
Embodied by the illustrious Centurion® Card from American Express, colloquially known as the 'Amex Black Card', these cards are more than a payment method ᅳ they're a statement.
What is the Amex black limit? ›
There's no credit limit
The American Express Black Card doesn't have a pre-set spending limit, so cardholders can spend as much as they want every month. But that's only the case if they can afford it. The Centurion® Card from American Express is a charge card, so cardholders can't carry a balance.
What is the annual income for Amex Black Card? ›
The American Express Black Card income requirement is reportedly at least $1 million per year. It's rumored that you must also spend and pay off at least $350,000 across your American Express credit cards annually just to get an invitation to apply.
What is the most exclusive Amex card? ›
The most prestigious credit card is the Centurion® Card from American Express, which is also known as the Amex Black Card. This card requires applicants to meet very high income and spending standards to even qualify, and you can only apply if you receive an invitation.
What bank is the Black Card with? ›
The American Express Centurion Card is the original black credit card and still the most expensive, with a one-time initiation fee of $10,000 and a $5,000 annual fee.
What is the black credit card with no limit? ›
Black card credit limit
Like many details with black cards, there's not a clear cut answer. The Centurion® Card from American Express is a charge card with no set credit limit. Amex does have a Pay Over Time option, which allows you to make monthly payments on certain purchases.
The credit card tiers depend always on the card provider. This means that you can't necessarily compare the cards very easily. But a good rule of thumb: the card in the highest tier is usually the black credit card.
How hard is it to get a black Amex? ›
You need an invite from American Express to open the American Express Centurion Card. There are no hard-and-fast rules on who gets invited, but it reportedly takes at least $500,000 to $1 million in annual spending.
Who gets invited to Amex Black? ›
Although Amex doesn't publish a spending threshold to get invited, a solid rule of thumb is that you need to make at least $250,000 in annual purchases across all of your Amex cards.
What is the highest Amex purchase? ›
In 2015, Chinese billionaire Liu Yiqian Liu won a bidding war for Amedeo Modigliani's Reclining Nude painting at a Christie's auction. The painting came at the hefty cost of $170 million, which Liu put on his Amex Black Card.
What is the highest credit card transaction? ›
In 2015, Liu Yiqia, a billionaire of Chinese origin, placed the winning auction bid to purchase a painting by Amedeo Modigliani's: Reclining Nude. The cost of the artwork? $170 million USD. Yes, you got it right: this man used his no-limit AMEX credit card to buy a $170-million painting.
What is the highest spending limit on American Express Gold Card? ›
If you have a Consumer or Business Green, Gold or Platinum Card, your Card does not have a credit limit. Instead, your Card has no preset spending limit unless you have been previously notified otherwise. No preset spending limit means the spending limit is flexible.
How much do you have to spend on an Amex Black Card? ›
Terms may apply to offers listed on this page. You need an invite from American Express to open the American Express Centurion Card. There are no hard-and-fast rules on who gets invited, but it reportedly takes at least $500,000 to $1 million in annual spending.
