If you want a top-of-the-line travel rewards card with benefits such as a 24/7 concierge service, airport lounge access, including an airport meet and assist program, plus a credit for Global Entry or TSA Precheck, the Mastercard® Black Card™ might be right for you.
This is the middle tier of the three Luxury Cards issued by Barclays. The Mastercard® Black Card™ offers more benefits (for a more expensive annual fee) than the Mastercard® Titanium Card™, but doesn’t quite break the bank like the Mastercard® Gold Card™.
The Mastercard® Black Card™ also comes with some physical heft to match its perks. It weighs in at 22 grams and is made of a black-PVD-coated stainless steel front and carbon back. PVD stands for Physical Vapor Disposition, and to put it simply, involves metal being vaporized in a vacuum chamber. Having a card covered with vaporized metal is certainly a way to make sure you’ve always got a conversation starter on hand.
However, this card falls short in some areas compared with other luxury travel cards, such as its low earning rate and not being able to transfer points to airline and hotel partners. Unless you really want the high-end travel benefits like the concierge services, you might be better off with a card such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express.
Intro Purchase APR
N/A
Regular Purchase APR
19.49%
Intro BT APR
0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening.
Regular BT APR
After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 19.49%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.
Annual Fee
$495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account)
Cash Advance Fee
Either $10 or 5% of the amount of each cash advance, whichever is greater.
Foreign Transaction Fee
0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
Balance Transfer Fee
Balance Transfer Fee: Either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Extra value on airfare redemptions
Cardholders get 2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. 1.5% value for cash back redemptions. Earn one point for every one dollar spent. For example, the card’s rewards web page notes that redeeming 50,000 points can get you a ticket worth $1,000 (on any airline) with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. If you prefer to redeem points for cash back, you can get a deposit to a United States bank account or a statement credit to your card. Other redemption options include hotel stays and car rentals.
Luxury Card Concierge
Barclays describes this service as a “complete lifestyle management tool.” If you enjoy having representatives available 24/7 to assist with everything from travel bookings to finding exactly the product you’re looking for, you’ll love this benefit of the Mastercard® Black Card™. Some of the situations concierge representatives have helped cardholders with include rescuing jewelry left in a hotel room, researching school districts ahead of a move, and arranging for a late-night delivery of Tylenol for a sick child. Access the concierge via live chat, phone or email.
Global Entry or TSA Precheck application credit
If you want to avoid long lines at security checks at the airport, you may want to apply for Global Entry ($100) or TSA Precheck ($85). Luckily, this card offers a credit of up to $100 to cover the application fee of either service. Note that if you get Global Entry, TSA Precheck is included.
Airport lounge access
The Mastercard® Black Card™ offers a complimentary Priority Pass Select membership (a $99 value). Access more than 1,300 airport lounges located in 500 cities throughout the world for free.
Up to $100 in annual airline fee credits
These credits can be applied toward flight-related purchases such as:
Intro APR on balance transfers
Enjoy a 0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 19.49%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. Be aware there’s a balance transfer fee: either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
Low earning rate
For a card with an annual fee as expensive as this one has, you’d expect a higher rewards rate than one point per $1 spent. Granted, you effectively earn 2% back if redeeming points for airfare or 1.5% back if redeeming points for cash back. But it’s worth noting there are cards with no annual fee that earn 2% back on every purchase.
Can't transfer points to partners
Some of the top luxury travel cards give you the option of transferring points to travel partners. That way if you have a preferred airline or hotel loyalty program, you can use your credit card rewards to book travel the way that you like. With this card, you can only book travel via InComm InCentives on myluxurycard.com or by calling the customer service number on your card.
Expensive annual fee
This card’s annual fee is $495 ($195 for each authorized user added to the account). With an annual fee that high, it’s competing against some of the top travel cards on the market, such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 annual fee) or The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee), both of which offer a wide range of travel benefits and better rewards rates and welcome offers than the Mastercard® Black Card™.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
The Platinum Card® from American Express is one of the top travel cards on the market. It comes with a long list of benefits, including:
It also comes with a generous welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Points can be transferred to 18 airline partners and three hotel partners, often at a 1:1 value.
Beware that this card comes with a hefty $695 annual fee. However, if you travel regularly and take advantage of the various benefits and credits The Platinum Card® from American Express offers, you can easily get enough value out of the card to offset the annual fee.
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Mastercard® Black Card™ | The Platinum Card® from American Express | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer |
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Apply Now on Luxury Card's secure site
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Apply Now on American Express's secure site
Terms Apply
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Apply Now on Chase's secure site
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Apply Now on Citibank's secure site
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Welcome Offer | |||
N/A | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | None |
Rewards Rate | |||
2% value for airfare redemptions with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. 1.5% value for cash back redemptions. Earn one point for every one dollar spent. | 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards® | Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases. |
Annual Fee | |||
$495 ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account) | $695 | $550 | $0 |
Intro Purchase APR | |||
N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Regular APR | |||
19.49% | See Pay Over Time APR | 21.24% - 28.24% Variable | 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable) |
Intro Balance Transfer APR | |||
0% introductory APR for the first fifteen billing cycles following each balance transfer that posts to your account within 45 days of account opening. | N/A | N/A | 0% for 18 months on Balance Transfers |
Regular Balance Transfer APR | |||
After that, (and for balance transfers that do not post within 45 days of account opening) your APR will be 19.49%. This APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate. | N/A | 21.24% - 28.24% Variable | 18.74% - 28.74% (Variable) |
Recommended Credit | |||
Excellent | Excellent/Good | Excellent | Excellent/Good |
Card Details | |||
Mastercard® Black Card™ | The Platinum Card® from American Express | Chase Sapphire Reserve® | Citi® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer |
If you want luxury service packaged in a stylish black metal card, and you won’t balk at an expensive fee, you may like the Mastercard® Black Card™. Those who want the concierge service but are willing to live without some of the travel benefits might prefer the cheaper Mastercard® Titanium Card™, with an annual fee of $195 ($95 for each authorized user added to the account), while those who want to go all in for a premium card might like the more expensive Mastercard® Gold Card™, with an annual fee of $995 ($295 for each authorized user added to the account).
For travelers who want a top-of-the-line card that earns more rewards, as well as the flexibility to transfer points to airlines and hotel chains, either the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or The Platinum Card® from American Express may be a better option.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.