The American Express Centurion (“Black Card”) is the most exclusive card in India — invitation-only, with an estimated ~200 holders nationwide. Amex does not accept open applications.
How to get an invitation
- Hold the Amex Platinum Charge and spend heavily. Centurion invitations are extended to long-tenured Platinum members with very high annual spend across their Amex cards.
- Register an expression of interest. Existing Amex cardholders can submit interest via the Centurion page on americanexpress.com/in — approval remains entirely at Amex’s discretion.
- Build multi-year tenure and spend. Reported invitees run several crore a year across Amex products before being considered.
- There is no way to buy in directly — the invitation follows the relationship and spend, not the other way around.
What issuers look for
- Long Amex tenure, typically via the Platinum Charge
- Very high annual spend across Amex cards (reported in crores)
- Joining fee ₹7 lakh + ₹2.75 lakh annual (≈₹11.5 lakh all-in first year, incl. GST)
Observed patterns, not criteria the bank publishes. Any income or score level here is indicative.
In-depth review
American Express Centurion Card
The Black Card — invitation-only, roughly 200 holders in India, and about ₹11.5 lakh all-in in year one including GST. Judged on rewards per rupee it is poor value and nobody serious pretends otherwise. Judged on what it actually sells — dedicated concierge, top-tier hotel and airline status, unlimited Centurion Lounge access — it is in a category of one. You cannot apply for it.
Read the full review →Key features
What this card is built to do — the highlights that actually matter.
1.2% on Other
Earns Membership Rewards points (1 per ₹50 per the MR programme catch-all; fuel, insurance and utilities earn none), but the card is bought for service, status and access — not its rate
Airport Lounge Access
Unlimited global lounge access including overseas American Express Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass (India's only Centurion Lounge, Mumbai, closed 1 Jul 2026)
24x7 Concierge
Dedicated personal concierge and relationship manager — the card's headline benefit
Hotel Membership
Complimentary top-tier elite status across major hotel chains plus Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits
Insurance Cover
Comprehensive travel, medical and purchase protection cover
👑 PREMIUM LIFESTYLE BENEFITS
Concierge, golf, hotel membership and high-value perks for premium cardholders.
- 24x7 lifestyle and travel concierge
- Complimentary top-tier elite status across major hotel chains plus Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits
- Travel insurance and accident cover
✈️ TRAVEL BENEFITS
Lounge access, miles, forex rates and travel perks at a glance.
AIRPORT LOUNGE ACCESS
Unlimited visits
Domestic lounges
Priority Pass
International lounges
₹24,000
Estimated annual value
3.5%
Forex markup
- Domestic + international airport lounge access (worth ~₹24,000/yr)
- Travel insurance cover included
For ultra-high-net-worth individuals with a long American Express relationship and very high annual spend, who value white-glove concierge, elite hotel/airline status and access over reward rate. Realistically out of reach for all but a few hundred people in India.
Full reward structure
What you earn on every rupee, per spend category — as of 24 Oct 2026. Rates assume 1 pt = ₹0.60. How we value points →
| Category | Type | Rate | Monthly cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | reward points | 1.2%2 pts/₹100 × ₹0.60 | — |
Other: Earns Membership Rewards points (1 per ₹50 per the MR programme catch-all; fuel, insurance and utilities earn none), but the card is bought for service, status and access — not its rate
Earns nothing on: Fuel · Insurance · Utility Bills
These spends earn no rewards at all — not a reduced rate, and not the base rate. They are also normally left out of any milestone or fee-waiver calculation.
Fees & charges
The numbers that matter beyond rewards — verify on the issuer site before applying. Fees below are shown inclusive of 18% GST, as of 24 Oct 2026.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Annual fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹3,24,500 |
| Joining fee (incl. 18% GST) | ₹8,26,000 |
Perks & benefits
Estimated annual value beyond rewards — ~₹1,49,000/yr in total.
Dedicated personal concierge and relationship manager — the card's headline benefit
Unlimited global lounge access including overseas American Express Centurion Lounges and Priority Pass (India's only Centurion Lounge, Mumbai, closed 1 Jul 2026)
Complimentary top-tier elite status across major hotel chains plus Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts benefits
Comprehensive travel, medical and purchase protection cover
Should you get it?
