Visa Black Card

First it was American Express’ Centurion, a rare and mysterious card that the super-wealthy considered to be the ultimate status symbol. Its ridiculous perks—a credit limit high enough to buy a small island, and a reputation strong enough to get holders into the most elite of establishments–are outweighed by equally ridiculous requirements, namely, invite-only applications to people who spend more than $250,000 annually on their other American Express cards, and an annual fee of $2,500.

Now Barclays Bank has caught on. The VISA Black card, a carbon graphite edifice of spending power, was recently released to butt gold-plated heads with the Centurion. The annual fee is a piddling $495, meaning that the card may attract more lowbrow aspects of the 1% of the US population that is its market.

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