3/5
Mastercard Black Card
- Best for: Frequent flyers who spend $200 a year with airlines and $100 at restaurants and bring guests into airport lounges
- What Sets It Apart: Priority Pass Select for extra cardholders and guests; airline credit that covers tickets; 24/7 concierge; 22-gram stainless steel card
- Cost: $699 annual fee; $249 per extra cardholder; 19.74% to 27.74% variable interest rate; no foreign transaction fee
- Rewards: 1 point per $1; 2 points per $1 on airfare and prepaid hotels booked at LuxuryCardTravel.com; 2 cents per point toward airfare or 1.5 cents as cash back; limited-time 75,000-point bonus after $6,000 in purchases and paying the fee within 90 days
- Features: $200 annual airline credit; $100 annual dining credit; up to $120 every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Pros: Airline credit covers tickets; lounge visits include extra cardholders and guests; bonus worth $1,500 toward airfare
- Cons: $399 a year after both credits; 1 point per $1 on most spending; same lounge access on the $299 Titanium
Issued by Barclays, the 22-gram stainless steel Black Card sits in the middle of Luxury Card’s three metal cards, below the $1,199 Gold. It’s built for frequent flyers who want lounge access, a 24/7 concierge, and yearly airline and dining credits on one card.
Key Features
- $699 annual fee, $249 for each extra cardholder, and a variable interest rate of 19.74% to 27.74%
- Limited-time bonus of 75,000 points after $6,000 in purchases and paying the annual fee, both within 90 days
- 1 point per $1, or 2 per $1 on airfare and prepaid hotels booked at LuxuryCardTravel.com
- Points worth 2 cents each toward airfare, or 1.5 cents as cash back
- $200 airline credit and $100 dining credit each calendar year, plus up to $120 every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck airport screening
Pros
- Airline credit covers tickets bought from an airline, not just bag fees
- Unlimited Priority Pass Select lounge visits for you, extra cardholders, and guests
- Bonus worth $1,500 toward airfare, more than twice the first year’s $699 fee
- 24/7 concierge by phone, email, text, or chat
- No foreign transaction fees
Cons
- Costs $399 a year even with both credits used in full
- Most spending earns 1 point per $1, which returns 2% toward airfare or 1.5% in cash, while a no-fee 2% cash-back card pays 2% in cash
- Same lounge access and concierge on the $299 Titanium Card, which lacks the credits and pays 1% as cash back
- Double points only on bookings through LuxuryCardTravel.com, with hotels paid up front
The Black Card makes sense for travelers who already spend $200 a year with airlines and $100 at restaurants and bring guests into airport lounges. Otherwise, Capital One’s Venture X charges $395 a year and returns a $300 Capital One Travel credit and 10,000 bonus miles each card anniversary, worth $100 in travel, though its lounge access is for primary cardholders.
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