- Best for: Ultra-high-net-worth individuals with a long Amex relationship, Very high annual spenders who will use concierge, status and access fully, Those for whom the card is a status and service instrument, not a rewards tool
- Super Premium tier — built for high spenders who want top-end perks.
- Strongest value if you spend heavily on everyday spends (1.2% back).
- Frequent travellers benefit from the included airport lounge access.
Pros & cons
✓ Pros
- Unrivalled dedicated concierge and relationship management
- Top-tier complimentary hotel and airline elite status
- Unlimited global lounge access including exclusive Centurion Lounges
- Access and experiences that are not available to other cardholders
✕ Cons
- Extraordinary cost — roughly ₹11.5 lakh all-in in the first year (including GST)
- A charge card, not a credit card — the full outstanding balance must be paid every month
- Poor rewards-per-rupee; value is service and status, not points
- Invitation-only with no public criteria — effectively unattainable for almost everyone
Eligibility
American Express publishes no eligibility criteria for this card — no minimum income, no age band, no credit-score floor, and no document checklist. That is not an oversight on our part: the card is issued strictly by invitation, there is no public application form, and so there is nothing to qualify for in the usual sense. Any income or score level in the panel above is indicative of the profile the bank extends the card to, not a threshold it states, and the same goes for any salary figure quoted for it elsewhere.
What actually decides an invitation is the relationship behind it — balances held with the bank, spend on an existing card, and the banking segment you sit in. We set those signals out in how to get an invitation above, labelled for what they are: observed patterns, not published criteria.
How to redeem rewards
Ways to convert what you earn into real value.
- 🎁Membership Rewards points redeemable for travel, transfers and statement credit (secondary to the card's service and status benefits)
What your Amex Membership Rewards are worth
Realistic value per point by redemption route — the difference is what most people leave on the table.
Statement credit — lowest value
Brand & e-gift vouchers
Virgin Atlantic 5:4 now leads at ₹0.80/pt, ahead of Marriott 1:1 (₹0.60); the other airlines transfer 2:1 (₹0.50) and Hilton is 2:3. Ratios re-read 2026-08-18
✈ Transfer partners
Direct transfers from this card only, ranked by what a point is worth in the destination programme. Full calculator, every currency →
Eye-watering fees (≈₹11.5 lakh in year one) and weak rewards-per-rupee mean it only makes sense for those who will exhaust the concierge, status and access benefits — and who can secure the invitation in the first place.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the Amex Centurion in India?
What does it cost?
Is it worth it for the rewards?
How has the American Express Centurion Card changed over time?
Has the American Express Centurion Card been devalued recently?
When did the American Express Centurion Card's fees last change?
How did the American Express Centurion Card change in 2026?
The bottom line
The Centurion is a pure status-and-service card: peerless concierge, elite statuses and access, wrapped in a metal card almost nobody can get. Judged on rewards-per-rupee it is poor value; judged on what it actually sells — service and access at the very top — it is in a category of one.
How this page was built
Counted from this card’s own record: 1 earn rule, the spends listed as earning nothing and 4 recorded perks.
Last updated 24 Oct 2026.
Sources & verification
Fees, reward rates, and benefits for the American Express Centurion Card are taken from American Express's official Most Important Terms & Conditions (MITC) and fee schedule. Last updated 24 Oct 2026. Reviewed by Devchandra Sah. Always confirm current details on the issuer's site before applying. How we research →
Independence. CardAdvisor is an independent editorial publication. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorised to act for American Express. All issuer names, product names, and payment-network marks are the property of their respective owners and appear here for identification and comparison only. Card faces shown on this site are our own original illustrations — we do not display or host issuer card artwork or logos.
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Guides and reviews related to this card.
American Express Centurion Card
The Black Card — invitation-only, roughly 200 holders in India, and about ₹11.5 lakh all-in in year one including GST. Judged on rewards per rupee it is poor value and nobody serious pretends otherwise. Judged on what it actually sells — dedicated concierge, top-tier hotel and airline status, unlimited Centurion Lounge access — it is in a category of one. You cannot apply for it.
