Credit Card Feature: Concierge Services

Best Concierge Service Credit Card

The Citibank Clear Platinum Credit Card is a unique rewards card which features Personal 24 Hour Concierge Services. This means any events or organisation required while you are travelling overseas can be taken care of personally by your personal concierge. All you have to do is pick up the phone or logon to the internet.

• $49 first year (Save $50) annual fee
• 11.49% p.a. on purchases
• 0% p.a. for 6 months on balance transfers
• Cash Advance Rate of 21.24%
• Minimum Income Requirement of $50,000 p.a.
• 24/7 customer service

Click here to read the Citibank Clear Platinum Visa Card terms and conditions

Find out how to make the best use of a credit card concierge service. Understand that they are more versatile than their ability to book a table at the Ritz.

Credit card concierge services are fairly standard on most premium and platinum credit cards. These allow the cardholder to access a personalised service in their own language, at any time of the day or night anywhere in the world. The most common description of such a service on any credit card website is that it can be used to reserve a table at an exclusive restaurant.

This may be the reason that credit card concierge services are not used as much as they might be in Australia. There may be a cultural reluctance to engage in what might appear to be elitist activity. Even if the cardholder does require a table at a top restaurant, they might find it unusual not to just go ahead and book it themselves. After all, if you have to make the effort to pick up the phone and call the concierge, why not just call the restaurant instead?

Making best use of Concierge Services

Actually, credit card concierge services are far more versatile than their regular advertising would suggest. They can be used to organise events that you don’t have the time to sort out yourself, or that you are not sure how to sort out yourself. You may need to track down some special item but are not really sure where to start; not everyone is an expert on the internet. Alternatively, you may be in unfamiliar territory – on a holiday or a business trip – and not know where to look to find something locally.

Credit card concierge services can also be used for less obvious purposes. Many cardholders call and ask for gift ideas, to check on a flight, to arrange for new travel documents such as passports and travellers cheques to be replaced if they have been lost or stolen. It may be as simple as getting directions around a strange city.

And if you do fancy a night out at a popular and busy restaurant, you may be better off leaving that to a credit card concierge service because they have good relationships with such establishments. The restaurant instantly knows who they are dealing with. For example, the American Express concierge service has agreements with over 1,200 restaurants around the world. The other option would be for the card holder to call up and announce straight away that they carry a platinum credit card, which would sound like utter snobbery.

Bear in mind also how frustrating it can be with some companies to go through automated message after message until you finally arrive at a human being. Calling a Credit card concierge services allows you to speak to a human straight away, and you can leave your request with them.

• Comparison of Top 10 Credit Card Offers

Editor's Choice: Our Top Credit Cards

Credit Card	Card Details	Interest Rate (p.a.)	Cash Advance Rate (p.a.)	Balance Transfer Rate (p.a.)	Annual fee	Interest free days (up to)
HSBC Credit Card	Editor's Choice: 0% for 6 months Balance Transfer & No Annual Fee Featuring a $0 annual fee for life, and 0% p.a. balance transfer for 6 months, the HSBC Credit Card was voted the Best Transactor Credit Card for 2010.	16.99%	20.75%	0% for 6 months	$0	55
Suncorp Clear Options Standard Visa Card	A great 12 month balance transfer offer, combined with a low annual fee and a good interest rate on purchases.	12.24%	17.99%	1.9% for 12 months	$39	0