The Mastercard Black Card positions itself as a high-end luxury card for travelers. It’s issued by Barclays Bank Delaware and is sometimes called the Barclaycard Black. It’s not a commonly-discussed travel card, likely because other options are far more popular. The Black card is typically worse than competing options like the Capital One Venture X.
FEATURES AT A GLANCE
- $495 annual fee
- Zero foreign transaction fees
- 1x points on everything (up to 2% cash back)
- $100 annual airline credit (per calendar year)
- $100 credit towards Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (every 5 years)
- Metal card
SIGN UP BONUS
This card doesn’t offer a sign-up bonus.
OTHER BENEFITS OF THE BLACK CARD
- Mastercard World Elite benefits, including Mastercard Priceless access
- $1,000 gift card when traveling with TCS World Travel (requires $35,000 in spending)
- Priority Pass Select (normally $299-429)
- Airport Meet & Assist by YQ
- Car rental discounts for Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Alamo, National Car Rental, Carey International, Empire CLS
- Mastercard Lowest Hotel Rate Guarantee and Mastercard Hotel Stay Guarantee
- Various trip insurance protections
- Cell Phone Protection (coverage provided by AIG) with $50 deductible and $800 maximum per claim ($1,000 annual maximum limit)
- 24/7 Concierge
- “Experiences” and other potential benefits or discounts
World Elite cards currently give perks with DoorDash, HelloFresh, Lyft, Shoprunner, and Fandango. Cardholders might also have the ability to get amenity credits at properties in the Mastercard luxury hotel and resorts portfolio. Note that some no-annual-fee cards are World Elite, so this isn’t the best perk on an annual-fee card.
RESTRICTIONS AND CREDIT SCORE
Recommended credit score: 740+
Since this card is issued with Barclays, their “1/6 rule” may apply. If you’ve applied for 6 or more credit cards in the past 24 months, you may automatically get denied when applying for a new Barclays card. Since Mastercard Black isn’t an “official” Barclays card listed on their website, there could be leeway with the rule. YMMV.
MAXIMIZING REWARDS WITH THE BLACK CARD
Points can be redeemed for cash back (1.5 cpp) or airfare (2 cpp). The card doesn’t have any transfer partners or interesting ways to get extra value out of your points. This effectively makes it a 2% cash back card at best, which is extremely uncompetitive in the current banking climate. Most cards have a higher return than the Mastercard Black card.
Priority Pass Select could be the most valuable benefit, since most credit cards don’t have it. The value of course depends on how often you actually use airport lounges. Getting Priority Pass separately has an annual cost of $299 for 10 lounge visits, or $429 for unlimited lounge visits. If you value Priority Pass visits at full price, you need 14+ annual visits to make the Black card better than getting Priority Pass membership. Fewer than 14 if you bring guests. Guests are free for Black cardholders, normally $32 each at all PP tiers.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE BLACK CARD
The Capital One Venture X is the closest alternative, followed by cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve and the American Express Platinum. They have similar benefits, annual fees, and travel focus. Other options include the US Bank Altitude Reserve, Navy Federal Flagship, or any 2% card such as PSECU Founder’s Rewards Card.
Trip insurance, while potentially helpful, is rarely needed. It can also be purchased separately through insurance companies. The Black card has somewhere around $50-150 annual value here. Some people might want to get separate travel insurance and pair it with a no-annual-fee credit card. Most alternative luxury cards have better benefits, though, with the Sapphire Reserve leading the pack. The Black card doesn’t even have purchase/return protection or an extended warranty benefit.
DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF THE CARD
For the wealthy, there’s an upgrade: Mastercard Gold. It’s exactly the same as Black except for a $995 annual fee, an extra $100 in airline credits, and cards are “made with a 24K-gold-plated stainless steel front and carbon back.” It’s a marketing gimmick and the Gold isn’t strictly superior to the Black.
A downgrade is the Mastercard Titanium. It has a $195 annual fee and is fairly similar to the Black card. It doesn’t include Priority Pass or credits, though, and the cash back redemption rate is lower. The only real benefit is its limited travel insurance, which can be gotten elsewhere at better rates.
CONCLUSION
The Mastercard Black card is a niche credit card that most people don’t need. It has no welcome bonus along with poor points-earning potential. Most of its other benefits are offered on cards that don’t have annual fees. World Elite applies to many Mastercards. However, the Black does have some unique benefits for high earners who aren’t put off by the $495 annual fee. For frequent flyers, the card can potentially pay for itself with Priority Pass Select and travel insurance protections. But several other cards already offer free Priority Pass and various protections (often more comprehensive protection too, including retail benefits). There isn’t a reason to choose the Black card over something else.
Overall, we believe other options are better. The Chase Sapphire Reserve is likely the first choice of anyone seeking a high-end travel card. It earns more points and has more benefits.
We rate this card 2 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐
Note: This review was last updated in January 2022. Details may have changed since then. Please do your own research where applicable, to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Or contact us directly for personalized consulting services!