Complimentary entry to concierge companies is a profit that cardholders both don’t care about or don’t even know they’ve. For most individuals, card advantages are all about rewards and welcome bonuses. Some might pay attention to guarantee extensions, buy protections and automobile rental protection, however who wants a concierge when you’ve got Google?

Nevertheless, when used proper, concierge companies is usually a useful gizmo that may unlock a whole lot of your time. It’s like gaining access to a private assistant that doesn’t price you a penny. In spite of everything, concierge companies might help with duties like eating reservations and suggestions; every kind of journey planning, from commuting inside your individual metropolis to flying the world over; private or reward purchasing; tickets for concert events, sports activities, reveals and different occasions; emergency help; and all kinds of on a regular basis duties.

For our roundup beneath, we’ll check out playing cards representing 5 concierge companies: American Specific Concierge, Visa Infinite Concierge, Citi Concierge, Visa Signature Concierge and Mastercard Concierge.

The Platinum Card from American Specific: Finest for luxurious journey

Why we picked it: The Platinum Card® from American Specific, which comes with a $695 annual charge, packs in a ton of perks and advantages. It begins with a bang, too — you may earn 100,000 Membership Rewards factors after spending $6,000 throughout the first six months of card membership. This welcome bonus alone will be value anyplace from $1,000 to $2,000 relying on the way you redeem your factors by American Specific Journey, which turns this uber-premium bank card right into a cash maker for the primary yr.

Professionals

• 5X factors on flights booked direct or by American Specific Journey (on as much as $500,000 per yr); 5X factors on pay as you go accommodations booked by American Specific Journey; 1X factors on all different purchases
• Can switch factors to Amex’s airline and resort companions
• Entry to the Amex World Lounge Assortment, which incorporates Centurion lounges, Worldwide American Specific Lounges, Precedence Move lounges and extra
• As much as $200 in airline charge credit per calendar yr for incidentals with a U.S. airline of your alternative
• As much as $200 in credit per yr in Uber Money for rides and meals supply
• As much as $100 credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck (each 4 years)
• As much as $189 per yr in Clear credit
• As much as $155 per yr in Walmart+ month-to-month membership credit
• Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite Standing and Hilton Honors Gold Standing
• Cellphone safety
• Premium journey safety protection, together with journey delay and journey cancellation insurance coverage
• Entry to American Specific Concierge companies

Cons

• Perks or no perks, the $695 annual charge could be very excessive
• Redeeming factors for money has a poor worth
• Lots of the card’s credit won’t be helpful for most individuals
• The $200 in credit for airline incidentals could be very restrictive
• Amex World Lounge Entry excludes Precedence Move airport eating places (in contrast to Chase, Citi and Capital One playing cards with Precedence Move entry)

Who ought to apply: Frequent worldwide vacationers and/or life-style and purchasing fans who can use the Amex Platinum’s advantages to the fullest to offset its eye-popping annual charge.

Who ought to skip: Everybody else.

American Specific Concierge

Author’s take: A number of years in the past, American Specific made a splash by providing its Amex Platinum cardholders seats for the Broadway musical sensation Hamilton, which had been inconceivable to get on the time. So sure, Amex concierges do have some pull.

Formally, the American Specific Concierge program solely permits cardholders to get help with the next duties:

• Buying of occasion tickets
• Eating or different reservations (together with spa and golf reservations)
• Normal travel-related inquiries
• Purchasing requests (together with items)

In actuality, nonetheless, Amex has helped me out with loads of different issues, together with day by day chores or researching info that had nothing to do with journey. Whereas such generosity won’t be assured going ahead, there isn’t a hurt in reaching out should you want help with a process.

You possibly can contact the Amex Platinum Concierge 24/7 at 1-800-801-6564 or by way of chat after logging in to your Amex account.

Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card: Finest for journey and life-style perks

Why we picked it: The Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card’s $395 annual charge isn’t small change, however in the best palms, it may be a cut price. The cardboard presently begins you off with 75,000 miles after you spend $4,000 throughout the first three months of account opening. However that is just the start — the Enterprise X has a powerful record of perks and advantages.

Professionals

• Glorious incomes charges: 10X miles on resort and rental vehicles booked by Capital One Journey; 5X miles on flights by Capital One Journey; 2X miles on all different purchases
• Can switch factors to Capital One airline and resort companions
• As much as $300 in annual assertion credit for bookings by Capital One Journey
• 10,000 bonus miles in your account anniversary
• Complimentary entry to Capital One airport lounges and over 1,400 Precedence Move airport lounges world wide
• Hertz President’s Circle standing
• As much as $100 credit score for World Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Cellphone safety
• Glorious journey advantages (powered by Visa Infinite, the highest tier of Visa playing cards), which embrace main automobile leases insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement, journey delay insurance coverage and journey cancellation/interruption insurance coverage
• Glorious purchasing advantages like return safety and buy safety

Cons

• The $395 annual charge is a bit excessive
• The $300 annual journey credit score is extra helpful than the airline incidentals credit score from Amex, however you have to e book journey by the Capital One portal
• Cashing out has a poor worth (other than journey spending the place you’ll get 1 cent per level)
• No tangible eating or life-style advantages
• There’s presently just one Capital One airport lounge, which is positioned in Dallas (DFW), however there are two extra within the pipeline

Who ought to apply: Anybody who loves touring in type and easy-to-use journey credit.

Who ought to skip: Customers who don’t spend at the least $300 a yr on journey ought to contemplate an entry-level journey bank card with a low annual charge or no annual charge.

Visa Infinite Concierge

With Enterprise X, you’ll have entry to a Visa Infinite concierge. Some individuals like Visa Infinite Concierge higher than Amex Concierge, however that’s a matter of choice — and typically, luck. You possibly can contact Visa Infinite Concierge 24/7 at 1-888-315-6982.

