Your Credit Card Concierge

Filed in archive Credit on May 3, 2007

I never hold credit cards that have an annual fee. In general, cards that have a fee attached are geared toward the frequent traveler, and their perks include faster accumulation of frequent flyer miles or free companion tickets when you use the card to make a purchase. They'll often have perks at airports like admission to the clubs that allow businesspeople a place to work or make a phone call in peace. They're nice perks, but they've never been for me.

The New York Times had an article this past weekend, though, that changed my opinion on some of these cards. The article talks about the concierge service available with many of these cards. Even though I've seen such a service mentioned before with a credit card offer, it wasn't until I read the article that I saw the light in terms of the benefits.

Among the examples reporter Susan Stellin used to illustrate the potential: calling up the concierge when lost on the way to a destination, to order flowers, make dinner reservations, set up a Super Bowl travel package---even get an audience with the pope.

It's not my background or nature to call someone up to get the more mundane tasks of life completed, but it would be nice to just pick up the phone and say, "my grass is getting awfully long. Can you get someone out here with a mower?" Well, that might be asking too much, but, still, I can see the potential benefits here, and if it only costs $75 per year to have a concierge at my beck and call, I might just do it.