There are many things a bank’s PR team can choose as the “hook” to lure you into applying for a credit card. Maybe it’s a low interest rate or a 0% balance transfer. Maybe it’s cashback or “points made easy.” Points-and-miles fans love a card with a big signup bonus, juicy category multipliers, and (ideally) transferable points you can use to book those bucket-list business class flights or luxury hotels.
But the Mastercard® Black Card™ has figured out a different pitch.
And it’s… brilliant.
“Get our card ‘cuz it’s the heaviest one available.”
Seriously — that’s the lead. Their marketing actually compares card weights, like we’re in the Credit Card Olympics.
At 22 grams, it beats the Amex Platinum and Capital One Venture X (both 17g) and the Chase Sapphire Reserve (13g). Heavy indeed. If only “gram flex” were a legitimate category on your credit report.
And why so heavy? Well…
Luxury Card™ combines the most advanced principles of design and technology to raise the standards for the type of card you carry and how it works for you. With 83 patents issued globally, Luxury Card leads the industry in metal card design and construction.
Ah, yes. Design and technology. Which is marketing-speak for “it will still look cool when you drop it on the restaurant floor to get everyone’s attention.”
Redemption Rates — Better, But Still Meh
Hidden behind the “feel the weight” pitch is the actual value proposition. You get 1 point per dollar spent, worth:
- 2¢ each for airfare booked through their portal
- 1.5¢ each for cash back
They’re proud enough of that to compare it to other premium cards:
And yeah, those redemption rates are higher than some competitors — though keep in mind you’ll need to book airfare through their portal to get the full 2¢ value, so don’t throw away your Amex/Chase/CapOne playbook just yet.
The Rest of the Benefits
For your $495 annual fee, you get:
- Priority Pass lounge membership (auto-enrolled — no extra step like most cards)
- $100 annual airline credit
- $120 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit
- $500 in “Luxury Card Travel” perks (think: free breakfast, early check-in, maybe Wi-Fi if you ask nicely)
- No foreign transaction fees
That’s it. No big category multipliers, no transfer partners, and no intro bonus that will have you booking Maldives overwater villas.
But Wait — It’s Not That Black Card
When I told Sharon I got an application for the “Black Card,” I quickly assured her it wasn’t for that Black Card. 
I suspect Luxury Card doesn’t mind if the confusion gets them a few extra sign-ups. It’s the same kind of mix-up that happened when I asked for BOSE noise-canceling headphones for my birthday… and got these instead:
Final Thought
For $495 a year, you get a heavy piece of metal, decent portal redemption rates, and some standard travel perks. But bragging about card weight? That’s one of my personal credit card Red Flags.
This one’s an easy call — hard pass.
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