You Are Not Using Enough Credit Card Concierge Services
With vaccinations sped up and travel restrictions lifted, you may feel more confident dusting off your credit card and leaving your home for restaurants, events, or travel. An often overlooked – and suddenly relevant – credit card privilege is a concierge service that can help you plan your trip, shop, or purchase tickets for events that are difficult to get hold of.
How does the concierge service work?
If you’ve ever used hotel concierge services, the service is similar, although you can also think of them as a customer service line or personal shopper as they can help you find things and pay for them. Concierge services are free for premium cardholders and are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Their services, of course, have limitations, as the concierge will not do anything unethical, for example, send work emails on your behalf, and the tasks must be specific and you can do something yourself (for example, you can: t say “Rent me a helicopter for $ 20” and expect it to happen) There are many services the concierge will provide, though, including:
- Reservations: Credit card concierges can often pull the strings and find you at locations that are either fully booked or usually not booked. They are also great at finding good restaurants or things to do near your hotel when traveling, especially if you don’t speak the local language.
- Events: Even if tickets for a sporting event, concert, or theater event are sold out, the concierge can find you a ticket through a trusted vendor or through partnerships with a specific venue.
- Travel: The concierge can help you secure your hotel room or rebook your canceled flight, which is incredibly convenient if you’re in the middle of a business day and don’t have much time to do it yourself. Concierges are also adept at finding discounted updates for travel bookings when available.
- Personal Assistance: You can ask the concierge to make purchases for you, make appointments on your behalf, find lost luggage, or help with basic research such as finding a nearby pool while you are traveling.
What cards are used for concierge services?
There are five credit card service programs on Finder.com , although credit card companies can issue lower tier cards without a concierge service if you don’t have a good credit rating. The programs include:
- World Mastercard and World Elite Mastercard
- Traveling with a Luxury Card
- Signature Visa and Visa Infinite
- American Express
- Citi concierge
Is the concierge service worth it?
The service is not entirely “free” in and of itself, as cards with concierge services will cost hundreds of dollars a year in annual fees. However, if you make a lot of purchases with your card, this can be a welcome bonus in addition to the rewards you will earn. Especially if you are planning to travel.