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Credit cards can offer a wide variety of well-known perks, such as valuable intro bonuses, the ability to earn points or cash back on purchases, and even things like free checked bags and airport lounge access when flying. But one of the most underrated benefits some credit cards offer is concierge service.
Credit card concierges are helpful customer service representatives who can do things like make travel bookings, score reservations at exclusive restaurants, secure tickets to concerts and sporting events, and more. Here's what you need to know, and how to make the most of a credit card concierge.
Who Offers Concierge Services?
Credit card concierge services are offered either by a credit card issuer, like Citi or Chase, or by a credit card network, such as Visa or Mastercard. These services are included as part of the perks packages of premium credit cards with annual fees that are on the pricier side.
It's a good bet that if you have a high-end card, like a World Elite Mastercard® or a Visa Signature or Visa Infinite, as opposed to a regular Mastercard or Visa, that you have access to a concierge service. But it's not a guarantee. To find out for sure, check with your bank about your specific cards to see what services might be available to you. In the meantime, here is one of the best rewards credit cards that includes concierge service for members.
- The Platinum Card® from American Express: Among the premium cards for which Amex offers concierge service is this perks-packed standout. It is currently offering new cardholders 80,000 Membership Rewards points after they use their card to make $8,000 in eligible purchases in their first 6 months. Among time-saving services its concierges offer are assistance with transportation and travel bookings, finding tickets to live events, making restaurant and hotel recommendations and reservations, and providing emergency assistance if something goes wrong while the cardholder is traveling. The annual fee is $695. Terms apply.
How Do Credit Card Concierge Services Work?
Although concierge service is included with many credit cards, it is not exactly an automatic perk. To use these services, you have to contact your issuer or bank and request help through a dedicated phone line, email, webpage or app. Here are a few of the key areas where concierges can help.
- Travel planning: Sure, you might make all your own travel plans these days thanks to the ease of doing so online. But if you're tight on time, or simply don't know where to start with a new destination, a credit card concierge can point you in the right direction with recommendations and options for flights, hotels, restaurants and activities.
- Restaurant reservations: Thanks to partnerships that many of the major credit card issuers have with restaurants and the fact that concierges can spend a lot of time looking at availability, some of them can snag you a table at hard-to-book eateries much more easily than you could yourself. They can also help with suggestions for where to eat if you're traveling somewhere unfamiliar.
- Event tickets: Credit card concierges are whizzes at scoring tickets to events such as concerts and sports games. Some issuers even set aside blocs of tickets specifically for their own cardholders, meaning you might get a seat even if something has been sold out for weeks.
- General assistance: While not as thorough or committed as a full-time assistant, concierges can do things like remind you of major calendar events, such as birthdays and anniversaries, and help you locate, purchase and ship presents. Concierges can also help with mundane necessities, like finding a plumber or a nearby service station for an oil change, getting a prescription delivered from the pharmacy, or even locating items you might have lost during a trip by getting in touch with an airline or hotel.
Part of what makes concierge services so useful is that they are available 24/7, so you can call on them anytime for help in a pinch—and there is usually no limit to the number of requests you can make. Just be realistic in your demands and expectations. It doesn't hurt to ask, but you probably won't get a last-minute table at The French Laundry or front-row seats to that sold-out Taylor Swift concert through one of them, and it usually takes around 24 to 48 hours for them to complete a task. Also remember that, while the service itself is typically complimentary, you still have to pay for the bookings or purchases they help you make, and they might not comparison shop as thoroughly as you would be willing to do yourself to find the best deal.
What Credit Score Do You Need for a Credit Card With a Concierge?
The credit cards that include concierge service tend to be premium or luxury credit cards that require applicants to have very good or exceptional credit, and charge high annual fees.
Before you open a new card, make sure you can pay its annual fee, and be sure to check your credit score, which you can do for free through Experian. If your score is not within the average range for a product you are considering, take steps to improve it. Among the things you can do are making all your payments on time and keeping your balances low, not opening several credit cards within a short period of time, and disputing any inaccuracies you might find on your credit report.
A credit card concierge can be a great resource for folks who need help with things like travel, dining, events and day-to-day purchases. They basically act like part-time personal assistants and can help with a wide variety of requests. While it's probably not worth opening a new credit card specifically for the concierge services it offers, taking advantage of concierges can be a great way to reap more value from a credit card you carry. For help finding a credit card that's right for your needs, check out the options available through Experian CreditMatchTM.