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Mastercard® Titanium, Black and Gold cards review

Sometimes getting a top of the line travel card isn’t enough. You get miles which is definitely great – but not much else. Sometimes like me, you want just a bit more.

Things like access to airport lounges, a concierge, custom itineraries, and loads of other perks make a card more of a luxury card than just a top-tier travel card.

That’s why our editorial team here at Money Under 30, with decades of experience researching and reviewing credit cards, has taken the time to review the three credit cards offered by Luxury Card — to help you can determine if you want and would enjoy a card with luxury options. If these seem like a fit and you’re willing to pay, let’s figure out which of the three is best for you and your financial situation.

Overview: Luxury Card credit cards compared

  Mastercard® Gold Card™ Mastercard® Black Card™ Mastercard® Titanium Card™
Card Luxury Gold Card Luxury Black Card Luxury Titanium Card
APR 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
Annual fee $995 ($295 for each Authorized User). $495 ($195 for each Authorized User). $195 ($95 for each Authorized).
Rewards Earn 1 point per dollar spent; redemption value 2% on airfare redemption or 2% on cash back. Earn 1 point per dollar spent; redemption value 2% on airfare redemption or 1.5% on cash back. Earn 1 point per dollar spent; redemption value 2% on airfare redemption or 1% on cash back.
Earn one point for every one dollar spent. Terms and conditions apply.
 

Mastercard® Gold Card™

The Mastercard® Gold Card™ is the highest-level credit card from Luxury Card – made of 24K-gold-plated stainless steel front and carbon back for durability and distinction. Check out the unboxing video of the Gold Card in this fun video:

Key facts

  • Best for: Big spenders.
  • Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None.
  • Cash back: Earn one point for every one dollar spent; 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates, or 2% value for cash back redemptions.
  • Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*.
  • Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable.
  • Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
  • Other unique features: Annual Airline Credit—up to $200 in statement credits toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. Just pay for airline purchases with your Mastercard Gold Card and we will automatically apply the credit to your account. That’s it. No need to activate or designate an airline. The credit amount is available in full at the start of the calendar year.

Pros

  • Tons of travel benefits – You get a plethora of travel perks with this card, including automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select with access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. You’ll travel with distinction and perks.
  • Excellent redemption rate for points – With 2% value on airfare redemption, 50,000 points will get you a $1,000 ticket with no blackout dates or seat restrictions.
  • Great for getting cash back, too – The Luxury Gold’s cash back redemption rate is a great option for cash back.
  • Heavy, sturdy card – This card is 22g in weight (and it’s made of 24-karat gold), by far one of the heaviest cards I’ve seen.

Cons

  • Extremely high annual fee – The annual fee is very high, and it costs a lot to add authorized users.
  • No sign-up bonus – For this large of a fee, I’d love to have seen a welcome bonus for cash back, miles, or something else.

Mastercard® Black Card™

The Mastercard® Black Card™ is the middle-tier card offered by Luxury Card and is a Black PVD-Coated Metal Card. If you enjoyed the Gold Card unboxing, take a look at the unboxing video of the Black Card:

Key facts

  • Best for: Frequent fliers.
  • Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None.
  • Cash back: Earn one point for every one dollar spent; 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates, or 1.5% value for cash back redemptions.
  • Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*.
  • Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
  • Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
  • Other unique features: Annual Airline Credit—up to $100 in statement credits toward flight-related purchases including airline tickets, baggage fees, upgrades and more. Just pay for airline purchases with your Mastercard Black Card and we will automatically apply the credit to your account. That’s it. No need to activate or designate an airline. The credit amount is available in full at the start of the calendar year.

Pros

  • Lots of stand-out travel perks – Like the Gold Card, the Black Card has a bunch of different benefits you can take advantage of for traveling; many of which you won’t get with other credit cards.
  • High redemption rate for airfare – It lines up with the Gold Card with 2% back on airfare redemption, making them some of the highest returns of travel cards I’ve seen.
  • Cash rate still good – Even at 1.5% back, the cash back redemption rate is higher than most travel cards.
  • Sturdy card – It’s not gold, but it’s still industry-leading, heavy and sturdy at 22g in weight.

Cons

  • Annual fee still high – The annual fee is still very high compared to the benefits and rewards you get.
  • Expensive to add other users – I’m not impressed by the cost to add an authorized user, especially when it doesn’t really add value aside from having someone else earn rewards.
  • No sign-up bonus – The fact there’s no sign-up bonus to help chip away at the annual fee is disappointing.