IndusInd Bank Indulge Credit Card
India's first 22-karat gold-inlay card, by invitation, with no pre-set spending limit. The lifestyle bundle is genuinely deep for the tier — four international lounge visits a quarter, four golf games and four lessons a month, and a low 1.8% forex markup. Earning is the weak half at about 0.5%, and three of the headline perks are spend-gated in ways that bite.
The State of Indian Credit Cards 2026: We Analysed 280 Cards. Here's What the Marketing Doesn't Tell You
An original data study of all 280 active Indian credit cards. Only 1 in 6 is genuinely lifetime-free, nearly two in three charge the maximum 3.5% forex markup, and the average 'reward rate' is inflated by nearly half over the cash you actually get back. Full methodology and tables included — free to cite.
Value timeline
Every real-world change to this card's rewards, fees and benefits we've tracked — newest first, each linked to its source.
Tracking since 2013 · last change Nov 2026
2026
- ▼ RedemptionEffective 15 Nov 2026
Membership Rewards points kept separately for each card
One points balance across all your basic cards→A separate balance for each card; points cannot be moved between cards
From 15 November 2026, a member who holds two or more basic American Express cards has a separate Membership Rewards balance on each card, where today the points of all of them sit in one account. Existing points are split by the card that earned them, each card redeems from its own balance, and moving points from one card to another ends for good. Earn rates, redemption options and the value of a point do not change. A member who combined several cards' points to reach a bigger redemption now has to reach it on one card's balance.
Verification: American Express ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ BenefitEffective 15 Nov 2026
New Account Cards no longer issued
New Account Cards available on request→No new Account Cards; existing ones keep working
From 15 November 2026 American Express stops issuing new Account Cards, the extra cards in a member's own name used to keep certain spends separate. Requests, including replacements for a lost, stolen or expired Account Card, are taken until 27 October, and an application started by then is completed by 3 November. An Account Card already issued keeps working.
Verification: American Express ↗ · Confidence: High
- ◆ RewardEffective 15 Nov 2026
Points paused on a card still overdue at its next statement
No redemptions on any card while one is overdue→No earning or redemption on that card from its next statement until paid
From 15 November 2026, if a payment is still due when a card's next statement is generated, that card stops earning and redeeming Membership Rewards points from that statement date until the overdue balance is paid. Points already earned stay, and the member's other cards carry on, since each keeps its own balance. Amex's current Membership Rewards terms already forfeit the points of a statement left unpaid by the due date (reinstatable for a fee) and block redemptions on every card while any one is overdue; the new page does not say whether the forfeiture clause stays. Paying the overdue amount before the next statement date avoids the pause.
Verification: American Express ↗ · Confidence: High
- ◆ EligibilityEffective 27 Oct 2026
New supplementary card applications paused
Open to new applications→New applications paused
American Express pauses new Supplementary Card applications from 27 October 2026 while it moves its Indian cards to a new technology platform. An application filled in by 11:59 PM on 26 October is processed until 3 November. Amex calls the pause temporary and has not said when applications reopen. The pause covers new applications only.
Verification: American Express ↗ · Confidence: High
- ▼ BenefitEffective 20 Oct 2026
Complimentary Ace by Times Prime membership ends
Complimentary Ace by Times Prime membership→No longer offered; current memberships run to the end of their term
American Express stops offering the complimentary Ace by Times Prime membership on the Centurion and Platinum Card from 20 October 2026. A membership already enrolled stays active until the end of its current term, and a newly approved member still waiting for a code receives it by 20 October. Amex links the change to the new technology platform its Indian cards move to on 15 November.
Verification: American Express ↗ · Confidence: High
Each change links to the issuer's own document — bank T&C, MITC, notice, press release or product page — where one is public. Where the bank published nothing, it's marked CardAdvisor Research and verified against the card's current terms. Independent of the live terms shown above. This timeline is one card's slice of our market-wide change record across every tracked card.
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Source: <a href="https://cardadvisor.in/cards/amex-centurion#value-timeline">American Express Centurion Card value timeline</a>, CardAdvisor (CC BY 4.0).