How Credit Card Concierge Service Works (Plus Our Top 7 Cards)

If you’re not a credit card aficionado, the word “concierge” likely conjures the image of an opulent five-star hotel with a smartly dressed waitstaff that’s primed to accommodate your every desire.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, that’s not exactly how credit card concierge services work. But honestly? It’s not all that far off.

What Is Credit Card Concierge Service?

Credit card concierge service is a card benefit that’s designed to help cardholders get the products, services, and information they need in a timely and convenient manner. It’s included with a variety of credit cards, including all of those issued at the World Mastercard, World Elite Mastercard, Visa Signature, and Visa Infinite tiers.

Need reservations at a restaurant that serves a good steak? Contact your concierge. Struggling to book a last-minute holiday hotel stay? Give your concierge a call, and they can likely find you a room. It’s a bit like having your own personal assistant.

There are limitations, of course. Your credit card concierge can’t typically do anything you can’t do yourself (though certain providers may have partnerships that provide access to unique cardholder deals). It can, however, make it a lot easier to find or accomplish things that you’re struggling to do — or that you simply don’t want to do — on your own.

Aside from what you’re paying for the card itself (if anything), credit card concierge service is totally free. You still have to pay for any products or services you acquire through concierge service, but concierge assistance itself costs nothing.

What Are the Best Credit Cards With Concierge Service?

We’ll talk about how concierge service works in a second, but before that, we’ll list a few of our favorite credit cards that provide the perk.

There are plenty of great picks, from simple rewards cards to premium cards with luxe travel benefits. The following cards all include concierge benefits, and each is a great credit card offer all around:

How Do Credit Card Concierge Services Work?

You’ll generally have to contact your credit card concierge service by phone. You should be able to find the phone number in your card’s Guide to Benefits, though you may be able to reach your concierge by calling the number on the back of your card or simply searching for the number on the web. Credit card concierge services can usually be accessed 24/7.

Once you’re on the line with a concierge representative, you may have to provide some information about your card account to confirm that you’re actually the cardholder in question (learn more about the anatomy of a credit card if you’re not sure where to find the numbers you’re asked for). Then, you can make your request. Be as specific as possible if you’re set on getting the results you’d like. Bear in mind that the concierge can’t usually do something you can’t do (like make dining reservations at a restaurant when it’s fully booked), but it should be able to help you with certain tasks you might find difficult, like finding a holiday gift that’s out of stock at local stores.

Provided your request can be accommodated, you’ll be given a rough timeline of how long it’ll take. It’s rarely immediate — you’ll probably have to wait a day or two, sometimes more.

Once the concierge has completed your request to the best of its ability, a rep will call you or send you an email with the results, and will help guide you through any further steps you may be able to take.

What Can a Credit Card Concierge Service Do for You?

Credit card concierge services are convenient, but they’re not magic. They can’t usually do anything that you couldn’t do yourself if you tried hard enough. They can make lots of things easier, though. Here’s an idea of what your concierge can (probably) do:

• Book travel: Comparing the price of travel (airfare, bus tickets, hotel rooms, etc.) can be surprisingly time-consuming. Why not ask your concierge to set up your trip for you? Your concierge can help with the rest of your travel planning, too — finding attractions, identifying restaurants that suit your dietary needs, reserving a rental car (make sure to use a card with rental coverage if you’re taking that route), and that kind of thing.
• Make dinner reservations: Need restaurant reservations for an upcoming family outing or business meeting? Your concierge can’t get you in if it’s fully booked, but it should be able to help you arrange a reservation for the most convenient opening available.
• Purchase tickets: Concierge services are great for securing tickets to sporting events, concerts, and other high-demand happenings. Even if the event is sold out, the concierge may be able to find you a ticket through a reliable reseller.
• Locate hard-to-find items: Whether you’re after a toy that’s in high demand or a certain grocery item that’s out of stock at all of your local big box retailers, your concierge can likely help get what you need.
• Recover lost/forgotten items: If you’ve left something behind (at a hotel room you’ve already left, for example), your concierge may be able to arrange someone to collect and return it before it’s lost to the ether.
• Conduct research: Provided it’s not classified knowledge, your concierge should be able to look into pretty much anything, information-wise, even if that means reaching out to a brand or another party with questions.

When it comes down to it, a lot of what a concierge service can do for you depends on how much you’re willing to spend. Some of the more out-of-the-box concierge anecdotes involve wealthy cardholders using concierge services to secure absurd collectors’ items, like concept cars and paintings worth millions.

Even in those cases, though, the cardholders could theoretically have contacted the appropriate parties themselves. But who knows if they’d have gotten a response, and why spend the time if someone else is getting paid to do it for you?

Credit Card Concierge in Practice: Real-World Examples

Though the above list offers a good idea of what credit card concierge services can do for the everyday cardholder, it’s hard to illustrate just how useful your concierge can be without diving into real-world anecdotes of how the perk has been used in the past. Some of these can’t be verified, but they seem realistic enough in the grand scheme of things.