Citi Premier Card: Finest for newbie journey

Why we picked it: Regardless of the affordable $95 annual charge, the Citi Premier® Card doesn’t compromise on high quality. It presently affords 80,000 Citi ThankYou factors after spending $4,000 throughout the first three months of account opening. And regardless of the cardboard’s low annual charge, it affords wonderful incomes charges. If you happen to’re excited about journey and eating — however you don’t need to pay a excessive annual charge — the Citi Premier is an effective various.

Professionals

Cons

• The $100 low cost on a resort keep will be arduous to make use of
• The Citi journey portal will be notoriously buggy (nonetheless, it was just lately revamped)

Who ought to apply: Anybody who loves eating and touring and doesn’t like a three-digit annual charge.

Who ought to skip: If you happen to’re not into journey — or don’t need to pay an annual charge — it is best to contemplate one other well-rounded rewards card, one with no annual charge.

Citi Concierge

Citi Concierge assists with requests associated to journey, purchasing, eating, leisure and on a regular basis wants. You possibly can attain Citi Concierge 24/7 at 1-800-508-8930 or ship an e-mail to concierge@yourconciergecenter.com.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card*: Finest for Amazon customers

Whereas the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card doesn’t carry an annual charge, you’ll should pay $139 for an Amazon Prime membership to be able to apply for the cardboard. In any case, you may partially offset or eradicate your first-year membership charge with the $100 to $150 Amazon reward card you’ll obtain immediately upon approval.

Professionals

• Good incomes charges: 5 % money again at Amazon.com and Entire Meals Market; 2 % money again at eating places, gasoline stations and drugstores; 1 % money again on every part else
• Factors are simple to redeem for money again at 1 cent per level
• Visa Signature advantages like buy safety, journey accident insurance coverage, misplaced baggage reimbursement and baggage delay insurance coverage

Cons

• Amazon Prime membership required
• Restricted redemption choices if you wish to pay with factors
• No entry to Chase Final Rewards or different Chase packages, regardless of being a Chase bank card

Who ought to apply: If you happen to’re already an Amazon Prime member, this card is a no brainer. In addition to, Prime membership is the one technique to get the Amazon Prime card.

Who ought to skip: Everybody else.

Visa Signature Concierge

Amazon Prime consists of entry to Visa Signature Concierge. You possibly can name 24/7 at 1-800-953-7392.

Capital One SavorOne Money Rewards Credit score Card: Finest for no annual charge

Many individuals imagine that solely premium bank cards present entry to concierge companies, however the Capital One SavorOne Money Rewards Credit score Card proves them mistaken. This no-annual-fee card affords complimentary concierge service by way of Mastercard Concierge. It additionally comes with a welcome bonus of $200 after spending $500 inside three months of account opening.

Professionals

• No annual charge
• Glorious incomes charges: eight % money again on tickets at Vivid Seats; 5 % money again on accommodations and rental vehicles booked by Capital One Journey; three % money again on eating, leisure, common streaming companies and grocery retailer purchases (excluding superstores like Walmart and Goal); 1 % money again on all different purchases
• zero % intro APR for 15 months on purchases and steadiness transfers (then a variable APR of 16.49 % to 26.49 %)
• Versatile redemption choices like assertion credit, checks, reward playing cards or purchasing at Amazon or by way of PayPal
• Card advantages like prolonged guarantee protection, worth safety and journey accident insurance coverage

Cons

• Having to e book by Capital One Journey or Vivid Seats to earn increased money again charges might really feel just a little restrictive
• No boosted money again for aircraft tickets

Who ought to apply: If you happen to love meals and leisure, it’s arduous to go mistaken with this card.

Who ought to skip: If you wish to earn the next charge of rewards on sure purchases, you could need to contemplate a card that higher aligns along with your targets and spending.

Mastercard Concierge

Amazingly, this no-annual-fee card offers entry to Mastercard Concierge. You possibly can contact their concierge companies at 1-888-531-4227.

How to decide on a card for concierge companies

Nobody chooses a bank card only for concierge companies; it’s merely an afterthought. That stated, what if it’s essential to select between two or three equally enticing playing cards, however solely one in every of them has concierge entry? Being conscious of this profit would most likely have an effect on your determination.

In any case, verify in case your current bank card affords entry to a concierge service and, if that’s the case, begin utilizing it.

Listed below are just a few tricks to additional improve your expertise:

• Keep away from final minute requests. Attempt to give your concierge ample time to work in your request, particularly if it’s complicated.
• You probably have a number of playing cards with completely different concierge companies, interact all of them and see should you discover a favourite.
• Your first expertise is usually a dud. It occurs. Strive once more subsequent time.
• Your request ought to be detailed and straightforward to grasp. Write it down even should you’re calling on the telephone.
• You probably have a funds in your request, spell it out clearly.
• If you happen to’re completely happy along with your concierge, ask them to present you their extension for future requests. They could accomplish that in the event that they such as you.
• Concierges aren’t imagined to take ideas. As a substitute, ship a commendation letter to a concierge who went above and past for you.

The underside line

Concierge entry might be some of the underrated bank card advantages, which is unlucky as a result of a concierge might help you in some ways. They are able to get you a seat for a sold-out present, e book you a desk at a well-liked restaurant, ship flowers to your pals in a foreign country or aid you plan the journey of your life.

That stated, concierge companies don’t all the time excel at duties. Individuals who count on prompt gratification may be particularly pissed off since engaged on a request or inquiry takes time. Nevertheless, you’ll by no means know until you strive. Give them a while, be affected person and let your concierge — or higher but, concierges (when you have playing cards from completely different issuers or networks) — do their job.

*All details about the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card has been collected independently by Bankrate and has not been reviewed or authorized by the issuer.