The Centurion Card, known informally as the black card, is a charge card issued by American Express. The card is available in select markets, mainly the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Korea, areas of China, Japan, Australia and the Middle East. The Centurion Card provides access to a range of benefits, depending on the country where the card is issued. In the 1980s, urban legends circulated about a black credit card of high spending power. While those legends were false at the time, American Express decided to capitalize on them by introducing the Centurion card in 1999.To become a Centurion cardholder, one must meet American Express's strict eligibility criteria. Cardholders are required to pay an annual fee, and in some countries also an initiation fee.