Ears Like Spears

An Australian Britney Spears fan was dead set on securing a pair of the earrings Spears wore in her “Criminal” video for his girlfriend. The earrings weren’t exactly easy to find, so he contacted his credit card concierge.

Rigorous research pointed to Chanel as the potential creator of the earrings, but that didn’t pan out — Chanel’s earrings were different. The concierge kept trucking, though, and eventually traced the earrings to an independent jeweler in Texas.

Then came the next catch. Though they only cost a mere $18, the earrings were no longer being produced. Even so, the concierge managed to convince the jeweler to produce another pair, which the cardholder then gave to his girlfriend for her birthday.

Wii Can Do It

In a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread, a former Amex concierge employee was asked to list a request he or she would’ve liked to decline, but couldn’t. The answer? Find a Nintendo Wii. The employee apparently worked the concierge during the console’s release, when it was virtually impossible to find.

But “giving up” isn’t in the American Express Concierge job description. The employee pressed on, calling stores for weeks on end until a Wii was finally found, set aside, and shipped from a store in Ohio.

Exploring the DMZ

J. Brist, an Amex cardholder who responded to a survey requesting the details of cardholders’ wildest concierge requests, was eager to tour the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. Technically, you can already book tours for this kind of thing, but everything was booked up the one day he and his wife were scheduled to be in Seoul.

So, he gave Amex Concierge a call, and voila — the spots were found and the trip was booked without a hitch.

What Can’t a Credit Card Concierge Service Do for You?

Concierge service naturally has limits. Limitations may vary by issuer or network, but you can generally assume all major concierge providers are governed by strict policies concerning what they can and can’t do. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but here are some examples of what your concierge probably won’t be able to help with:

• Break the law: Don’t turn to your concierge for help planning your next robbery.
• Sell things for you: Your concierge isn’t a sales rep. Instead, request a list of places you might be able to sell whatever it is you’re trying to sell.
• Do your homework: Though a concierge can research things like the cost of a kitchen renovation project, your concierge service will not complete homework for you. It might be able to help you find information that’s useful for your work, though.
• Provide medical advice or assistance: Concierge services can’t provide direct medical help, but you can ask for a list of practices that offer a certain medical service you’re looking for.
• Provide private or classified information: And no, you can’t ask what kinds of requests other cardholders have made.
• Run errands for you: Your concierge won’t deliver your groceries, but it can help you arrange a delivery with a grocery service that operates in your area.

How Do You Get A Credit Card Concierge?

To get a credit card with concierge service, you have to apply for one that provides it. Quite a few cards come with concierge benefits, so you shouldn’t have much trouble finding something that matches up with your spending habits.

Just take note that concierge perks will sometimes only come at certain card tiers.

For example, some Visa cards can be issued at either the Visa Platinum or Visa Signature level. But in most of these cases, only Visa Signature cards come with a concierge. The base credit limit for Visa Signature is usually $5,000, so you’ll probably need better credit scores and a higher income to qualify compared to cards at the Visa Platinum tier.

Credit Card Concierge Providers

Credit card concierge service is generally provided through the card’s network — Visa or Mastercard, for example — though certain credit card issuers market their concierge services under their own names (like Citi). The main concierge providers are:

• Visa: Visa cards offer concierge services starting at the Visa Signature tier, which means it should be available with Visa Signature or Visa Infinite cards.
• Mastercard: Like Visa, Mastercard offers concierge services at two benefit tiers: World and World Elite.
• American Express: Amex includes concierge with a particularly exclusive selection of cards: The Platinum Card® from American Express (Review), The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (Review), and the Centurion® Card from American Express (Review). These are the issuer’s three most premium cards, so it’s no surprise that many of the internet’s most outlandish concierge anecdotes involve American Express.
• Citi: Citi boasts its own concierge service, and it’s available with several of the issuer’s cards — a much less exclusive selection than that of American Express.
• Luxury Card: Known for its Mastercard-branded metal credit cards, Luxury Card Concierge is available 24/7 to all Luxury Card cardholders. Luxury Card’s concierge is accessible by phone, email, and Luxury Card’s mobile app.

What’s the Best Credit Card Concierge Service?

Concierge service is concierge service, for the most part. What your concierge can do for you basically depends on how creative you get with your requests and how much money you have to spend. However sparkly the marketing, a premium card’s concierge service probably can’t do too much more than, say, Visa Signature concierge.

With that said, certain credit cards come with additional benefits that work in conjunction with concierge service to deliver a more luxurious experience. For example, the concierge service may have a special relationship with a network of restaurants or merchants that can grant you access to certain perks others may not have.

