7 things you didn’t know your credit card concierge could do (2024)

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In many high end hotels you’ll see a concierge desk right next to the check in counter. You may have even used one yourself while on vacation to get a map of the city, ask for restaurant recommendations, or secure tickets to a theater show. While most people have seen them and know that they exist, they don’t know that their credit card offers a similar service.

Credit card concierges have been around for decades and can provide a wealth of information and a wide breadth of services that you might not have ever known existed.

What is a credit card concierge?

Think of a credit card concierge as someone who you can call on whenever you need a helping hand or just someone to help take some of the weight off of your plate. If you’re swamped with things in your normal day-to-day life, having someone there that you can reach with a simple phone call can make all the difference in the world.

Some of the most common uses for a credit card concierge include:

• Helping to lock down restaurant reservations
• Flight and hotel bookings
• Flower and gift delivery for special occasions
• Tickets to sporting events
• Museum and theater tickets
• Securing hard to find concert tickets

While these all may seem like basic things that you could do yourself, the true power lies in the ability to take this off of your plate and free you up to do other things that take time and attention.

What credit cards come with a concierge service?

Not all cards come with a concierge and those that do typically come with high annual fees. Some of the most popular cards may be cards you’re already considering adding to your wallet.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The Platinum Card® from American Express has one of the most robust and easily accessed concierges around. Simply call the number on the back of the card, say “concierge” and you’ll be connected to one of the lifestyle concierges. The concierge team at American Express aren’t outsourced to other cards, so you’ll be getting someone who knows the ins and outs of the benefits that your card comes with.

Additionally, this card will give you multiple monthly statement credits, elite status across hotel chains and rental car companies, access to hundreds of airport lounges and more. It’s a truly well rounded card for the busy traveler.

For more info, check out our review of the Amex Platinum.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase doesn’t have their own concierge team, rather you set up an account with Visa Infinite. Through the Visa infinite concierge, you’ll be responsible for whatever charges you put through the concierge. When you create an account over the phone, you’ll provide your Chase Sapphire Reserve® details to the Visa concierge and off you go.

With transferable points that transfer to airlines like United and Air Canada and hotel chains like Hyatt, the points you earn while you’re going about your day to day are incredibly flexible. You can also redeem them for 50% extra value through the Chase Travel Portal.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Much like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One manages their concierge program via the Visa Infinite program. The main differentiator with the Capital One card and the Chase card is in their points earning ability.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Cardcard offers a simple 2x miles on everyday purchases no matter the category. You’ll receive 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10x miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. You won’t have to remember which card to use at which location or worry about missing out on bonus categories.
For more info, check out our review of the Capital One Venture X.

Bilt Rewards Mastercard

Amazingly, this no annual fee credit card doesn’t skimp on benefits. The World Elite Mastercard comes with access to the Mastercard concierge, powered by Aspire Lifestyles. They’ll be able to do many of the same things that your Visa and American Express concierge can accomplish.

The Bilt card offers a unique points earning structure, where you’ll earn 3X on dining, 2X, and 1X. This doubles on the first day of the month, what they refer to as Rent Day.

Points earned can transfer to airline partners United and American and also to hotel partner Hyatt so you can earn some free travel while seeing what your concierge can do for you.
For more info, check out our review of the Bilt Mastercard.

Citi Premier® Card

Citi’s concierge claims to give you access to a staff of experts working around the clock in order to fulfill your every need. They can help you find stores or restaurants that offer delivery of your favorite products or even provide ideas for activities for a night at home with the kids. Whatever you can imagine you’ll need, the Citi Concierge will be able to help.

The Citi Premier® Card is one of Citi’s flexible rewards cards, earning valuable ThankYou points for all purchases. You’ll get a generous 3x points on restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, air travel, and hotels, for a limited time earn 10 ThankYou® Points per $1 spent on hotel, car rentals, and attractions (excluding air travel) booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through June 30, 2024.

The card itself doesn’t come with any travel protections or insurances, so make sure to keep that in mind if it’s important to you.

For more info check out our review of the Citi Premier Card.

Unique things your credit card concierge can do

If things like flowers and booking hotels are a little too mundane for your tastes, how about thinking outside the box. Afterall, you’ve signed up for these credit cards, so you might as well take advantage of all the perks that come with them, right?

Remember that while there are a lot of things that you can ask your concierge to do for you, there are some things that they cannot do. They won’t be able to make full flights magically become un-sold or hotels become available. They also won’t be able to have tickets for a concert appear out of thin air, nor will they be able to do anything to violate local or federal laws.

