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If you’re a frequent traveler in the market for a luxury credit card, the Mastercard® Black Card™ is an option to consider. But are the travel benefits enough to justify a $495 annual fee? What travel perks does the card offer, and are there other benefits beyond travel? Let’s take a look in this Mastercard® Black Card™ review.
Luxury Card
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Mastercard® Black Card™
Current Offer
Black-PVD-coated metal card
Annual Fee
$495
Rewards Rate
Earn 1X points on all purchases
Who should get this card?
The Mastercard® Black Card™ is ideal for frequent travelers who want luxury benefits that lesser cards might lack. It’s also for people with excellent credit and high incomes.
The card’s main benefits are all travel-related, with access to VIP airport lounges worldwide with Priority Pass Select. It also comes with valuable travel credits, such as a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit as well as an airline credit annually.
You can score points with every purchase, though there are no bonus categories; you’ll earn a flat rate of 1 point per dollar per dollar spent.
Points don’t expire with this card, and you’ll never deal with blackout dates either. Travel does need to be booked through the Luxury Card website, but the lack of blackout dates is likely a major relief to frequent travelers. Travelers who earn enough points could fly for free to almost anywhere in the world.
Others may be drawn to the unique card design that will stand up to any environment. While some users might love a gold card, this card’s black-PVD-coated, stainless steel look catches people’s attention. For travelers who want to stand out, the Mastercard® Black Card™ does that.
Card basics
| Card Type | Rewards |
| Annual Fee | $495 |
| Recommended Credit Score | Excellent, Good |
| Intro APR | 0% APR for 15 billing cycles for balance transfers posted within 45 days of account opening, then 20.74% to 28.74% (variable) |
| Foreign Transaction Fee | None |
Top card benefits
- Generous redemption rates: Redeem your points at a 2% redemption rate for airfare and 1.5% for cashback rewards.
- 24/7 luxury card concierge: Need help making travel plans? Looking for hard-to-find tickets? Cardholders have access to a concierge 24/7 by phone, live chat, or email.
- Annual airline credit: Cardholders receive up to $100 in annual air travel credit toward flight-related purchases. This includes baggage fees, upgrades, tickets, and more.
- Global Entry credit: Receive an automatic statement credit for up to $100 toward either a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every five years. Global Entry allows you to expedite your arrival from international travel and also grants you TSA PreCheck benefits on domestic flights.
- VIP airport lounge access: Gain entry to more than 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges worldwide, regardless of airline or ticket class. Access is complimentary for all cardholders.
- Introductory APR: New cardholders receive a 0% APR (annual percentage rate) for 15 billing cycles for balance transfers posted within 45 days of account opening (then 20.74% to 28.74% (variable)). That can be a useful perk if you’re looking to pay down or consolidate debt on other credit cards.
Earning & redeeming
Best ways to earn
The Mastercard® Black Card™ keeps earning points simple: Cardholders earn 1x points on all purchases. There are no bonus categories that garner a higher rate, and there’s also no limit to how many points you can score.
Points can be earned with any type of spending. This includes not only dining and travel expenses, but also everyday spending and paying bills. However, you may earn more points with other rewards cards if they offer bonus points for specific categories.
Maximizing your redemptions
Points can be redeemed for travel, statement credits, cash back, gift cards, or merchandise. All redemptions are completed through the Luxury Card redemption site.
However, some options offer a higher redemption value than others. To get the most value out of your points, take advantage of the 2% redemption rate for air travel. Travel must be booked through the Luxury Card website or by calling customer service. The 2% redemption value is generous; 75,000 points would get you $1,500 toward airline tickets on any airline. Points used for hotel or rental car bookings are redeemed at a rate of just 1%.
The next-best option is to opt for cash back. This has a redemption value of 1.5%, just below the air travel redemption rate. Cash back can be deposited directly into your bank account or applied as a statement credit. What does a 1.5% return rate look like? If you redeemed 15,000 points, you’d receive $225 cash back.
Unfortunately, the Mastercard® Black Card™ doesn’t offer options to transfer points to travel partners, meaning you could miss out on potentially higher travel redemption rates. For example, select Chase credit cards offer the ability to transfer points to more than a dozen travel partners. That option can have a higher redemption rate than that of the Mastercard® Black Card™.
Common questions
How do you qualify for a Mastercard® Black Card™?
To qualify for this card, you must be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the United States. There are no official criteria listed, but it’s safe to assume you’ll need excellent credit to qualify for the Mastercard® Black Card™.
Do I need an invitation to qualify for the Mastercard® Black Card™?
No, you don’t need an invitation to qualify for the Mastercard® Black Card™. You can apply for the card online just like most credit cards.
Does the Mastercard® Black Card™ have foreign transaction fees?
Enjoy making purchases abroad with no foreign transaction fees tied to this card.
Does the Mastercard® Black Card™ have a credit limit?
This card doesn’t have a set credit limit, and card applicants can’t request a specific one.
Is the Mastercard® Black Card™ worth it?
If you’re looking for a luxury credit card with maximum perks, the Black Card probably isn’t for you. It has decent travel and cashback rewards, but even those are less appealing than other rewards credit cards with a lower annual fee. Justifying the steep annual fee is doubly hard when the card doesn’t provide a sign-up bonus.
Other cards to consider
The Platinum Card® from American Express is a top luxury card choice for frequent travelers. You’ll gain access not only to Amex’s own luxury airport lounges, but also other lounge programs, too. There’s also annual travel credits that could lower the net cost of the annual fee if utilized. The 80,000 point welcome offer after spending $8,000 in the first 6 months doesn’t hurt either. The annual fee is $695 and select benefits require enrollment.
Not to be outdone, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® offers a 60,000 point sign-up bonus after spending $4,000 in the first 3 months of account opening. Plus, users can earn a $300 annual travel credit, 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases. This top-tier metal credit card also has a lower annual fee than many other luxury credit cards.
Luxury Card
Mastercard® Black Card™
Why We Like It
Black-PVD-coated metal card
See how these cards compare:
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The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Enjoy hundreds of dollars in annual credits (enrollment required for select benefits)
- Gain access to exclusive airport lounges worldwide (enrollment required)
- Elevate your hotel stays with elite status perks (enrollment required)
- Earn valuable Membership Rewards points on flights and hotels
- Protect your trips with top-notch travel insurance
- See rates and fees | Terms Apply
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Up to $300 in annual travel credits
- Great rewards on travel purchases and dining
- Complimentary Priority Pass Select membership
- Comprehensive travel protections, including trip delay and cancellation insurance
- 50% point redemption bonus when booking through Chase Travel