American Express is one such case. Its premium cards include the Global Dining Collection, which offers access to a selection of exclusive restaurant reservations and personalized culinary experiences. The collection pairs impeccably with Amex concierge, which can help cardholders arrange these experiences. (Cardholders of the Centurion® Card from American Express (Review) are also reputed to have access to a better-than-average concierge.)

Luxury Card’s concierge is somewhat unique, too. It’s accessible through the issuer’s mobile app and via email (whereas most are only accessible by phone), adding a touch of convenience that may appeal to those who’d rather not have to commit to a voice conversation to request assistance.

Our Top Picks: Credit Cards With Concierge Service

Concierge service is concierge service. From one card to the next, the differences shouldn’t be too stark. So, for our favorite concierge cards, we’ve simply picked some of our favorite cards that just happen to include concierge perks.

Premium Travel Rewards: The Platinum Card® from American Express

• Concierge: Platinum Card Concierge
• Annual fee: $550 (Rates & Fees)
• Introductory bonus: 75,000 bonus points for spending $5,000 in the first 6 months; 10X points on eligible purchases at U.S. Gas Stations and U.S. Supermarkets, on up to $15,000 in combined purchases, in the first 6 months
• Rewards: 5X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly through airlines, and on both flights and prepaid hotels booked through Amex Travel (starting 1/1/21, on up to $500,000 spent per calendar year, then 1X); 2X points on other eligible travel expenses booked through Amex Travel; 1X point on everything else
• Other benefits: Airport lounge access via the Global Lounge Collection, $200 annual airline fee statement credit (through 2021), Global Entry/TSA PreCheck fee credit, various luxury hotel perks, various shopping and travel protections

Travel, Low Annual Fee: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Our rating

Min. credit levelGood

Details

Annual Fee$95

Regular APR15.99% – 22.99% Variable

• Concierge: Visa Signature
• Annual fee: $95
• Introductory bonus: 60,000 bonus points for spending $4,000 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 5X Ultimate Rewards points on Lyft rides (through March 2022); 2X points for travel and restaurants; 1X point on everything else
• Other benefits: Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection, 25% Chase Ultimate Rewards travel redemption bonus, various shopping and travel protections, free DoorDash membership

Travel, No Annual Fee: Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card

Our rating

Min. credit levelGood

Details

Annual Fee$0

Regular APR15.49% – 25.49% (Variable)

The information related to Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.

Citi^® Double Cash Card – 18 month BT offer

Our rating

Min. credit levelExcellent

Details

Annual Fee$0

Regular APR13.99% – 23.99% (Variable)

• Earn 2% on every purchase with unlimited 1% cash back when you buy, plus an additional 1% as you pay for those purchases.
• To earn cash back, pay at least the minimum due on time.
• Balance Transfer Offer: 0% intro APR on Balance Transfers for 18 months. After that, the variable APR will be 13.99% – 23.99%, based on your creditworthiness.
• Balance Transfers do not earn cash back.
• If you transfer a balance, interest will be charged on your purchases unless you pay your entire balance (including balance transfers) by the due date each month.
• There is a balance transfer fee of either $5 or 3% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater.
• The standard variable APR for Citi Flex Plan is 13.99% – 23.99% based on your creditworthiness. Citi Flex Plan offers are made available at Citi’s discretion.

Citi is a Credit Card Insider advertiser.

• Concierge: Citi
• Annual fee: $0
• Introductory bonus: None
• Rewards: 2% back on every purchase (must pay at least the minimum due on time; 1% back when you make a purchase, 1% back when you pay for that purchase)
• Other benefits: Citi Entertainment, free FICO Bankcard 8 score, virtual account numbers, The Lost Wallet Service

General Rewards, No Annual Fee: Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Our rating

Min. credit levelGood

Details

Annual Fee$0

Regular APR14.99% – 23.74% Variable

• Concierge: Visa Signature (no concierge if issued at the Visa Platinum tier)
• Annual fee: $0
• Introductory bonus: $200 bonus for spending $500 in the first 3 months
• Rewards: 5% back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and Lyft rides (through March 2022), 3% back at restaurants and drugstores, 1.5% back on everything else
• Other benefits: Complimentary DoorDash membership, Shop through Chase, Chase Offers, various shopping and travel protections, Chase Credit Journey

Dining: Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our rating

Min. credit levelGood

Details

Annual Fee$95

Regular APR15.99% – 24.99% Variable

The information related to Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card has been collected by Credit Card Insider and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer or provider of this product.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card

Our rating

Min. credit levelFair

Details

Annual Fee$0

Regular APR14.24% to 22.24% Variable

• Requires active Prime membership
• Cash back can be redeemed for statement credits or at Amazon.com checkout
• Earn 5% back at Amazon.com and Whole Foods Market
• Earn 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and drugstores
• Earn 1% back on all other purchases
• Get a $70 Amazon.com Gift Card instantly upon credit card approval

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.

For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.