Mastercard® Titanium Card™

Last but not least is the Mastercard® Titanium Card™, which is considered the entry-level card to the three Luxury Card portfolio options. It’s designed with a brushed stainless steel front and carbon back. We did the Gold Card and the Black Card, so take a look at the unboxing for the Titanium Card as well:

Key facts

  • Best for: Luxury benefits without the cost.
  • Intro offer/sign-up bonus: None.
  • Cash back: Earn one point for every one dollar spent; 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates, or 1% value for cash back redemptions.
  • Intro APR: See Issuer Website for more details*
  • Regular APR: 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable
  • Foreign transaction fee: 0% of each transaction in U.S. dollars.
  • Other unique features: Carries many of the same benefits of the Gold Card.

Pros

  • Great redemption rate for airfare – Even the entry-level card gets 2% back on airfare, still keeping it atop the list of other premium travel cards.
  • Heavy card – The card itself is on par with the others cards, coming in at 22g. This will last you a while without any damage.

Cons

  • Annual fee and cost to add others – The annual fee and cost to add each Authorized User feels like a lot for this card, compared to what you get with rewards and other benefits. In my opinion, the Authorized User should be free with this card.
  • No signup bonus – You won’t get any extra points or miles for signing up. This is consistent for the Black, Gold and Titanium.

Concierge service

The 24/7 Luxury Card Concierge® service is really what these three cards from Luxury Card are all about in my book. It’s what truly makes them the luxury that they truly are. Here’s why:

You’ll have access to a 24/7 concierge complimentary service that can just about anything. They can book your travel, assist you with travel bookings, help recommend a restaurant, assist with various personal requests while you’re traveling or planning your trip including even help you propose to your partner! You’ll get the highest caliber of personal service 24/7 anywhere you are which I know you can’t put a price tag on when you need assistance and whatever you need is taken care of you easily and quickly – no questions asked.

Annual fees

There’s no secret here, Luxury Cards comes with some incredibly high annual fees.

  • For the Mastercard® Gold Card™, you’ll need to pay a $995 annual fee ($295 for each Authorized User added to the account).
  • The Mastercard® Black Card™ comes with a $495 annual fee ($195 for each Authorized User added to the account).
  • The most affordable card, the Mastercard® Titanium Card™. has a $195 annual fee ($95 for each Authorized User added to the account).

The question of whether you want to shell out the money for the annual fee with your financial situation and needs is only one you can answer yourself.

APR

The Mastercard® Gold Card™, Mastercard® Black Card™ and Mastercard® Titanium Card™ all have a regular APR of 21.24%, 25.43% or 28.24% Variable. See Issuer Website for more details* on any Intro APR offers.

Rewards

The Gold Card earn one point for every one dollar spent. As a bonus, however, you get 2% for cash back redemption or 2% value for airfare redemption with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates.

With the middle-tier Black Card, you’ll earn one point for every one dollar spent. When you go to redeem, you’ll get a 2% redemption value for airfare with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates and a 1.5% redemption value for cash back.

The Titanium Card earns one point for every one dollar spent, regardless of where you spend it. When you go to redeem, however, you can get 2% back for airfare with no airline or seat restrictions and no blackout dates and 1% redemption value cash back.

Take note: cash back can be deposited directly into a U.S. bank account or applied as a statement credit. There are no redemption thresholds and points do not expire as long as the account remains open and in good standing.

LUXURY MAGAZINE®

Primary Cardmembers receive LUXURY MAGAZINE®: the exclusive biannual publication publication covering the very best in travel, design, technology and fashion through smart journalism and original photography. Each issue of LUXURY MAGAZINE® showcases an artist’s work as the cover art, making it a limited-edition collector’s item.

Travel perks and special offers

We’re focusing on the Luxury Gold Card and the Luxury Black Card here as they come with the following features – many of which are quite enticing in the world of nice perks and benefits in the world of travel and other useful offers. These include:

  • Global Entry & TSA Pre✓® Application Credit – Get up to a $100 automatic statement credit for the cost of the application fee credit for the cost of TSA Pre✓® or Global Entry.
  • Priority Pass™ Select – Enjoy automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select with access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide with no guest or lounge limits. This includes credits at select airport restaurants for cardholder and one guest.
  • Luxury Card Travel® benefits – This offers Cardmembers an average value of $500 in travel benefits and services per average stay at over 3,000 properties (3 nights average). These may include spa credits, breakfast vouchers, complimentary food and beverages, room upgrades, free-wifi, airport taxi service, early check-in, late check-out and welcome perks.
  • Luxury Card App –  It’s a slick app that lets you get 24/7 access to your concierge, book travel arrangements and explore exclusive offers and perks for Cardmembers.
  • Luxury Card Experiences® – You’ll have access to a variety of constantly-updated experiences, carefully selected trips and tours appealing to a diverse range of passions and interests, such as Culinary & Wine, Activity & Adventure, Sports & Entertainment, Family, Arts & Culture and Specialty Travel, are available exclusively to Cardmembers.. A nice perk, indeed!
  • $0 Fraud Liability Protection You are not responsible in the event someone makes unauthorized purchases with your card. You only pay for the actual purchases you have authorized with your Luxury Card in store, over the phone or online.
  • Baggage Delay Insurance – You may be reimbursed for covered items for up to $100 per day for a max of three days once bags are delayed more than four hours from the point of arrival to your destination.
  • Trip Cancellation and Interruption – If your covered trip is canceled or interrupted due to a covered reason, this benefit can reimburse you up to $5,000 per trip and $10,000 per 12-month period. Coverage is secondary to any other applicable insurance or benefit available to you, including benefits offered by the Travel Provider. Additional terms and conditions apply.
  • Travel Assistance Services – If you’re going 50 miles or more from home, you can get travel assistance 24/7. This includes Master Trip Travel Assistance, Medical Assistance and Master Legal Referral Service.
  • Travel Accident Insurance – You’re eligible common carrier accidental death and dismemberment at no additional cost when you charge your entire travel fare to your eligible card for a covered trip. You can receive up to $250,000 with this insurance.
  • Auto Rental Collision Waiver – This is secondary coverage for damages to an eligible rental vehicle when you pay for the entire rental using your card. Note: make sure to decline the coverage offered by the rental agency.
  • Mastercard Global Service – This is a service offered through Mastercard. You’ll receive help with emergency card replacements, lost and stolen card reporting, and emergency cash advances if needed.
  • Cellular Telephone Protection – Simply pay for your mobile phone bill with your Luxury Card to activate coverage for eligible damage or theft claims for your mobile phone when you simply pay your mobile phone bill with your card. This provides $1,000 in yearly coverage ($800 maximum per claim, two claims per year) should your phone get stolen or need certain repairs.
  • Lyft credit – Enroll your Luxury Card in the Lyft app and get an automatic $5 Lyft credit once you take three months in a month, paying with your Luxury Card for those rides. You can get this credit once per calendar month. Offer valid through March 31, 2024.
  • Shoprunner perks – Get free two-day delivery and free return shipping on eligible purchases through complimentary ShopRunner membership with your Luxury Card. Offer valid through March 31, 2024.
  • Instacart Get two months of Instacart+ for free and $10 off your second order each month with your eligible Luxury Card. Offer valid through March 31, 2025.
  • Peacock Stream new movies from theaters, hit series, exclusive originals, live sports and more with Peacock. Get a $3 statement credit each month when you use your eligible Luxury Card so you can check out new movies, hit series, live sports, exclusive originals and more. Get a $5 statement credit each month when you use your eligible Luxury Card for Peacock Premium Plus. Offer valid through March 31, 2025.
  • Fulfillment Kit – If you’re interested in creating content, then you can request a kit. Each card arrives in an embossed box set in a customized cherrywood tray. You also receive a handcrafted leather utility pad, which can be used as a jewelry or glasses rest, as a welcome gift.
  • Terms and conditions apply.

The Titanium Card follows many of the same benefits as the other two cards, minus the Global Entry & TSA Pre✓® Application Credit and the automatic enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select.

How to choose the right Masrtercard for you

As you can already see, Luxury Card is making cards for people who want luxury (surprise, right?). Therefore, you have to reset your expectations as to what you should be paying for an annual fee.

You’re potentially here because you’re looking for a luxury credit card and you’re looking for conveniences that will make your life as hassle-free as possible.

What I know about all three Luxury Cards is that they offer a bunch of extra perks that you aren’t going to find anywhere else. For example, the 24/7 concierge is a one-of-a-kind type service that not many in the market seems to be offering to this extent.

That said, if you’re going to get one of these cards, you have to decide which is best for you.

Here’s a simple way I like to think about it:

  • If you’re planning to spend a lot of money AND you want the choice of redeeming for airfare or cash, go with the Mastercard® Gold Card™.
  • If you are mostly focused on redeeming points for airfare and don’t plan to redeem for cash, the Mastercard® Black Card™ is probably best for you.
  • If you want the lowest cost card that still gives you most (but not all) of the luxury benefits, go with the Mastercard® Titanium Card™.

Summary

As you can see, Luxury Card offers some pretty awesome perks. And their cards don’t look half-bad either. Just remember that Luxury Card is not a bank. In fact, they’re backed by Barclays. They just service the card and add in all the cool benefits for you to give the option to travel with conveniences left and right.

If you’re in the market for a card that stands out as trying to give you the most convenience around traveling, I’d definitely check out one of these three cards from Luxury Card.

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