Also keep in mind that while the service of the concierge is typically free, the products, events, services or items that they help with will be charged to your credit card.

Help plan a road trip

If you’ve ever wondered what in the world is between point A and point B, or felt fear of loss because you might miss something along the way, consider asking your concierge for an assist. By telling them what kind of events or experience you want to see, they can curate a map for you, making sure to direct you to all of the hole-in-the-wall locations and unique roadside attractions there might be.

Plan an international trip

Traveling overseas can be overwhelming and complicated, especially if you don’t speak the language or have even the slightest idea of what to do. Your concierge can help take that stress off of your plate. They’ll typically start out by asking what types of activities you enjoy and go from there. Are you a foodie who wants a unique cooking class? Perhaps you’re more the mellow art gallery type. If walking tours are important, they can help set you up with an English language guided walking tour of your favorite European capitals.

Using a service like this is totally free of charge and can help you to save dozens of hours of tedious google searching and endless web searches.

Lost and found

Ever left something behind in a hotel room? Left your headphones onboard the aircraft? Your credit card concierge can contact the right people for you and make sure they look high and low for your lost item and then return it to you.

They’ll act as a point of contact for you and even help to expedite the lost item to you wherever you are in the world.

Finding unique and off the wall services

Need to find a store selling Danish antiques? Looking for the best pet spa in your area? Your credit card concierge can comb through listings for you and find the best-rated businesses in your area.

Only you know how much of a unique request you’ll have. If you’re a collector of 1930’s sports memorabilia, but you don’t want to spend an entire day bouncing around to every antique store in town while on vacation, ask your credit card concierge to give some calls to local stores and see if you can knock any of them off of your list.

Find hard to get products

During the pandemic, some of the most hard to find items were toilet paper, clorox wipes, and even at-home haircutting machines. If you’ve got an item that seems to be perpetually out of stock and you’re pulling your hair out trying to find it, your concierge can help.

Some common requests include certain styles or colors of clothing, workout materials, specialty international foods and more. If you can’t easily find it online, then ask your concierge for help.

If they find it, they’ll send you an email with the information of where to get it, or they might even purchase it for you, charging it to your card on file and sending it to wherever you are.

Set up unique experiences

Credit card concierges field dozens of calls a day, so they’ve got a long list of experiences that they’ve done in the past for clients, perhaps things you wouldn;t even have thought of.

If you want to propose while doing a hot air balloon ride over the Pyramids of Giza, they can help make that happen. If you want to do a tour of your favorite winery in the south of France, that can be arranged.

If you’ve always wanted to do a behind the scenes tour of your favorite English Premier League soccer stadium, why not call up the concierge and see if that’s something that can be set up. Don’t be afraid to have a little fun and ask for some enjoyable and unique ideas.

Airport escort services

If you’ve got a tight connection or you’re unfamiliar with a new airport, the credit card concierge can help to make sure someone is there waiting for you at the plane’s door when you land. These airport escorts can help you breeze through immigration, customs, security, and even baggage claim.

Some countries even have special VIP lounges for their escorted guests, so while you’re waiting for your baggage to arrive off the belt, you can relax in the lounge and have a refreshing drink or light meal before heading off to your hotel. Just keep in mind that while the concierge can find you the speciality service, you’re still the one paying the bill.

Bottom line

The easiest way that you’re going to find out what these concierges can do is to call and ask. Remember that just like with any employee you reach out to at a call center, your luck depends on who picks up the phone.

If you’re looking for something simple like flowers sent to a loved one or the random off the wall last minute rental car to avoid an oncoming hurricane, the credit card concierge can be your best friend in a time of need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is using the credit card concierge free?

While the service of the concierge typically is included in your card’s annual fee, keep in mind that they may have associated charges for the experiences that they book for you. Since many of these are tied to the credit cards, you can rightfully expect that anything that you ask them to book or charge for you will be charged to the card on file.

Does the concierge save time over just doing it myself?

The answer here is a giant “it depends” based on the complexity of your request. If you’re looking for a simple restaurant reservation, apps like OpenTable and Resy often have the same availability that a concierge might see. But, if you’re trying to plan out a couple of days itinerary for vacation, even getting a headstart with a travel concierge can be a huge time saver.

Should I get a credit card just for the concierge?

In short, no. The main driver of you getting a credit card should be the benefits that come with the card, such as fee waivers, bonus points, cash back or more. The credit card concierge isn’t a miracle worker, but instead a trusted source of information to help you in your day to day life.

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions, and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefits guide for more details. Underwritten by Amex Assurance Company.

Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.