Credit card concierge services
A concierge service can help you with travel, shopping, dining, entertainment, gifts and life in general. You only get them with the most expensive, high-end credit cards.
Key takeaways
- Concierge services are normally only available with platinum, black and other premium credit cards.
- These services are complimentary and normally available 24/7 and can help you with everything from restaurant bookings to organising travel visas.
- Expect to pay a high annual fee (around $400 at least) on most credit cards offering a concierge service.
What is a credit card concierge service?
A concierge service is a complimentary benefit offered by your credit card provider to make your life easier by handling requests. They are usually available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone.
You can use a concierge service to:
- Reserve hotels
- Book flights
- Buy gifts
- Make reservations
How does a credit card concierge service work?
When you get your card, you'll be given a list of phone numbers you can contact to make your requests. The concierge will inform you of the costs (if any) and options you have before booking or making a purchase that you request.
The concierge will not incur any costs on your card unless you’ve approved a booking or purchase.
Some high-tier concierge services also come with an app, letting you put your requests in writing as you go. Your concierge will notify you about the details of the request, like the time it will take for your items to be delivered or the details of your restaurant reservation.
What do you get with a concierge service?
The specific type of services available to you depends on the card provider. Westpac's Personal Concierge Service lets all eligible Black Mastercard credit card holders reserve a golf or spa package, make travel arrangements, shop for personal gifts or even plan a party.
Meanwhile, NAB's concierge service can help organise medical or legal services while you're overseas and also offers emergency interpretation assistance.
Our expert says: Keeping your existing card is just convenient
"A concierge service shouldn't be the only reason why you choose a credit card because these cards often come with high fees. But then, this kind of service isn't really for cost conscious people. Using a concierge is about convenience rather than getting the best possible deal. For busy people who have to make a lot of travel bookings or reservations, it's a great perk. "
How to compare credit card concierge services
Here are some things your concierge should be providing:
- Lifestyle services. This should cover all types of personal assistance and lifestyle requests not limited to but including car rental, limousine and car service bookings, mailing packages, holiday house information, shopping location information, floral arrangements, party planning, arrangement of hairstylists, fitness trainers and massages.
- An approval process for expenses. All concierge services should provide you with detailed information about any costs with your request. You are not charged for the research performed by a concierge. As the cardholder, you are responsible for the following: cost and delivery of the goods and services purchased, any deposits you’ve put down for the item, costs of cancellation, custom duties and any other costs incurred to fulfil your request.
- Convenience. The real benefit of these concierge services is the convenience of having someone take care of arrangements for you at no extra cost.
Pros and cons of credit card concierge services
Pros
- Concierge services can help with travel, entertainment, gifts, reservations and more.
- Calling a credit card concierge service allows you to speak to a person straight away.
- Using a concierge service doesn't cost you anything extra.
Cons
- Most cards with a concierge service charge a relatively high annual fee.
- Credit cards with concierge services tend to charge high interest rates.
- You won't always get the cheapest/best value deal as you're not shopping around.
Finder survey: What are the main features Australians consider when choosing a rewards credit card?
Response | |
|---|---|
| Annual fee | 58.62% |
| Points per $1 spent | 54.55% |
| Bonus points | 43.57% |
| Complimentary insurance | 24.45% |
| Interest-free days | 24.14% |
| Interest rate | 21.63% |
| Airport lounge access | 18.81% |
| The bank or brand | 10.66% |
| Other travel benefits (e.g. flight or travel credit) | 7.52% |
Source: Finder survey by Pure Profile of 1113 Australians, December 2023
Frequently asked questions about credit card concierge services
What are the fees for using a credit card concierge service?
While there is no extra fee for using the concierge service, any other fees incurred are payable by you, such as the purchase and delivery of the item you’ve requested. Also, these services are usually offered on cards that come with a high annual fee of around $300-$400 per year (or more).
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What about the Concierge service for Qantas Platinum Mastercard, not in the rating, can get discount airfares thru this service. How does this stack up?
Hi Pete,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
We currently don’t have a specific page discussing Qantas Platinum’s concierge services. However, By and large, a platinum concierge is the standard concierge service. This covers all types of personal assistance services. These services are on a referral or arrangement basis and any third party expenses will be the cardholder’s responsibility.
It would be also a good idea to directly get in touch with Qantas to get the specific services available for platinum cardholders.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua