Is Credit Card Concierge Service Worth It?
Q: I see an increasing number of credit cards with concierge benefits included. What is it exactly and is it useful or just a needless up-sell?
A: This is a benefit that has been around since the late 90’s. The first cards to offer concierge were the American Express Centurion and Platinum Cards as well as the Diners Club Carte Blanche. Last decade, the Visa Signature and MasterCard World Elite tiers were launched, which also include it as a benefit and hence increasing its availability.
But what will they do for you? Will they pick up your dry cleaning like hotel concierges do? Unfortunately not. But they will do whatever they can for you over the phone! Tasks such as…
restaurant reservations/recommendations
This benefit is most popular in urban areas. They can make reservations at a restaurant of your choice – or – they can steer you towards one they recommend if you need advice.
But what makes this benefit any better than Yelp or Open Table? Well some credit card concierge services have special relationships with certain restaurants, where they might be able to snag you a last minute reservation even if Open Table shows no availability. Forum members here have shared success stories of this happening.
booking travel
This is another common use. The concierge service can help you with making travel plans and also providing recommendations, if needed.
But truth be told, if you already know what exactly you want then it may be easier to just go to your favorite travel site and book it yourself. However if you’re traveling first class and want high end accommodations, it might make sense going through the concierge. American Express Platinum/Centurion cardmembers can get access to a number of deals and perks (like special hotel rates or a free night for staying X number of days at participating hotels).
entertainment planning
For popular concerts, sporting events, Vegas shows, and Broadway plays, a card’s concierge may be useful. Now don’t expect them to be able to pull off something crazy like backstage tickets to a U2 concert, but sometimes they can score you preferred seating, pre-sales, and maybe hunt you down tickets to that sold out game or show.
Visa Signature has really made a big push with entertainment by regularly sponsoring events. For example, they coughed up so much money for the 2012 London Olympics, Visa is going to be the only form of payment accepted, believe it or not. Though it’s unclear what perks, if any, will be offered to those with their Signature cards.
the “everything else” category
This can consist of almost anything else you can conjure up. It could be something simple, like calling for directions or directory assistance. Or, it could be something outlandish like asking for help with a crossword (I have heard of it being used for this purpose, as crazy as that may sound) or where to buy that impossible-to-find thing, such as a vintage real-life spacesuit (another true story). As long as it’s not something illegal you are asking, I don’t think I have ever heard of any credit card concierge service saying “no” for a request (but prove me wrong and share below).
Worth it or not?
A lot of people make the argument that the concierge is not offering anything that Google can’t do, and in many ways, that’s true! For many simpler tasks like looking up a phone number or directions, pulling out your smartphone is probably the quickest way to do it.
But credit where credit’s due, for some things the concierge service is actually worth its salt. This is especially true while you’re driving, unable to fool around on your phone. Something to keep in mind though is that these services are more about completing the task, rather than finding you the best price. So if you’re a bargain hunter, mention price as a top priority when using this service.
The concierge service is typically a complimentary benefit for cardholders, meaning it won’t cost you anything extra. There are a few cards like the Chase Sapphire Visa Signature that have no annual fee, so it’s hard to argue that their concierge services are not worth it. For premium cards like the $450 annual fee AmEx Platinum, it’s probably only worth it for avid travelers and those whom enjoy a more jet set lifestyle.
Written March 2011
You can get great service with a credit card – if you have the right service provider. I founded and run a company (Ten LIfestyle) which provides service to several banks, luxury brands and credit card companies around the world. We know that if you are given a ‘call centre’ concierge service (a call centre agent and google) that is useless to anyone with an i-phone, except in some rare situations. However our model is to offer, withiin seconds, the focused advice of an expert. So if you need a restaurant booked in New York, you are talking to a specilaist in French restaurants – who knows the places, the owners, the menu and can get tables that are not available to the public. If you need tickets for a show or a game, you speak to a specialist who knows the inside tricks in that industry, in that country. If you are travelling to Dubai or Miami or Moscow you speak to people who know the best places to stay, eat etc etc. This expertise smashes what people can get elsewhere and is the reason my company is growing at 40% a year for ten years, has almost 100% corporate client retention since 2003 and now offers service in 9 languages. Most importantly our members – the people who use our service – love it. We call it ‘intelligent support’ – a huge contrast to call centre concierge which many now associate with credit cards..